Just over a third (35%) of the world’s GDP, estimated at a total of US$80 trillion in 2017, is produced in 29 regions of the planet inhabited by 602 million people (8% of the global population). Researchers from the news website CityLab cross-referenced economic data calculated by British company Oxford Economics with satellite images taken by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to map the world’s leading economic centers. They noted that the areas that generated the most wealth were not always countries. There were nations with more than one economic center, and there were economic centers that spanned two or three countries. In general, they are formed of clusters of metropolises. Based on this observation, the researchers identified 29 economic mega-regions: areas that produce at least US$300 billion a year and are home to more than 5 million inhabitants. The richest is Bos-Wash, which has a population of 47.6 million and encompasses the metropolitan areas of Boston, New York, and Washington DC, generating US$3.65 trillion a year. Next is Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Munich (Par-Am-Mun), with 43.5 million people and an annual GDP of US$2.5 trillion. São Paulo is placed 14th in the ranking, and is the only mega-region in the southern hemisphere. It has 33.5 million inhabitants and a GDP of US$0.78 trillion per year (VisualCapitalist, September 19).
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São Paulo among the world’s major economic centers
