Brand Finance Global 500 2025: Apple is the most valuable brand in the world and NVIDIA value soars 98%

Apple is once again the world’s most valuable brand. Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy, values Apple’s brand at USD574.5 billion for 2025, keeping it ahead of its closest rival, Microsoft, valued at USD461 billion. Except for 2023, when Apple briefly trailed Amazon by a margin of just 1%, it has held the top spot as the world’s most valuable brand since 2021.

According to Brand Finance’s 2025 Global 500 research, four out of the five most valuable brands in the world are technology brands. Apple is followed by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, with American retail giant Walmart scooting past Samsung group to round out the top five. TikTok/ Douyin and Facebook hold on to the 7 and 8 ranks they occupied in 2024, but ranks 8 and 9 are where things get interesting.

Walmart is the fastest growing brand among the top 5, with its brand value increasing by 42% to USD137.2 billion. This growth highlights Walmart’s success in enhancing customer experience, expanding its e-commerce capabilities, and leveraging technology to strengthen its position in the global retail landscape. Walmart’s rebrand, unveiled just last week, underscores its commitment to modernizing its image and remaining relevant to younger and more diverse audiences while striking a balance between its legacy of affordability and accessibility and its ambitions in the digital age.

Brand Finance also analyzed what brands have grown the most since 2020. While technology is clearly a high-growth sector over the longer term, the depth of Brand Finance data and research provides a revealing and nuanced view. The analysis includes TikTok – although Brand Finance began valuing the brand in 2022, its 79% growth in 4 years puts it in the same league as the other high-growth brands.

American gambling brands DraftKings and FanDuel are cashing in as U.S. legislators and courts legalize online gambling and overturn old laws preventing betting. Semiconductor brands NVIDIA, AMD, and TSMC advance new technologies. At the same time, tech giants Apple and Microsoft lead from the front, continuing to innovate from their dominant positions in an evolving and growing market. E-commerce brand Pinduoduo is following in Apple and Microsoft’s footsteps, investing in an ecosystem that merges social networking with online shopping. Electric vehicle maker BYD and pharmaceutical brand Lilly are meeting the modern demands of evolving consumers.

“Our analysis of what brands have grown the most since 2020 reveals that technology companies do not have a monopoly on sustained brand growth. This longer-term view also reinforces another important global trend: how Chinese brands like TikTok, Pinduoduo, and BYD lead the charge by creating value and challenging established brand leaders. As China continues to refine its brand-building strategies and focus on quality, we expect to see more Chinese companies enter the global marketplace in 2025,” said David Haigh, Chairman and CEO of Brand Finance.

Although these brands grew in different ways, generally speaking, their paths over the past five years have been organic and linear. None of the ten brands with the most significant value growth belong to the sector that has added the most value since 2020: Media, up 125%, encapsulating the transformation of media brands from news sources to indispensable tools used daily around the world.

Google, the world’s third most valuable brand, saw its brand value increase by 24% to USD 413 billion. Ongoing investments in AI have enhanced Google’s reputation for innovation while strengthening its consumer appeal and trust.

Amazon, with a 15% increase in brand value to USD 356.4 billion, continues to integrate AI across its operations, from personalized recommendations to advanced logistics. These efforts have solidified its reputation as a customer-focused brand, driving sustained growth.

e& is the fastest-growing brand in the world this year,posting an eight-fold increase in brand value to USD 15.3 billion. This is the culmination of a strategically managed transition over three years to consolidate its Etisalat by e& brand under a unified identity. The like-for-like brand value growth is 13%. Nvidia has the highest like-for-like growth – 98% – and is the second fastest-growing brand for 2025.

For the second consecutive year, WeChat is the world’s strongest brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 95.2 out of 100 and an AAA+ brand strength rating. WeChat’s comprehensive ecosystem and seamless integration capability continue to propel the Chinese brand as a global leader.

Global economic growth is expected to remain stagnant at 2.8% in 2025, mirroring 2024 and falling short of the 3.2% pre-pandemic average, according to United Nations forecasts. In contrast, the world’s 500 most valuable brands are thriving, with their total value rising 10% year-on-year, from USD 8.6 trillion in 2024 to nearly USD 9.5 trillion in 2025, according to Brand Finance data.

Apple leads the way among 193 American brands featured in the ranking, collectively contributing over half of the total. China and Germany are the second and third most valuable countries, with 69 and 27 brands, respectively, accounting for 15% and 6% of the total brand value. Across sectors, banking leads with 78 brands contributing 13%, followed by retail with 45 brands and 11%. Media ranks third, with 24 brands representing 10%.

View the Brand Finance Global 500 2025 report