Richest city in the world by GDP in 2025 isn’t in America
A recent survey of 300 global cities reveals the richest city in the world by GDP in 2025. The report is published by CEOWORLD Magazine.
Tokyo ranks first in GDP in 2025
Tokyo has secured the top position as the world’s richest city in 2025. Its massive $2.55 trillion GDP ranked it at first place, outranking even the lavish metropolitan cities of the United States like New York and Los Angeles. This Japanese city has a solid economic strength reflects decades of investment in the technology sector, automotive engineering, and incredible infrastructure.
Tokyo’s Economic Growth
Tokyo is not wealthy just because it’s big, but the city’s urban prosperity relies on trains, factories, industries, and most of all its institutional strength and capital fluidity. The supply chain and advancement of technological industries are so powerful which makes Tokyo one of the most efficient and smart cities in the world.
New York and LA in the ranking
Despite Tokyo ranking number 1 in the list of richest cities in the world, the United States dominates much of the top 25 positions. The second position is acquired by New York for finance and startups, it has a GDP of approximately $1.99 trillion GDP in 2024 while Los Angeles with $1.12 trillion GDP ranks third due to the presence of the Hollywood industry and the technology and aerospace sectors. Other major American cities are also on the list.
U.S. Cities Ranked by GDP
- Chicago, ranks at 7
- San Francisco Bay Area, ranks at 9
- Washington, ranks at 12
- Dallas–Fort Worth, ranks at 13
- Houston, ranks at 14
- Boston, ranks at 15
- Seattle, ranks at 18
- Philadelphia, ranks at 19
- Atlanta, ranks at 20
- Silicon Valley, ranks at 24
Asian cities in the 2025 GDP list
Asia is also improving its position in global rankings. Seoul ranks at number five, thanks to South Korea’s advancements in technology, digital innovations, and growing manufacturing sector. Cities of China like Shanghai and Beijing also make the top 11 rank due to their continuous expansion in logistics, AI industries, finance, and governance to become global economic powerhouses. As of 2025, Shanghai is China’s richest city by GDP.
This shows that a small group of cities attract talent, money, innovation, and top businesses. But a high GDP doesn’t mean high quality life. Factors like political stability, business-friendly environments, good infrastructure, and high institutional quality all play a major role in how wealthy a city becomes.
