The Clydeside venue, which has played host to stars such as Irish supergroup Westlife and singer Barry Manilow, came 13th – beating venues such as New York's Madison Square Garden.
It also saw off competition from the renowned Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
SECC Ltd chief executive John Sharkey said: "This news could not have come at a better time as the SECC evolves and transforms its entertainment complex with the addition of the Hydro – our new 12,000 seater world class arena due for completion next year.
"The Hydro will allow us to offer our customers a wider choice and even higher level of world-class enter-tainment and, with an expected 1million visitors a year, the journey to become one of the top five busiest indoor arenas in the world is a target well within our grasp."
The Top 100 Worldwide Entertainment Venues list is compiled by industry publication Pollstar.
Results are based on attendance and the volume of tickets sold by arenas for concerts and special events.
Acts at the SECC this year such as Snow Patrol, Guns n Roses, JLS and Strictly Come Dancing are thought to have helped it to a top 20 place.
The venue has climbed from 45th in 2010 to 28th last year before rising to a position just below the top 10 venues of the world.
Mr Sharkey added: "To have increased our position in these rankings so notably is fantastic news.
"We owe this to the excellent team work between our staff and the relationships we have with promoters and event organisers."
