Spain, the only European country with two cities among the richest in the world

Spain is the only European country which places two of its cities - Madrid and Barcelona - in the list of the 35 world's richest cities, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the evolution of the population and economy of the world's major capitals up to 2025. 

Madrid and Barcelona are located in positions 26 and 35, respectively, in the ranking of the world's richest cities. The European representation is complete with London in fifth position, Paris, in sixth, and Moscow, which occupies fifteenth place. 

The study forecasts that Madrid will drop six places in the ranking planned for 2025. The findings put the current population of the Spanish capital in 2008 at 5.6 million inhabitants and its GDP at 153,590 million. Annual average growth is 1.8% in the Spanish capital until 2025, bringing its GDP close in on 217,000 million Euros for that date.  

For its part, Barcelona closes the top 35 and will reach number forty-two in 2025. The study concludes that the Catalan capital has a GDP of 118.195 million Euro and an average growth of 2%, but they expect it to fall to No. 42 within sixteen years.  

Both cities will be overtaken by the rise of emerging markets such as Rio de Janeiro, Cairo and Mumbai, according to the findings of the study, which includes both industrialized and emerging countries. Of the top 30 cities in the rankings, only seven are emerging and they are Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Shanghai, Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro.  

The study reveals that the thirty richest cities in the world accounted for 18% of world GDP in 2008 and 30% when expanded to the selection of the first 100. The cities of developed countries continued to lead the top 30 in 2008, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Paris, occupy the top six.  

No European or American city will grow in 2025 

The ranking of the thirty cities that will experience a sharper economic growth until 2025 does not include any European or American city or belong to any developed country. India, with twelve cities, and China with nine are the most represented countries. 

Of the 151 cities studied, the 80 located in emerging countries accounted for 30% of total GDP in 2008. In 2025 that percentage will rise to 40%. The capitals that will lose the most positions in the ranking are located in "old" Europe: Rome, Milan and Madrid will give way to cities like Kolkata, Bangalore and Rio de Janeiro.  

Between 2009 and 2025, cities in developed economies will grow at an average of 2%, while emerging markets will grow at over 6%, which represents a cumulative increase of almost 200% compared with 30% of the cities in advanced economies.  

The cities of industrialized countries will continue to lead the rankings in 2025. The first five are the same as those in 2008 except that London will surpass Chicago and will be in fourth place in the ranking thanks to its growth of above 2%.