What are the world’s largest economies? According to the International Monetary Fund, the following countries have the greatest nominal GDP in the world:
Which country is the most powerful in the world?
In the 2021 Best Countries Report, Canada wins the top overall rank as the world’s number one country for the first time. After coming in second place in the 2020 report, Canada has now eclipsed Switzerland in the 2021 report, with Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia following closely behind.
What accounts for Japan’s high GDP?
Japan has one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated economies. It boasts a highly educated and hardworking workforce, as well as a huge and affluent population, making it one of the world’s largest consumer marketplaces. From 1968 to 2010, Japan’s economy was the world’s second largest (after the United States), until China overtook it. Its GDP was expected to be USD 4.7 trillion in 2016, and its population of 126.9 million has a high quality of life, with a per capita GDP of slightly under USD 40,000 in 2015.
Japan was one of the first Asian countries to ascend the value chain from inexpensive textiles to advanced manufacturing and services, which now account for the bulk of Japan’s GDP and employment, thanks to its extraordinary economic recovery from the ashes of World War II. Agriculture and other primary industries account for under 1% of GDP.
Japan had one of the world’s strongest economic growth rates from the 1960s to the 1980s. This expansion was fueled by:
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and major research and development funding
- A vast domestic market of discriminating consumers has given Japanese companies a competitive advantage in terms of scale.
Manufacturing has been the most notable and well-known aspect of Japan’s economic development. Japan is now a global leader in the production of electrical and electronic goods, automobiles, ships, machine tools, optical and precision equipment, machinery, and chemicals. However, in recent years, Japan has given some manufacturing economic advantage to China, the Republic of Korea, and other manufacturing economies. To some extent, Japanese companies have offset this tendency by shifting manufacturing production to low-cost countries. Japan’s services industry, which includes financial services, now accounts for over 75% of the country’s GDP. The Tokyo Stock Exchange is one of the most important financial centers in the world.
With exports accounting for roughly 16% of GDP, international trade plays a key role in the Japanese economy. Vehicles, machinery, and manufactured items are among the most important exports. The United States (20.2%), China (17.5%), and the Republic of Korea (17.5%) were Japan’s top export destinations in 2015-16. (7 per cent). Export growth is sluggish, despite a cheaper yen as a result of stimulus measures.
Japan’s natural resources are limited, and its agriculture sector is strictly regulated. Mineral fuels, machinery, and food are among Japan’s most important imports. China (25.6%), the United States (10.9%), and Australia (10.9%) were the top three suppliers of these items in 2015. (5.6 per cent). Recent trade and foreign investment developments in Japan have shown a significantly stronger involvement with China, which in 2008 surpassed the United States as Japan’s largest trading partner.
Recent economic changes and trade liberalization, aiming at making the economy more open and flexible, will be critical in assisting Japan in dealing with its problems. Prime Minister Abe has pursued a reformist program, called ‘Abenomics,’ since his election victory in December 2012, adopting fiscal and monetary expansion as well as parts of structural reform that could liberalize the Japanese economy.
Japan’s population is rapidly aging, reducing the size of the workforce and tax revenues while increasing demands on health and social spending. Reforming the labor market to increase participation is one of the strategies being attempted to combat this trend. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ‘Three Arrows’ economic revitalisation strategy of monetary easing, ‘flexible’ fiscal policy, and structural reform propelled Japan’s growth to new heights in 2013.
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Which country has the most wealth?
China has the second-biggest nominal GDP in current dollars and the greatest in terms of purchasing power parity in the world (PPP). China’s annual growth is currently surpassing that of the United States, and the country could overtake the US as the nominal GDP leader in the future years.
Over the last four decades, China has gradually expanded its economy, resulting in tremendous improvements in both economic development and living standards. The Chinese government has steadily phased away collectivized agriculture, allowing greater market price flexibility and increasing corporate autonomy, as well as increased global and domestic trade and investment.
Which country has the fastest-growing GDP?
Over the next five years, India is anticipated to have the fastest economic growth of the 132 countries analyzed by FocusEconomics. While the country was heavily struck by the Covid-19 outbreak and the following draconian lockdown last spring, infection rates have dropped dramatically in recent months, the domestic vaccine campaign is now underway, and recent economic indicatorssuch as PMI readings and trade dataare positive. In the coming years, rising consumption, investment, and exports will drive development, with a favorable base effect in 2021 following the collapse of 2020 also playing a role. Furthermore, recent structural reforms, such as the goal of privatizing state-owned banks, permitting increased foreign participation in the insurance sector, and market-oriented agricultural reforms, all pose upside risks. However, there are concerns about the political will to carry out the reforms, and weak infrastructure will continue to stymie growth. Furthermore, the decision by ASEAN countries, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea in late 2019 to withdraw from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)a free-trade pact recently agreed upon by ASEAN countries, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Koreacould stymie the external sector.
“With Covid-19 under control, the economy has already begun to normalize at a faster rate than anticipated. Front-loaded and increased government spending, the delayed effects of stronger financial conditions, faster global commerce, and continued vaccinations should all combine to cause cyclical growth to accelerate sharply. We maintain our above-consensus real GDP growth forecast of 13.5 percent year over year in FY22, compared to -6.7 percent in FY21, with the budget adding upside risk to our FY23 projection (6.1 percent).” – Mr. Nomura
Bangladesh
Bangladesh has fared quite well during the Covid-19 crisis: While decreased garment exports slowed growth last year, strong remittance inflows and improving industrial production have helped the recovery in recent months. In the future, the economy should be driven by rapid export growth and increasing domestic demand. Furthermore, the country’s demographics will continue to be favorable: The dependence ratiothe ratio of the working-age population to the population not in the labor forcehas plummeted in recent decades as a result of past success in lowering fertility rates, helping productivity and enhancing public finances. Slow vaccination progress, on the other hand, constitutes a risk.
“The expected repatriation of Bangladeshi migrants to their foreign workplaces will keep remittances from plunging, keeping private consumption high.” Increased investment spending as a result of a slew of ongoing infrastructure development projects, as well as a pick-up in domestic activity, will bolster growth. Positive base effects in the second half of the fiscal year, compared to the period of coronavirus-induced lockdown in the same period in 2020, will bolster the ongoing domestic recovery. A potential increase in coronavirus cases in Bangladesh, which could compel the government to reintroduce harsh containment measures, is a downside risk to our forecast. Before 2022/23, we don’t expect growth to return to the pre-pandemic range of 7-8 percent.” – Intelligence Unit of the Economist
Rwanda
Rwanda’s economy has come a long way since the genocide that ripped the country’s economic, political, and social fabric apart in the early 1990s. In 2000, nominal GDP was USD 2 billion, and in 2019, it was USD 10 billion. Despite the fact that the Covid-19 issue has slowed progress in the last year due to fewer FDI and firm closures, our panelists expect real GDP growth to average 6.7 percent from 2021 to 2025. Surge in investment should bolster activity. However, a shaky fiscal position, insufficient domestic savings, and high energy prices all pose dangers. Furthermore, the country’s outstanding development in recent decades has been primarily reliant on Paul Kagame’s leadership; if he were to step down, the country’s future would be much more uncertain.
“In the near to medium term, regime stability appears to be assured.” The Covid-19 pandemic’s interruptions and economic impact appear to have had little impact on public opinion, but issues remain. Developments in neighboring nations, as well as ties with them, remain a potentially destabilizing element. President Paul Kagame’s succession is still a hot topic, and factionalism within the Rwandan Popular Front (RPF) may emerge in the future. If the country is to prevent any shocks, a well-managed transition to greater democracy must remain a top goal.” – Oxford Economics economist Jee-A van der Linde
Vietnam
In recent years, Vietnam has been one of East Asia’s top achievers, owing to a stable political situation, low labor costs, and a relatively talented workforce. The government has had great success attracting foreign direct investment, particularly in the fast-growing electronics and textiles sectors. Due to the trade war between the United States and China, Vietnam has negotiated a number of trade agreements to improve market access for its commodities, notably the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and an FTA with the European Union. Furthermore, the government has managed Covid-19 admirably, nearly eliminating the virus domestically, allowing the economy to grow at one of the quickest rates in the world last year. The manufacturing sector is expected to drive growth in the next years. Downside risks include a potentially slow rebound in visitor arrivals, exposure to external shocks, and the fragile health of leader Nguyen Phu Trong.
“Successful and prompt local containment of the Covid-19 outbreak has allowed business activities in Vietnam to progressively return to “normal,” as seen by the consecutive improvements in various data releases. While the upward trend in economic activity is expected to continue in 2021, the forecast is greatly contingent on global pandemic containment and vaccine rollout. Other factors working in Vietnam’s favor include a slew of free trade agreements that are expected to boost exports and investments. Vietnam’s current efforts in digital transformation and e-commerce promotion, as well as the country’s dynamic and abundant workforce, are all good factors for the future.” – Suan Teck Kin, United Overseas Bank’s head of research
Cambodia
The textile and construction industries have boosted economic activity in recent years, but the economy was struck hard by the pandemic in 2020, and it is expected to decline significantly due to income losses and decreasing tourism earnings. Although high unemployment, strained relations with the EUthe principal market for garment exportsand higher twin deficits represent downside risks, the economy could return to a good growth trajectory this year as the impact of the pandemic fades and FDI continues strong.
“As global production shifts away from China, longer-term growth prospects remain solid, with FDI continuing to stimulate new sector development.” As foreign demand rebounds, the prediction anticipates GDP growth maintaining close to 7% in 2023, fueling a comeback in investment with a substantial FDI component. Domestic income growth, even if politics remains restrictive, defuses anger, and supports net export expansion, which puts the current account deficit on a lower path.” – Chris Portman, Oxford Economics senior economist
In 2050, who will be the world’s ruler?
And, to no one’s surprise, China will be the world’s most powerful economy by 2050. PwC, on the other hand, did not arrive at this conclusion. From the World Bank to the United Nations, Goldman Sachs to the European Union, a slew of organizations, financial institutions, and governments have predicted this for quite some time.
China will not be able to grow if it continues to be as isolated as it has been for years. Instead, Beijing will expand by allowing international companies such as General Motors and Tesla Motors access to its markets. Since entering a trade war with the United States in 2017, President Xi Jinping has supported market-oriented reforms, allowing for more foreign direct investment.
Despite geopolitical tensions and trade issues, the authors of the study are optimistic that China would remain dominant in 30 years.
What countries make up the G20?
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and European Union are all members of the G20.