World Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Bay Area

World Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Bay Area


World Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Bay Area

map bay area

Bay Area Fast Facts

Global & National Competitiveness

With a GDP of $535 billion, the Bay Area ranks 19th in the world when compared to national economies. At $74,815, the Bay Area has the highest GDP per capita in the United States and ranks ahead of global peers such as London ($56,997) and Singapore ($43,867). The region is at the cutting edge of global technology, and is a leader in many key indicators of regional, global and national competitiveness, including:

  • The nation’s largest concentration of national laboratories, corporate and independent research laboratories, and leading research universities;
  • The top global innovation center, with the highest concentration of innovation-related jobs in the U.S.;
  • The largest number of top-ten ranked graduate programs in business, law, medicine and engineering in the nation;
  • The highest density of venture capital firms in the world, with more than one third of total U.S. venture capital funding invested in the region;
  • More Fortune 500 companies than any U.S. region except New York, the sixth highest concentration of Fortune Global 500 companies in the world (after New York, London, Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing), and a much larger proportion of small businesses than other metropolitan regions;
  • The highest Internet penetration of any U.S. region;
  • The highest level of patent generation in the nation, with more patents generated per employee than any other major metropolitan area;
  • One of the two most highly educated workforces in the nation, with a high percentage of residents with graduate and professional degrees;
  • A leading position in global trade;
  • The highest economic productivity in the nation—almost twice the U.S. average.