2024 Ranking of the World's Top 100 Special Economic Zones (SEZ)
Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong maintain Top-3 places in 2024 Global SEZ Ranking By George ELIOT The Top-3 Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the world for 2024 were Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hong Kong, unchanged from 2023 despite the addition of three AI factors to the 2024 ranking. 2024 RANKING METHODOLOGY A review of the ranking methodology in 2024 resulted in adding three more factors to the original five factors that shaped the 2023 ranking: we asked ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot and Google Gemini which the best SEZ in each country were and allocated 5 points (5%) weight when a given SEZ was identified by any of the three AI platforms (adding up to a maximum of 15 points if listed by all three). Thus the 2024 Global SEZ Ranking was based on eight factors: the three new AI factors (for up to 15% weight) and the original five factors ( details in 2023 Ranking ): Proximity to a Global City (50%); UNDP Human Development Index - HDI (15%); Prox...