Key Notes
- London finished first for a 14th consecutive edition, followed by Tokyo, New York, Paris and Singapore.
- Tokyo rose to second for the first time, and Shanghai climbed three places to eighth.
- The index ranks 48 cities using 72 indicators across six areas, including cultural interaction and accessibility.
London tops the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Global Power City Index 2025 for a 14th consecutive edition. Tokyo rises to second for the first time, moving ahead of New York, while Paris and Singapore complete the top five.
Released in December 2025, the index compares 48 cities on their ability to attract people, businesses and investment. Its six areas span the economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, the environment and accessibility. The 2025 edition uses 72 indicators. Release notes
The Top 10 Cities in the 2025 Index
- London — 1,642.2 points
- Tokyo — 1,535.1 points
- New York — 1,476.6 points
- Paris — 1,444.6 points
- Singapore — 1,293.1 points
- Seoul — 1,288.1 points
- Amsterdam — 1,196.9 points
- Shanghai — 1,194.6 points
- Dubai — 1,186.7 points
- Berlin — 1,169.8 points
Scores reflect performance across the six areas. The foundation publishes the results for all 48 cities and the breakdown by category. Full ranking
How the Leading Cities Earned Their Places
London finished first in both cultural interaction and accessibility. Tokyo led in livability and took second for cultural interaction, helped by a first-place result for nightlife options. New York remained first in the economy and research categories even as it slipped one place overall. Paris came second for accessibility. Index overview
Below the top five, Seoul and Amsterdam held sixth and seventh. Shanghai climbed three places to eighth, with gains in research and development, cultural interaction and accessibility. Dubai and Berlin each fell one place to ninth and tenth. City results
Which Rankings Matter for a City Break?
The category scores can help travellers decide where to look more closely. Cultural interaction covers visitor experiences such as attractions, museums and nightlife, alongside factors like conferences and international exchange. Accessibility combines the ease of getting around with air connections and airport capacity. Indicator definitions
For a short stay, check the airport transfer and the routes between the places you want to visit. A hotel near a museum district or a direct train can save more time on a three-day trip than a city’s overall position suggests. If public transport is the priority, our separate ranking shows how residents rate getting around their own cities. Public transport ranking
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