When EY and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) released the latest Global Business Districts Attractiveness Report on Friday, Beijing's Central Business District (CBD) entered the global elite. Ranked No. 6 worldwide, it sits just behind New York's Midtown and Financial District, Tokyo's Marunouchi, Paris La Défense, and the City of London—established hubs of finance and corporate decision-making.

The EY–ULI index evaluates 30 leading business districts across 19 countries, benchmarking them across eight categories:talent, market proximity, influence, macroeconomic environment, real estate, urban amenities, innovation, and sustainability.

Key statistics highlight the shifting balance:

• Europe's top business districts now host 2.5 times fewer Fortune Global 500 headquarters than their Asian counterparts.

• Investment volumes in Europe were 60% lower than in Asia in 2024, a reversal from 2020.

These numbers signal the growing economic and strategic weight of Asian business districts for corporate decision-makers and investors.

The report emphasizes Beijing CBD's performance in several areas:

Urban Amenities

The district offers a dense “Work-Life-Leisure” ecosystem, with cultural venues, retail, dining, and public amenities within walking distance—an increasingly important factor for attracting global talent.

Talent Concentration

Beijing CBD hosts high concentrations of professionals in finance, professional services, media, and technology. For multinational firms, this provides a stable pool of skilled, internationally mobile employees.

Market Proximity and Influence

While slightly behind top-ranked districts in influence metrics, the CBD benefits from Beijing’s role as a center of policy and corporate decision-making, supporting firms involved in regulatory and cross-border work.

As Chen Dai, Chair of the Global Business Districts Innovation Club, noted, business districts are evolving into “laboratories of innovation and prototypes for the cities of the future.” This underscores that urban competitiveness now combines infrastructure, talent, and innovation ecosystems.

Other Chinese districts are also represented in the global ranking: Hong Kong Central (13th), Shanghai Lujiazui (14th), and Guangzhou Tianhe (22nd). Together, these placements reflect a diversified landscape of Chinese business districts offering multiple strategic options for global firms, from finance and corporate services to technology and professional advisory.

Beijing CBD's rise demonstrates the region's growing integration into global capital and talent flows, highlighting the evolving geography of high-performance business districts.