Paris is one of Europe’s largest and most influential cities. Paris has also competed on the world stage as a center for politics, culture, art, and commerce for the last several hundred years. Paris is the second largest European metropolitan area according to a 2017 Eurostat census, behind London. The city's data center presence continues to grow as well because of the strong economy, as the Paris Region has the highest GDP in Europe and fifth highest in the world, and is home to multiple Fortune Global 500 companies. Its power costs are also lower than several other cities in the European region, and the area is at low risk for natural hazards.