Top 10 Largest Economies in the World

Rank Name GDP (IMF '19) GDP (UN '16) GDP Per Capita 2019 Population 1 United States 22.20 Tn 18.62 Tn $67,063 331,002,651 2 China 15.47 Tn 11.22 Tn $10,747 1,439,323,776 3 Japan 5.50 Tn 4.94 Tn $43,450 126,476,461 4 Germany 4.16 Tn 3.48 Tn $49,617 83,783,942 5 India 3.26 Tn 2.26 Tn $2,361 1,380,004,385 6 United Kingdom 2.93 Tn 2.65 Tn $43,118 67,886,011 7 France 2.88 Tn 2.47 Tn $44,062 65,273,511 8 Italy 2.09 Tn 1.86 Tn $34,575 60,461,826 9 Brazil 2.06 Tn 1.80 Tn $9,703 212,559,417 10 Canada 1.83 Tn 1.53 Tn $48,553 37,742,154
The Largest Economies in the World The three largest economies in the world as measured by nominal GDP are the United States, China, and Japan. Economic growth and prosperity are impacted by a wide array of factors, namely investment in workforce education, production output (as determined by investment in physical capital), natural resources, and entrepreneurship. The economies of the U.S., China, and Japan all have a unique combination of these factors that have led to economic growth over time, as outlined below. United States The United States has been the world’s largest economy since 1871. The nominal GDP for the United States is $21.44 trillion. The U.S. GDP (PPP) is also $21.44 trillion. Additionally, the United States is ranked second in the world for the approximate value of natural resources. In 2016, the U.S. had an estimated natural resource value of $45 trillion. Several factors contribute to the U.S.’s powerful economy. The U.S. is known globally for cultivating a society that supports and encourages entrepreneurship, which encourages innovation and, in turn, leads to economic growth. The growing population in the U.S. has helped diversify the workforce. The U.S. is also one of the leading manufacturing industries in the world, coming only second to China. The U.S. dollar is also the most widely used currency for global transactions. China As the second-largest economy in the world, China has seen an average growth rate of 9.52% between 1989 and 2019. China is the second-largest economy considering nominal GDP, at $14.14 trillion, and the largest using GDP (PPP), which is $27.31 trillion. China has approximately $23 trillion in natural resources, 90% of which are rare earth metals and coal. China’s economic reform program of 1978 was a large success and resulted in the rise in average economic growth from 6% to over 9%. The reform program emphasized the creation of private and rural businesses, easing the state regulations on prices, and investment in workforce education and industrial output. Another driving force behind the growth of China’s economy is worker efficiency. Japan Japan has the third-largest economy in the world with a GDP of $5.15 trillion. Japan’s GDP (PPP) is $5.75 trillion. Japan’s economy is market-driven so businesses, production, and prices shift according to consumer demand, not governmental action. While the 2008 financial crisis took a hit on the Japanese economy and has stunted its growth since then, it is expected that the 2020 Olympics will give it a boost. The Japanese economy’s strength comes from its electronic goods industry, which is the largest in the world, and its automobile industry, which is the third-largest in the world. Going forward, the Japanese economy faces some large challenges such as a declining population and an ever-increasing debt that, as of 2017, is 236% of its GDP. Germany The German economy is the fourth-largest in the world with a GDP of $4.0 trillion. Germany has a GDP (PPP) of $4.44 trillion and a per capita GDP of $46,560, the 18th –highest in the world. Germany’s highly developed social market economy is Europe’s largest and strongest economy and has one of the most skilled workforces. According to the International Monetary Fund, Germany accounted for 28% of the euro area economy. Germany’s major industries are car manufacture, machinery, household equipment, and chemicals. Because of its dependency on capital good exports, the economy had a significant setback post-2008 financial crisis. The German economy is currently in the middle of its fourth industrial revolution due to the Internet and the digital age. Industry 4.0 is the term used for this transformation, which embraces solutions, processes, and technologies and describes the use of IT and a high degree of system networking in factories. India India’s economy is the fifth-largest in the world with a GDP of $2.94 trillion, overtaking the UK and France in 2019 to take the fifth spot. India’s GDP (PPP) is $10.51 trillion, exceeding that of Japan and Germany. Due to India’s high population, India’s GDP per capita is $2,170 (for comparison, the U.S. is $62,794). India’s real GDP growth, however, is expected to weaken for the third straight year from 7.5% to 5%. India is developing into an open-market economy from its previous autarkic policies. India’s economic liberalization began in the early 1990s and included industrial deregulation, reduced control on foreign trade and investment, and privatization of state-owned enterprises. These measures have helped India accelerate economic growth. India’s service sector is the fast-growing sector in the world accounting for 60% of the economy and 28% of employment. Manufacturing and agriculture are two other significant sectors of the economy. United Kingdom The United Kingdom, which has a $2.83 trillion GDP, is the sixth-largest economy in the world. In terms of GDP purchasing power parity, the UK is in the ninth spot with a GDP (PPP) of The UK is ranked 23rd for GDP per capita which is $42,558. The UK is expected to fall to the seventh-largest economy by 2023 with a GDP of $3.27 trillion. In 2016, the UK was the tenth-largest exporter of goods in the world, exporting goods to 160 countries worldwide. In the 18th century, the United Kingdom was the first country to industrialize. The service sector dominates the UK economy, contributing about 80% of GDP, particularly the financial services industry. London is the second-largest financial center in the world. Manufacturing and agriculture are the second- and third-largest sectors in the United Kingdom. Britain’s aerospace industry is the second-largest in the world and its pharmaceutical industry is the tenth-largest. France France is the third-largest economy in Europe (behind Germany and the UK) and the seventh-largest economy in the world. France has a nominal GDP of $2.71 trillion. France’s GDP per capita is $42,877.56, the 19th highest in the world, and GDP (PPP) is $2.96 trillion. According to World Bank, France has unfortunately experienced high unemployment rates in recent years: a 10% unemployment rate was recorded for 2014, 2015, and 2016 and it declined to 9.681% in 2017. France’s economy is a diversified free-market-oriented economy. The chemical industry is a key sector for France, as well as agriculture and tourism. France accounts for about one-third of all agricultural land in the European Union and is the sixth-largest agricultural producer and the second-largest agricultural exporter in the world, behind the United States. France is the most visited destination in the world. Additionally, France ranks 5th in the Fortune Global 500 behind the United States, China, Japan, and Germany with 28 of the 500 biggest companies. Italy With a nominal GDP of $1.99 trillion, Italy is the eighth-largest economy in the world. In terms of GDP (PPP) Italy’s economy is worth $2.40 trillion and its per capita GDP is $34,260.34. Italy’s economy is expected to expand to $2.26 trillion by 2023. Unfortunately, Italy is experiencing a relatively high unemployment rate of 9.7% and a debt at 132% of GDP. Fortunately, Italy’s exports are helping to recover the economy. Italy is the eighth-largest exporter in the world, conducting 59% of its trade with other European Union countries. Before World War II, Italy was primarily an agricultural economy and has now transformed into one of the world’s most advanced nations. Italy is the second-largest exporter in the European Union, behind Germany, and has a significant trade surplus from exporting machinery, vehicles, food, clothing, luxury goods, and more. Brazil Brazil has the ninth-largest economy in the world and the largest in Latin America with a nominal GDP of $1.85 trillion. Brazil is also the largest and most populous nation in Latin America. Brazil has the world’s 73rd highest per capita GDP of $8,967 and a GDP (PPP) of $2.40 trillion. The country has an estimated $21.8 trillion in natural resources, which includes vast amounts of timber, uranium, gold, and iron. Brazil is a developing free-market economy. From 2000 to 2012, Brazil was one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. Brazil, however, has one of the most unequal economies in the world. In 2017, the economic crisis, corruption, and lack of public policies increased the poverty rate and many became homeless. Six billionaires alone in Brazil are richer than more than 100 million of the poorest Brazilians. Canada Canada has the tenth-largest economy in the world with a nominal GDP of $1.73 trillion. Canada’s per capita GDP of $46,260.71 is ranked 20th globally while its GDP (PPP) of $1.84 trillion is ranked 17th globally. Canada’s GDP is expected to rise to $2.13 trillion by 2023. Canada has the fourth-highest estimated value of natural resources of $33.2 trillion. Canada is considered an energy superpower due to its abundant natural resources such as petroleum and natural gas. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, Canada is one of the least corrupt countries in the world and one of the world’s top ten trading countries. Canada ranks above the United States on the Index of Economic Freedom and experiences a relatively low level of income disparity.