The Fortune Global 500, also known as Global 500, is an annual ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by Fortune magazine.
| Rank | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
| 1 | US | US | US | US | US | US | US | US | US | US | US |
| 2 | China | China | China | China | China | China | China | China | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| 3 | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | China | China | China |
| 4 | France | Germany | France | France | France | France | France | Germany | Germany | Germany | Germany |
| 5 | Germany | France | Germany | Germany | UK | Germany | Germany | UK | UK | France | France |
| 6 | UK | UK | UK | UK | Germany | UK | UK | France | France | UK | UK |
| 7 | South Korea | South Korea | Canada | South Korea | South Korea | South Korea | South Korea | Switzerland | South Korea | Switzerland | Canada |
| 8 | Switzerland | Netherlands | South Korea | Switzerland | Netherlands | Switzerland | Switzerland | South Korea | Switzerland | Netherlands | South Korea |
| 9 | Canada | Switzerland | Netherlands | Netherlands | Switzerland | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Canada | Switzerland |
| 10 | Netherlands | Canada | Switzerland | Canada | Canada | Canada | Canada | Canada | Canada | Italy | Netherlands |
Fortune Global 500 list has always been dominated by US, China, Japan, France, Germany, UK, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada and Netherlands throughout the decade (2009-2019). In fact, year 2009 & year 2019 both lists contain the same counties in top 10. The countries that top the charts from 2009 to 2019 are the same except for 2010 in which Italy replaced South Korea. United States tops the chart throughout the decade. China has replaced Japan for the 2nd place since 2012 and Japan is holding 3rd position after that. 4th, 5th and 6th positions are shared among Germany, Britain and France throughout the decade. Except 2010, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th position is shared among South Korea, Switzerland, Canada and Netherlands throughout the decade. In 2010, Italy secured 9th position sharing with Canada placing South Korea on 11th position.
China is the biggest gainer by increasing the number of companies’ presence each year throughout the decade. Russia suffers the biggest drop from 8 (in 2009) to 4 (in 2019), decreased by 50%. UK is the second biggest number drop experienced country, from 30 (peak in 2011) to 16 (in 2019), decreased by 46.67%. The number of Indian companies remains mostly constant throughout 2009-2019.
(Note*: For year 2012, 2011, 2010 & 2009 Fortune Global 500 is showing details of only 479, 478, 478 & 477 companies on the website. I have already sent an email to them but still haven’t received a reply. (One possible assumption could be because of merger or bankruptcy of the companies due to the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis 2008.) )
Fortune Global 500 2019
Top 15 Countries in Fortune Global 500 2019
Top 5 countries US, China, Japan, France and Germany contribute 70.4% of Fortune Global 500 companies-2019.
The list of top 15 companies:
| US | 121 |
| China | 119 |
| Japan | 52 |
| France | 31 |
| Germany | 29 |
| UK** | 16 |
| South Korea | 16 |
| Switzerland | 14 |
| Canada | 13 |
| Netherlands** | 11 |
| Taiwan | 10 |
| Spain | 9 |
| Brazil | 8 |
| Australia | 7 |
| India | 7 |
(**Fortune Global 500 includes Unilever under the heading “Britain/Netherlands” if it is counted in the tally for both countries then count for UK is 17 and count for Netherlands is 12.)
Top 20 cities being home to Fortune Global 500 – 2019 Companies’ headquarters
In 2019, Beijing is hosting 56 Fortune Global 500 companies’ headquarter, the highest among all the cities in the world. Tokyo is a distance runner-up with a figure of 36 while Paris secured the third with a number of 18. If Beijing, Tokyo, Paris, New York and Seoul were merged and created as one country, it would have topped the charts; comprising 27.4% of Fortune 500 Global companies’ headquarter. If top 20 cities were merged and created as one country, it would have covered 46.4%, nearly half of Fortune 500 Global companies’ headquarter.
Top 20 cities hosting the HQs of Fortune Global 500 – 2019 Companies
| Rank | City | No. of Companies’ HQ | |
| 1 | 1 | Beijing | 56 |
| 2 | 2 | Tokyo | 36 |
| 3 | 3 | Paris | 18 |
| 4 | 4 | New York | 14 |
| 5 | 5 | Seoul | 13 |
| 6 | 6 | London | 10 |
| 7 | 8 | Toronto | 8 |
| 8 | 8 | Zurich | 8 |
| 9 | 12 | Hong Kong | 7 |
| 10 | 12 | Osaka | 7 |
| 11 | 12 | Shanghai | 7 |
| 12 | 12 | Shenzhen | 7 |
| 13 | 14 | Houston | 6 |
| 14 | 14 | Madrid | 6 |
| 15 | 15 | Taipei | 5 |
| 16 | 20 | Atlanta | 4 |
| 17 | 20 | Chicago | 4 |
| 18 | 20 | Hangzhou | 4 |
| 19 | 20 | Moscow | 4 |
| 20 | 20 | Mumbai | 4 |
| 21 | 20 | Munich | 4 |
The 15 countries by the number of cities hosting Fortune Global 500 -2019 companies’ HQ
The number of cities hosting Global 500 companies’ HQ is the highest in US with 82.
Top 15 countries by the number of cities hosting Fortune Global 500 -2019 companies’ HQ
| Rank | Country | Number of cities | |
| 1 | 1 | US | 82 |
| 2 | 2 | China | 35 |
| 3 | 3 | Germany | 18 |
| 4 | 4 | France | 10 |
| 5 | 5 | Japan | 9 |
| 6 | 6 | Netherlands | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | UK | 7 |
| 8 | 8 | Taiwan | 6 |
| 9 | 11 | Canada | 5 |
| 10 | 11 | Australia | 5 |
| 11 | 11 | Switzerland | 5 |
| 12 | 14 | Brazil | 4 |
| 13 | 14 | Italy | 4 |
| 14 | 14 | South Korea | 4 |
| 15 | 15 | India | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | Spain | 3 |
