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This article was first published 12 years ago

World's 20 economic superpowers

Last updated on: March 12, 2012 09:20 IST

Image: Eight-year-old Dylan Burger's bedroom doubles as a kitchen in a converted garage in Los Angeles, California.
Photographs: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters.

Though hit by recession, United States still reigns supreme as the world's economic superpower. The United States has a capitalist mixed economy with rich natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure and high productivity.

1. United States

GDP: $15,060 billion

According to the International Monetary Fund, the US GDP constitutes 22 per cent of the gross world product at market exchange rates and over 19 per cent of the gross world product at purchasing power parity (PPP).

Click NEXT to find out the top 20 nations with the highest GDP...


World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: A customer chooses peanuts at a supermarket in Huaibei, Anhui province.
Photographs: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters.

2.China

GDP: $6,989 billion

China has a very high 3G growth rating, according to the Global Growth Generators index by Citigroup.

As of 2012, China has the world's second-largest nominal GDP according to the country's National Bureau of Statistics.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: A woman looks through products at a drug store in Tokyo.
Photographs: Reuters.

3. Japan

GDP: $5,855 billion

A major economic power, Japan has the world's third-largest economy by nominal GDP and fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the world's fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: Traders are pictured at their desks in front of the DAX board at the Frankfurt stock exchange.
Photographs: Reuters.

4. Germany

GDP: $3,629 billion

Germany has the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest by purchasing power parity. It is the second largest exporter and third largest importer of goods.

The country has developed a very high standard of living and a comprehensive system of social security.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: A worker puts the final touch at a sculpture featuring the Eiffel tower made from lemons and oranges during the lemon festival in Menton, southern France.
Photographs: Reuters.

5. France

GDP: $2,808 billion

France is one of the world's most developed countries. It is the ninth-largest economy measured by purchasing power parity and is Europe's second largest economy by nominal GDP.

France is the wealthiest European nation in aggregate household wealth. France also enjoys a high standard of living.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

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Photographs: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters.

6. Brazil

GDP: $2,518 billion

The Brazilian economy is the world's sixth largest by nominal GDP and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity. Brazil is one of the world's fastest growing major economies

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: A busker plays bagpipes for tourists near the Houses of Parliament in London.
Photographs: Reuters.

7. United Kingdom

GDP: $2,481 billion

The UK is a developed country and has the world's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and seventh-largest economy by purchasing power parity.

It was the world's first industrialised country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

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8. Italy
GDP: $2,246 billion

Ranked as the world's 24th most-developed country, it is ranked among the world's top ten in terms of standard of living.

It has the world's third-largest gold reserves, eighth-largest nominal GDP, tenth highest GDP (PPP) and the sixth highest government budget in the world.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: A migrant worker wearing a Russian cartoon hero 'Luntik' costume takes a break from his work of distributing advertising leaflets at metro station in Moscow.
Photographs: Denis Sinyakov/Reuters.

9. Russia
GDP:
$1,885 billion

Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources. It is the largest oil producer and second largest natural gas producer globally.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: A boy plays on a swing suspended from a tree in front of a residential estate under construction in Kolkata.
Photographs: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters.

10. India
GDP
: $1,843 billion

The Indian economy is the world's tenth-largest by nominal GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP).

After the economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

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11. Canada
GDP: $1,759 billion

Canada has one of the highest standards of living and per capita income in the world. Canada is one of the world's wealthiest nations and one of the world's top ten trading nations.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: General view of Antoni Tapies Foundation building in central Barcelona.
Photographs: Albert Gea/Reuters.

12. Spain
GDP: $1,537 billion

It is a developed country with the twelfth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and has high living standards.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: Tourists visit the ANZAC memorial building at Hyde park in central Sydney.
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13. Australia
GDP: $1,507 billion

A highly developed country, Australia is the world's thirteenth-largest economy and has the world's fifth-highest per capita income.

With the second-highest human development index globally, Australia ranks highly in quality of life, health, education and economic freedom.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: An aerial view of the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico city.
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14. Mexico
GDP: $1,185 billion

Mexico has the 13th largest nominal GDP. The Mexican economy is expected to nearly triple by 2020. According to Goldman Sachs, Mexico will have the 5th largest economy in the world by 2050.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: An aerial view of the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico city.
Photographs: Reuters.

15.S. Korea
GDP: $1,164 billion

South Korea is a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is Asia's fourth largest economy and the world's 15th largest economy.

The economy is export-driven, with production focusing on electronics, automobiles, ships, machinery, petrochemicals and robotics.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

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16. The Netherlands

GDP: $858.30 billion

The Netherlands has a capitalist market-based economy. The Netherlands was ranked as the 'happiest' country according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: Passengers sit on the rooftop of a commuter train as it arrives at the Manggarai train station in Jakarta.
Photographs: Beawiharta/Reuters.

17.Indonesia

GDP: $834.30 billion

Indonesia has a mixed economy, in which both the private sector and government play significant roles. The country is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a member of the G-20 major economies.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

Image: Visitors walk over a model of the Bosphorus bridge with the model of Ottoman-era Sultanahmet mosque in the foregorund at the snow-covered Miniaturk in Istanbul.
Photographs: Murad Sezer/Reuters.

18. Turkey
GDP: $763.10 billion

Turkey has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and investment.

Tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining etc are the core sectors.

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World's 20 economic superpowers

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19.Switzerland
GDP
: $665.90 billion

Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world by per capita gross domestic product. In 2010, Switzerland had the highest wealth per adult of any country in the world.

In 2010, the World Economic Forum ranked Switzerland as the most competitive country in the world.



World's 20 economic superpowers

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20. Sweden
GDP: $571.60 billion

The World Economic Forum ranked Sweden as the second most competitive country in the world, after Switzerland.

Sweden also has the lowest Gini coefficient of all countries (0.23) which makes Sweden the most equal country in terms of economic division in the world.