The Cities Shaping the Future: BRICS Business Capitals Ranking Returns
The world is becoming increasingly urban. Major BRICS cities are shaping new chains of economic influence, technological transformation, and ESG adaptation. In 2024, World Economic Journal introduced the first edition of the BRICS Business Capitals — a ranking of the most influential urban economic hubs. An updated edition will be released in the September 2025 issue.
BRICS Business Capitals is a specialized sub-ranking that highlights key cities across BRICS countries actively redefining the global economic landscape.
The evaluation is based on four primary categories:
• Gross Regional Product (GRP): economic size and growth rates;
• Technological Infrastructure: level of digitization and innovation clusters;
• Urban ESG Agenda: waste management, green zones, sustainable transport;
• Role as Corporate and Investment Hubs: number of large company HQs, business density, financial activity.
In 2025, the ranking will be expanded with new cities and updated metrics to reflect the growing influence of BRICS+.
Last Year’s Highlights: Which Cities Led the BRICS Urban Economy?
Key Insights from the 2024 Edition:
• Beijing demonstrated unmatched combined strength: GRP, innovation, and global outreach;
• Abu Dhabi achieved the highest ESG rating and urban resilience;
• Moscow and Johannesburg maintained their roles as regional business hubs;
• Shenzhen, while smaller in scale, emerged as a frontrunner in digital transformation.
Top-25 Cities in the 2024 BRICS Business Capitals Ranking
BRICS+ in Motion: What’s New in the 2025 Edition
Key Announcements:
• Jakarta, Cairo, and Addis Ababa — key capitals from newly joined BRICS+ members — will debut in the 2025 edition;
• Introduction of a new “Urban ESG Composite Index”, reflecting the environmental, mobility, digital, and investment attractiveness of each city;
• New indicators: GRP per capita and Corporate Density Index (number of leading company HQs per city);
• A comparative infographic “Financial Weight vs ESG Infrastructure” will showcase the balance of economic power and sustainability across BRICS capitals.
The updated ranking will be published in the September 2025 issue of World Economic Journal.
Don’t miss the definitive overview of the evolving urban power map — only in the September issue of WEJ
Stay informed at:
https://world-economic.com/
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awards@world-economic.com
PHOTO: RUMANA FERDOUSI / SHUTTERSTOCK, PHOTO: METAMORWORKS / SHUTTERSTOCK, PHOTO: CHIEW / SHUTTERSTOCK
