London retains its ranking as the world’s best place to do business
LONDON has retained its standing as the world’s top financial centre, despite economic uncertainty, the threat of regulatory upheaval and the Eurozone debt crisis.
In the Global Financial Centres Index, the UK capital scored a rating of 781, compared to 772 for New York, 754 for Hong Kong, 729 for Singapore and 693 for Tokyo. The ranking, by think-tank Z/Yen Group, is based on a survey of 77 centres, comparing factors like market access, infrastructure and competitiveness.
The remaining top 10 slots were taken by Zurich (689), Chicago (688), Shanghai (687), Seoul (686) and Toronto (685).
Ratings for the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen all declined, possibly as a result of renminbi trading restrictions.