Insight of the Day

America is No. 3


 
25 June 2026
 
Four areas of the world are now far ahead of all other places in both economic and political terms. They are China; the EU (although not a country it is a political and economic entity with many of the characteristics of a country); the USA and India. This list is in order of GDP size, calculated in Purchasing Power Parity terms with additional estimates for their Informal economies and for the age of the base years used to calculate their GDP's. The table below shows the relative size and growth of these areas:

The Four Giant Economies of the World in 2025
GDP PPP, Int$

 

 

 

GDP PPP
(2025 Estimate, Trillions)

Global GDP Share
(% Share, 2025)

Global GDP Growth
(% Share, 2015-2025)

China

 

 

$42,192

19.5%

30.5%

European Union (EU)

 

 

$28,334

13.1%

7.6%

United States of America

 

 

$27,915

12.9%

9.4%

India

 

 

$19,874

9.2%

15.4%

Total

 

 

$118,315

54.7%

62.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Country

GDP
(2025)

Global GDP
(Share, 2025)

Global Growth
(Share,15-25)

China

$42,192

19.5%

30.5%

EU

$28,334

13.1%

7.6%

USA

$27,915

12.9%

9.4%

India

$19,874

89.2%

15.4%

Total

$118,315

54.7%

62.9%

No one can judge the likely size and growth of these now giant entities in the future with any hope of accuracy. But the future shape of the world over the next few decades will to a large extent be decided in these four areas.

What is already clear is that when the global economy is not measured in US Dollars (as above), the economic power of the USA can be seen to have shrunk quite significantly since the beginning of the new Millennium, and it is already (counting the EU as a country-like entity) number 3 in terms of economic size.

More for subscribers:  
See GDP by Size...
Share of Global GDP...
Share of Global Growth...
The World’s Biggest Economy...
China Contributed Over 31% of Global Growth Over the Past Decade...
 


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