Hong Kong ranked as ‘most international city’ in Asia
Hong Kong has been ranked as the most international city in Asia in a new index compiled by global market research firm Ipsos and commissioned by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.
The inaugural ‘Asian Cities Internationality Index 2025’ was established to evaluate the internationality of 11 Asian cities – Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo.
Out of a maximum score of 100, Hong Kong ranked first, with a score of 73.7, followed closely by Singapore at 73.5. The Index recognised Hong Kong’s position as an international financial hub, a centre for international events and an international hub for world-class education, as well as its free, safe, and stable living environment. Singapore was highlighted as a multicultural city that nurtures a diverse talent pool.
The Index measured 113 indicators in seven areas: Business & Economy, Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Connectivity, Innovation & Ideas, Human Capital Diversity, Cultural Interaction, and Government & Legal System for Business.
These included 69 statistical indicators from various national and international sources, and 44 indicators gathered from a survey of 1,107 business executives residing in these cities – both local and expats – to provide a broad spectrum of insights.
Tokyo and Seoul formed the next tier. Tokyo (70.0) was found to excel in quality of life, cultural interaction and international presence, while Seoul (69.4) rated highly in advanced transportation and information connectivity.
They were followed by Shanghai (65.1), Bangkok (61.3), Kuala Lumpur (60.7), Taipei (57.9), Jakarta (55.5), Ho Chi Minh City (53.9) and Mumbai (53.1). Shanghai led in innovation with its vibrant innovation ecosystem. Other cities’ unique strengths included tourism appeal, diverse educational resources and accessibility of information, but they were found to have not fully elevated their international standing.
According to the Chamber, Hong Kong’s top ranking was powered by its lead in the Business & Economy segment. But it placed fourth in Innovation & Ideas, trailing Shanghai, Singapore and Seoul, a weakness that had to be addressed if it was to secure its future amid rising geopolitical risks.
Chamber chief executive Patrick Yeung Wai-tim said Hong Kong’s development had not yet reached the point where its scientific research could successfully be commercialised on a large scale. “Hong Kong’s own enterprises still invest a relatively low proportion of their operational costs in scientific research and development,” he said.
To improve Hong Kong’s performance, the Chamber recommended providing “more investor-friendly policies to support commercialisation of local academic research”. It also urged action to “foster a balanced and diverse talent pool and improve the deteriorating English proficiency of the working population”, after Singapore led the Human Capital Diversity category.
“This new ranking not only highlights Hong Kong’s strength as an international finance centre, but also as a place that offers world-class education and a great place to do business. Similarly, Singapore has been recognised as a multicultural city with a growing tech and innovation hub,” said Alan Fong, Sovereign Managing Director – Asia.
“Asia is at the forefront of technology and innovation, and this has created the perfect ‘ecosystem’ for investors and individuals to start or grow a business. It should also be noted that Hong Kong and Singapore were ranked third and fourth respectively in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) report. This means that, including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Seoul, there are now five Asian cities in the top ten.”
In another survey, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) recently ranked Hong Kong third globally in its annual World Competitiveness Index, behind Switzerland and Singapore.
According to the IMD, Switzerland continued to demonstrate a robust performance, a result of the country’s resilient and stable economic and societal structures. It continued to lead globally in Government Efficiency and Infrastructure, maintaining its first position in both areas.
Singapore slipped to second from its top position in 2024. Singapore’s top rank in Economic Performance was mainly the result of high growth in GDP and capital formation, as well as notable improvements in the export of goods and commercial services. This combined drive in the Domestic Economy and International Trade subfactors was significant enough to offset slight declines in International Investment (from second to third) and Employment (from fifth to sixth).
Hong Kong SAR advanced two positions to secure third place, up from fifth in 2024, with gains across all four factors of competitiveness. These gains, said the IMD, reflected a broad-based approach to attracting private sector investment.
