Tokyo Named the World’s Richest City in 2025, Outpacing New York and Los Angeles

Tokyo has claimed the title of the world’s richest city for 2025, according to a CEOWORLD magazine ranking, after the Japanese capital reached a GDP of about $2.55 trillion. The achievement is supported by decades of industrial and technological innovation that have made Tokyo a symbol of progress and economic discipline, Newsweek reported.

The report emphasized that the largest cities in the world form “the backbone of the global economy,” as they control capital flows and host centers of innovation and sources of economic influence on an unprecedented scale. The study was based on a survey of 300 cities worldwide, covering indicators such as wealth, investment, technological capacity, infrastructure, and quality of life.

The report explained that Tokyo’s economic strength stems from decades of leadership in technology, mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, and precision manufacturing. It added that the Japanese capital represents “a model of operational efficiency and disciplined economic governance,” noting that its transport systems, financial networks, and industrial supply chains function “with unmatched precision,” making it a global benchmark for integrating technology and infrastructure.

The New York metropolitan area ranked second globally as the world’s financial core and a growing hub for startups, while Los Angeles came in third thanks to its entertainment-based economy and rapid growth in technology and aerospace. The report noted that the top ten cities collectively represent nearly one-third of global GDP, reflecting increasing wealth concentration in major urban centers that lead innovation and control capital movement and international economic competition.

American dominance was clear in the ranking, as numerous U.S. cities appeared in the top 25, including Chicago (7th), the San Francisco Bay Area (9th), Greater Washington (12th), Dallas–Fort Worth (13th), Greater Houston (14th), Boston (15th), Seattle (18th), Philadelphia (19th), Atlanta (20th), in addition to Silicon Valley, which ranked 24th.

The report also highlighted Asia’s rise as an emerging economic force. Seoul ranked fifth globally thanks to its leadership in electronics, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation, while Shanghai placed tenth as it evolves into a global center for finance and logistics, followed by Beijing in eleventh place.

The magazine stressed that the city rankings are not based solely on economic size or population, but also on living conditions, education quality, institutional strength, and a city’s ability to attract talent and provide an environment favorable to innovation and entrepreneurship. CEOWORLD’s CEO, Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, told Newsweek: “The cities that thrive in the new global economy are those that boldly invest in people, infrastructure, and ideas. Economic power now depends on creativity and long-term opportunity more than geography.”

The report concluded by stating that sustainable urban planning and the ability to adapt to climate change and technological evolution are now the decisive factors in keeping major cities within the circle of global wealth. It emphasized that “the most successful cities are those with enough resilience to balance economic growth, sustainability, and social inclusion.”