I just reviewed a ranking of the world’s richest cities by GDP, and it’s interesting to see how the top 3 dominates. New York remains the economic capital with 2.3T, followed by Tokyo with 2.1T and Los Angeles with 1.29T. What catches my attention is that almost all the top spots are U.S. cities, but then more Asian powers start to appear.

If you look at the GDP ranking by metro area, Paris and London are around 1.2T each, while cities like Shanghai and Beijing in China are already competing strongly. Chicago, Seoul, and São Paulo also have impressive numbers. It’s fascinating to see how wealth is concentrated in these global urban hubs.

What’s curious is that out of the 20 most important cities by GDP, nearly half are U.S. cities. From New York to Philadelphia, the economic dominance of the U.S. is clear. But without a doubt, Asian cities are closing the gap faster and faster. Data from 2024, so there are probably already changes.