London slips from top spot in global financial centre rankings

New York took first place, followed by London, Hong Kong and Singapore in the Z/Yen global financial centers index, which ranks 100 financial centers on factors such as infrastructure and access to high quality staff.

Since Britain voted to leave the EU more than two years ago, some of the world’s most powerful finance companies in London have been searching for a way to preserve the existing cross-border flow of trading after it leaves the bloc in 2019.

Miles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, said: “In a competitive world we cannot afford complacency. London and New York have long vied for the top spot of this index and the uncertainty around the future shape of Brexit is likely to be factor in their latest switch in positions.

“Most notable in this latest version of the GFCI is the continuing steady rise of the Asian centres. Hong Kong is now just three points behind London for the first time. Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo are close behind. Given the fall in a number of North American centres as well, it is Asia, not Europe, where the challenge to London and the UK will come from in the years ahead.

“While a couple of the European centres might have had ‘Brexit bump’, there are now fewer European centres in the top 50 as a whole. Despite concerted efforts to attract business, Paris rose just one place to 23rd and cities such as Dublin, Munich, Copenhagen and Stockholm have actually lost ground to global competitors.

“Ultimately these rankings are all about perception. The world is watching to see if the UK and the EU can overcome the political hurdles around Brexit and secure a deal that makes economic sense. It is vital that policymakers focus on this to ensure that Europe remains an attractive and competitive place to do business.”