The most valuable brands in the world!
The acceleration of AI has produced one of the most profound shifts in brand value ever, raising the threshold for entry into the Kantar BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2026 to the highest level.
The cumulative value of BrandZ Global Top 100 reaches a new record of $13.1 trillion, up 221.5% from last year. Kantar's global analysis, now in its 21st edition, quantifies how brands contribute to a company's value.
The most valuable brands in the world
In a historic first, three brands simultaneously surpassed the one trillion dollar threshold: Google (1st place: $1.5 trillion), Microsoft (3rd place: $1.1 trillion) and Amazon (4th place: $1.0 trillion). The three joined together thus Apple (2nd place: $1.4 trillion), which had passed this threshold last year.
Google's brand value increased by 57% compared to last year, bringing it to the top position for the first time since 2018 and ending the four consecutive years in which Apple occupied the first place. Google's evolution was carefully built around the integration of Gemini into existing products, the introduction of "agent"-type functionalities in search and continued investments in data centers.
A notable debut in the rankings this year: Claude enters the global Top 100 for the first time, at position 27, with a brand value of almost 100 billion dollars (to be exact 96.6 billion $). At the same time, ChatGPT recorded the highest annual increase in brand value: +285%; the only brand in history with a greater increase in the Top 100 was BlackBerry, with +390% in 2008.
Top 10 most valuable global brands Kantar BrandZ 2026
| Place | Brandi | Brand value (million $) | Annual change (%) |
| 1. | 1.484.895 | +57% | |
| 2. | Apple | 1.380.294 | +6% |
| 3. | Microsoft | 1.111.788 | +26% |
| 4. | Amazon | 1.022.820 | +18% |
| 5. | NVIDIA | 814.906 | +60% |
| 6. | 366.624 | +22% | |
| 7. | 286.158 | +25% | |
| 8. | Tencent | 251.551 | +45% |
| 9. | Oracle | 235.838 | +10% |
| 10. | McDonald's | 235.095 | +6% |
Chinese brands are expanding their influence globally
This year’s BrandZ report reveals the continued growth of Asian brands’ global presence, with nearly a quarter (23) of the Top 100 brands coming from the region. This underscores their increasingly important role in the global economy and the accelerated expansion of their reach across markets around the world.
In China, the performers with the strongest brand value increases include: Agricultural Bank of China (+54%), Alibaba (+51%), ICBC (+49%), Xiaomei (+48%), Tencent (+45%) and Ping An (+41%). Tencent returns to the Top 10, entering the position 8 with a brand value of $251.6 billion.
European brands are also growing
European brands in the Kantar BrandZ Global Top 100 have seen an average increase in value of 14% this year. The pace is slower than for North American brands, but the European group of brands has seen fewer declines – only Louis Vuitton and Chanel have recorded an annual decline, amid difficult market conditions.
Although Europe is often perceived as lagging behind the US tech sector, growth SAP (+6%), Siemens (+68%) and Booking.com (+33%) places Europe ahead of Asia and North America in terms of average brand value growth among technology brands (B2B and B2C) in the Top 100.
Outstanding brands by sector
- Clothing: zara became the world's most valuable clothing brand, overtaking long-time leader NIKE – a testament to its ability to build relevance through personalized, AI-powered shopping experiences.
- Luxury: Hermès exceeded Louis Vuitton, becoming the world's most valuable luxury brand. It reflects a long-standing commitment to understanding its diverse audience, including by appointing British designer Grace Wales Bonner as the first black woman to lead the prestigious tailoring house.
- Financial services: The sector has seen significant growth, supported by the solid performance of traditional banks such as Chase and HSBC, which build stronger relationships with consumers, based on trust.
