Seoul has ranked fifth among the world’s richest cities for 2025, according to CEOWorld magazine, with Tokyo topping the list at a gross domestic product of $2.55 trillion, narrowly ahead of the New York metropolitan area at $2.49 trillion, based on a survey of 300 major metropolitans worldwide.

Tokyo’s strength comes from decades of technological innovation, automotive engineering and precision manufacturing. The city combines innovation with infrastructure, making its transportation, networks and supply chains highly efficient.

Following Los Angeles and London, Seoul ranks fifth with a GDP of $1.42 trillion, just ahead of Paris. The report highlights the city’s strengths in technology, electronics and digital innovation, while Asia’s growing presence in the rankings signals a shift in global economic power eastward. Other notable Asian cities include Osaka-Kobe (eighth), Shanghai (10th) and Singapore (16th).

The report concludes that the world’s richest cities are defined less by size and more by their ability to build adaptive, intelligent and sustainable urban ecosystems.


don@heraldcorp.com