The Global Cities Index 2010

The Global Cities Index ranks cities' metro areas according to 25 metrics across five dimensions. The first is business activity: including the value of its capital markets, the number of Fortune Global 500 firms headquartered there, and the volume of the goods that pass through the city. The second dimension measures human capital, or how well the city acts as a magnet for diverse groups of people and talent. This includes the size of a city's immigrant population, the quality of the universities, the number of international schools, and the percentage of residents with university degrees. The third dimension is information exchange-how well news and information is dispersed about and to the rest of the world. The number of international news bureaus, the level of censorship, the amount of international news in the leading local papers, and the broadband subscriber rate round out that dimension. The final two areas of analysis are unusual for most rankings of globalized cities or states. The fourth is cultural experience, or the level of diverse attractions for international residents and travelers. That includes everything from how many major sporting events a city hosts to the number of performing arts venues and diverse culinary establishments it boasts and the sister city relationships it maintains. The final dimension-political engagement-measures the degree to whicha city influences global policymaking and dialogue. How? By examining the number of embassies and consulates, major think tanks, international organizations, and political conferences a city hosts. 

The first place takes the most influential city in the world - New York. London is the best global city in Europe, meanwhile Tokyo is the best in Asia. Madrid is the best spot in Southern Europe, Dubai is regarded to be on the highest place in the Arab world, Johannesburg is the best in Africa, and Buenos Aires in Latin America.

1. New York, USA

2. London, UK

3. Tokyo, Japan

4. Paris, France

5. Hong Kong, China

6 Chicago, USA
7 Los Angeles, USA
8 Singapore, Singapore
9 Sydney, Australia
10 Seoul, Korea

11 Brussels, Belgium
12 San Francisco, USA
13 Washington, USA
14 Toronto, Canada
15 Beijing, China
16 Berlin, Germany
17 Madrid, Spain
18 Vienna, Austria
19 Boston, USA
20 Frankfurt, Germany
20 Shanghai, China

22 Buenos Aires, Argentina
23 Stockholm, Sweden
24 Zurich, Switzerland
25 Moscow, Russia
26 Barcleona, Spain
27 Dubai, UAE
28 Rome, Italy
29 Amsterdam, Netherlands
30 Mexico City, Mexico

31 Montreal, Canada
32 Geneva, Switzerland
33 Miami, USA
33 Munich, Germany
35 Sao Paulo, Brazil
36 Bangkok, Thailand
37 Copenhagen, Denmark
38 Houston, USA
39 Taipei, Taiwan
40 Atlanta, USA

41 Istanbul, Turkey
42 Milan, Italy
43 Cairo, Egypt
44 Dublin, Ireland
45 New Delhi, India
46 Mumbai, India
47 Osaka, Japan
48 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
49 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
50 Tel Aviv, Israel

51 Manila, Philippines
52 Johannesburg, South Africa
53 Jakarta, Indonesia
54 Bogota, Colombia
55 Caracas, Venezuela
56 Nairobi, Kenya
57 Guangzhou, China
58 Bangalore, India
59 Lagos, Nigeria
60 Karachi, Pakistan

61 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
62 Shenzhen, China
63 Kolkata, India
64 Dhaka, Bangladesh
65 Chongqing, China

Source - Foreign Policy