Hong Kong Tops Asian International City Rankings for Second Year, Lead Over Singapore Widens to Two Points
HK01 · 7 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong has secured the top spot among 11 Asian cities in the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce's annual Asian Cities Internationality Index for the second consecutive year, with its lead over Singapore widening from 0.2 points last year to two full points . The city scored 74.6 out of 100, up from 73.7 in 2025, reflecting gains across multiple evaluation criteria . While Hong Kong maintained its dominance in business and economy (78.6 points) and infrastructure and connectivity, it faced continued challenges in innovation and creativity, where it ranked third behind Shanghai and Seoul with only 61 points . Singapore, which scored 72.6 points, outperformed Hong Kong in human resources diversity and government-business legal systems . The survey collected responses from over 1,100 local and foreign business executives across the evaluated cities .
Key Points
- Hong Kong scored 74.6 out of 100 in the Asian Cities Internationality Index 2026, up from 73.7 last year, maintaining its top ranking among 11 Asian cities
- The city's lead over Singapore widened to two points, compared to just 0.2 points in the previous year's survey
- Hong Kong ranked first in business and economy with 78.6 points, and rose from fourth to third place in innovation and ideas
- Singapore leads in human resources diversity with 31.3% international residents compared to Hong Kong's 14.5%
- The index evaluated seven core areas including quality of life, infrastructure, innovation, human capital diversity, cultural interaction, and government-business legal systems
Why It Matters
The widening gap between Hong Kong and Singapore highlights the city's competitive advantages in traditional strengths such as business environment and connectivity, even as both cities compete fiercely for global talent and investment . The continued lag in innovation metrics underscores structural challenges in transforming Hong Kong into a technology hub, particularly in attracting private investment for startups, which remains comparatively more difficult than in rival cities like Shanghai . As Asian economies are projected to contribute approximately 60% of global economic growth in 2025, Hong Kong's position as the leading international city positions it to play a central role in driving regional economic leadership .
The widening gap between Hong Kong and Singapore highlights the city's competitive advantages in traditional strengths such as business environment and connectivity, even as both cities compete fiercely for global talent and investment . The continued lag in innovation metrics underscores structural challenges in transforming Hong Kong into a technology hub, particularly in attracting private investment for startups, which remains comparatively more difficult than in rival cities like Shanghai . As Asian economies are projected to contribute approximately 60% of global economic growth in 2025, Hong Kong's position as the leading international city positions it to play a central role in driving regional economic leadership .