Hong Kong has climbed one place to rank as the world’s fifth most competitive ocean city, consolidating its role as a global shipping and trading center, according to a report published on Friday.
The special administrative region has overtaken Tokyo in the latest ranking, according to the Global Ocean City Competitiveness Index Report, compiled by Shenzhen-based think tank China Development Institute.
London topped the list, followed by Singapore and New York. Shanghai was the Chinese city with the highest ranking, taking fourth place.
Ding Chengwei, vice director of the Department of Sustainable Development and Blue Economy Research at CDI, said Hong Kong’s advance in ranking highlights the institutional advantages and service capabilities of the international financial and shipping center.
The city’s total port cargo throughput hit 169.6 million tons in 2025, government data showed.
Hong Kong International Airport has topped the global ranking for the 15th time since 2010 as the busiest cargo airport, according to Airports Council International.
The results of the report were based on five perspectives — economic and trading vitality, technological innovation, maritime services, international influence, and urban governance — covering 24 core indicators. A total of 60 ocean cities from North America, Europe and Asia Pacific were included in the research.
Cities in the Asia-Pacific region took the lead from the perspective of economic and trading vitality, with Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou joining the top 20 club.
Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan ranked the world’s first and second, respectively, in the two indicators of cargo throughput and route connectivity.
Chinese cities also performed well for technological innovation. Of the top 10 globally, Chinese cities accounted for half, with Shanghai jumping four spots to second place. Shenzhen led the globe in Patent Cooperation Treaty international patent applications.
Davis Xu contributed to this story.
Geographic Distribution of Global Maritime Cities (Source: China Development Institute)
First tier: London, Singapore, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Hamburg, Oslo, Houston.
Second tier: Shenzhen, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Copenhagen, Vancouver, Athens, Taipei, Stockholm.
Third Tier: Xiamen, Antwerp, Kuala Lumpur, Helsinki, Osaka, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Busan, Tianjin, Jakarta, Macao, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Yokohama, Sanya, Dalian, Zhuhai, Haikou, Manila, Fuzhou, Quanzhou.
Fourth Tier: Nantong, Ho Chi Minh City, Dongguan, Yantai, Wenzhou, Lianyungang, Zhanjiang, Beihai, Weihai, Tangshan, Danzhou, Yancheng, Shantou, Rizhao, Qinzhou, Qinhuangdao, Zhangzhou, Yingkou, Fangchenggang, Jinzhou.
