5 Asian cities among top 10 world's most powerful metropolises

Published annually by the Japanese Mori Memorial Foundation's Institute for Urban Strategies, the report evaluates 48 major cities across 72 indicators spanning six key functions: economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment, and accessibility.

The top 10 includes Asian hubs Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai and Dubai.

Tokyo achieved its highest-ever ranking, climbing to the No. 2 position overall with a score of 1535.1. This marks the first time since the index's inception that the Japanese capital has overtaken New York.

While Tokyo saw a slight dip in its economy ranking (dropping to 12th), it dominated the Livability category, securing the No. 1 spot globally. The city's rise was further fueled by its cultural appeal, ranking 2nd in cultural interaction and 1st in nightlife options. Tokyo also made significant strides in sustainability, jumping from 18th to 7th in the environment category.

Singapore retained its 5th-place position, bolstered by a strong performance in the economy category and a high score for variety of workplace options.

The city-state excelled in the environment sector, ranking highest among the top 10 cities for both biodiversity and urban greenery. However, the city's livability score fell to 31st as global inflation drove up local price levels, a challenge mirrored in several other high-income Western hubs.

South Korea's capital, Seoul, secured 6th place, maintaining its status as a global leader in research and development (R&D). The city ranked 2nd for number of patents and 3rd for number of researchers, while also showing improvement in its cultural and tourism amenities.

Shanghai followed in 8th place, rising three spots due to gains in R&D and accessibility. The Chinese financial hub saw marked improvements in air passenger traffic and airport connectivity, alongside a bolstered tourism profile.

Dubai of the UAE ranked ninth globally. This marks the very first time Dubai breaks into the top 10 for the first time. The Middle Eastern city performed well in cultural intersection and accessibility, ranking 5th globally in both indicators. For economy, it leaped from 42nd to 10th.

London has maintained the No. 1 spot for 14 consecutive years, leading in both cultural interaction and accessibility.

In contrast, New York recorded the steepest decline in the top 10, slipping to 3rd place.

While the Big Apple continues to lead globally in R&D and economy, its ranking was dragged down by a poor livability score, where its price level ranked last among all surveyed cities.

Paris remained in fourth, with a slightly higher score supported by the 2024 Paris Olympics and its status as a leading global tourist destination. The city excelled in accessibility, surpassing New York to claim 2nd place in this category.