10 Richest Cities in the World in terms of GDP

Updated on August 02, 2022 16:44 PM by Ava Sara

What makes a city rich? Is it the residents of the city? Or the culture? Maybe it is a combination of so many different things. A city's wealth is primarily measured in GDP or Gross Domestic Product. The term takes into account the market value of every good and service provided in a specific location. According to their GDP ranking, the top 10 wealthiest cities in the world are listed below.

Shanghai – China

GDP – $516.5 billion

Area – 6,340.5 square km

Population – 23,019,148

As the Chinese economy is experiencing bloom year by year, it is not at all surprising that a Chinese city has made it into the list of 10 richest cities in the world. Though Beijing is China's political and cultural seat, Shanghai has become its economic hub and will be that way for many more years to come. Most of the industries here are associated with sectors such as steel production, tourism, and chemicals. Most foreign embassies have made Shanghai their home, which greatly adds to the appeal and prestige of China's once considered small fishing East coast.

Moscow – Russia

GDP – $520.1 billion

Area – 2,510 square km

Population – 11,503,501

The Russian capital has more to offer than just its worldwide famous luxurious caviar and vodka. The status of being a capital was taken away from Moscow when St. Petersburg was established, but Moscow was again made the capital of Russia once the 1917 Revolution was over. After being a part of several historical milestones and numerous, Moscow now offers a large fraction of food, minerals, chemicals, and steel supply for its country.

Chicago – USA

GDP – $523.6 billion

Area – 606.1 square km

Population – 2,707,120

Chicago is the seat of the Chicago Bulls. Chicago Bulls is a basketball that was all over the basketball scene during the 1990s. The city is the deep-dish pizza's home, a culinary offering that is rarely found anywhere else in the world. But, the city of Chicago is not only about basketball and rare Italian dish. It is much more than that. The city's roots are profound and traced back to Native Americans who called it the Windy City Home. The modern city of Chicago was founded in the year 1833. Since then, it has seen positive growth and is constantly developing to this day. The big industries found in Chicago are publishing, printing, and manufacturing.

Osaka – japan

GDP – $654.8 billion

Area – 552.26 square km

Population – 1,545,410

Osaka is the oldest and historically the most important city in Japan, and its origin can be traced as far back as six century BC. However, Osaka's actual starting point as a city came from 1603 to 1867 during the Edo Period. Only 223 square km can be called an urban area out of the city's total area. The rest of the town is either regarded as cultural or agricultural. The city has several tourist attractions, including Universal Studio Japan and Osaka Castle. The industries found in Chicago usually engage in plastic, textile, and metal production.

Paris – France

GDP – $669.2 billion

Area – 105.4 square km

Population – 10,413,386

Although today Paris has gained a reputation of being a Romantic City, but this city had a very turbulent past. This includes numerous wars while gaining and losing power in Roman Empire, bloody battles in the Medieval Era, the spread of the Black Plague, various invasions from Asia, and World War I and II. In addition to being a City of Romance today, Paris is also called the world's fashion capital as high-end clothing labels line up the city's streets, and models and fashion designers from around the world come there to make it big. Some of the fantastic tourist attractions in Paris are the world-famous Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs Elysees.

London – England

GDP – $731.2 billion

Area – 1,570 square km

Population – 8,173,194

London began as a Roman settlement known as Londinium, but it flourished even when the Roman Empire collapsed. The city had to suffer so much throughout its history, including the Great Fire in the year 1666, followed by Black Plague a century later. London also played an important role during both the World Wars. It became a major melting pot of the world because many people of different cultures, religions, and races made London their dream destination. Considering commerce thrives on banking and finance. Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben Clock tower, and the London Eye are tourist spots worth your time.

Seoul – South Korea

GDP – $779.3 billion

Area – 605.21 square km

Population – approximately 10 million

According to history, Seoul was founded in 17 BC and is regarded among East Asia's oldest surviving cities. The city suffered severely in World War II against Japan and also against China and Korea in the Korean War from the year 1950 to 1955. After the truce between the two Koreas, the city of Seoul started flourishing and hasn't looked back since then. The major industries found in the city are textile, iron and steel, and electronic production. Tourists from around the globe visit Seoul today to see Namsan Park, the Korean War Memorial, N Seoul Tower, and Changdeokgung Palace.

Los Angeles – USA

GDP – $789.7 billion

Area – 1,302 square km

Population – 3,792,621

It is the city of Angels to the world, but this plush and glitzy city had a very humble beginning. It was established as a small village where people of Spanish descent lived. However, it started developing when Americans won it in 1847. Though most people consider Los Angeles the hub of showbiz and filmmaking in the US, the business in the city lies in the banking and finance sectors.

New York – USA

GDP – 1,210 billion

Area – 1,213 square km

Population – 8,244,910

Never sleeping city! The Big Apple! The Dutch won New York in the Anglo-Dutch War but later gave it to the English through a treaty in the year 1647. It was one of the cities that demanded the abolition of slavery. The city has such a variety of populations because it acted as an entry point for people coming from Europe. New York's major tourist attractions are Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty.

Tokyo – japan

GDP – $1,520 billion

Area – 2,187.6 square km

Population – 13,185,502

The old adage says that small beginnings lead to great things; it fully suits Tokyo. The city started as a small fishing village and became the seat of power when Tokugawa leyasu started to reign. Tokyo's former name is Edo, and it has a turbulent past. When Japan surrendered in 1945, Tokyo became one of the most developed cities in the world. Major industries found in this city are publishing, telecommunication, and electronics.