Global Cities Index

The Global Cities Index provides a comprehensive ranking of the leading global cities from around the world. The index shows how these cities are integrating with the rest of the world as leaders in globalization. The study was developed by A.T. Kearney, Foreign Policy magazine, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

The Global Cities Index is designed to track the way cities maneuver as their populations grow and the world continues to shrink.

2008 Global Cities Index
For 2008, the index ranked 60 cities from 40 countries. New York tops the list of global cities. Other leaders include London, Paris, and Tokyo. Each of these cities excels across multiple dimensions.

The study also shows that this years’ top-ranking cities face strong competition from emerging cities, including Beijing, Moscow, Shanghai, and Dubai. Many of the challengers are part of formerly closed societies, indicating that the cities worldwide are adjusting rapidly to the twin dynamics of globalization and urbanization.

See the complete 2008 Global Cities Index on the Foreign Policy website.

View a summary of the rankings of the 60 cities for 2008.

Methodology
By measuring cities’ international presence, we can get an accurate picture of globalization — the workings of the interconnected world. The index ranks cities on 24 metrics across five dimensions:

• Business activity – Fortune Global 500 headquarters and Top 40 business service firms, size of stock and commodities markets, flow of goods, industry conferences
• Human capital – data on top universities, international students, inhabitants with university degrees, size of foreign-born population, primary and secondary international schools
• Information exchange – bureaus of global publications, coverage of international news, broadband penetration
• Cultural experience – international visitors, performing arts venues, international shows and sporting events, diversity and quality of culinary scene
• Political engagement – embassies, consulates, international organizations, think tanks, international policy conferences, and sister-city arrangements, investment promotion agencies and NGOs

Recent Media Highlights

Cities like Seattle look abroad for prosperity at home
7 February 2010 — The Seattle Times
An unsurprising set of the most globally connected cities — among them New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Singapore and Chicago — emerged in a "Global Cities Index" developed by the journal Foreign Affairs, the consulting firm A.T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

There is more to city life than convenience
29 June 2009 — FT.com Financial Times
Many people are choosing new cities. Every week, one million people move to cities around the world, according to a study carried out late last year by AT Kearney, the management consultants, Foreign Policy magazine and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Is there a way to combine urban dynamism with, if not pristine cycle paths and spotless metro stations, a reasonable quality of life?

The World's Most Global Cities
29 October 2008 — BusinessWeek.com
A new A.T. Kearney study compiles a list of the world's most global cities, weighing financial as well as cultural and political influence.

Stop Mumbai masala from losing flavour
3 November 2008 — The Economic Times
Whatever it is that they do, cities are counted among the world’s greatest only if they are perceived as a “global city” in which people come together to work, exchange ideas, learn, play, trade and live peacefully.

New Comprehensive Ranking of 60 Most Global Cities
20 October 2008 — MarketWatch
A new study confirms that New York, London and Paris are the world's most global cities, but also reveals that top-ranking cities face strong competition from emerging cities such as Beijing, Moscow, Shanghai, and Dubai.

Global Seoul Means Friendlier City for Foreigners
31 October 2008 — The Korea Times
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon knows very well that the capital has a long way to go before it can be acknowledged as a truly global city where foreign nationals can live comfortably.

New York ranked as No. 1 global city
22 October 2008 — The Korea Times
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon knows very well that the capital has a long way to go before it can be acknowledged as a truly global city where foreign nationals can live comfortably.

Dubai makes it onto world list to find 'perfect city'
22 October 2008 — ArabianBusiness.com
Dubai is the Gulf's only entry in a new list to find the perfect 'global city'.

Toronto 4th in world for culture
21 October 2008 — Toronto Star
Toronto ranks as the world's fourth best city to experience culture, behind only London, Paris and New York, a new study on globalization has found.

Cairo ranks high on politics, low on business
21 October 2008 — Daily Star Egypt
In this year’s Foreign Policy Magazine's Global Cities Index, Cairo ranked 38, scoring high on political involvement but poorly on business activity.