This list of countries by largest historical GDP shows how the membership and rankings of the world's ten largest economies has changed. While the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

has consistently had the world's largest economy for some time, in the last fifty years the world has seen the rapid rise and fall in relative terms of the economies of other countries while the share of the United States has also risen.

Overview of the ten largest economies

By average values of GDP (nominal)

By average values of GDP (PPP)

World Bank statistics of the ten largest economies by GDP (PPP)

Angus Maddison statistics of the ten largest economies by GDP (PPP)

Main GDP countries

The

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

has calculated the share of every country to global real GDP from 1969 to 2010.

European Union

The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

represented 31.6% of the world's GDP at 1980 (highest point), and was at its lowest in 1985 at 25.01%. It currently produces 14.9% of global GDP in 2022.

United States

The

represented 28.69% of the world's economy in 1960 (highest point), and was at its lowest point at 21.42% in 2011. It accounted for 1.8% of the world's economy in 1820, 8.9% in 1870, and 19.1% in 1913. The United States produced 15.5% of global GDP in 2022.

China

China represented 1.618% of the world's economy in 1987 (lowest point), rising to 19.2% in 2022 (highest point). It accounted for 17.3% of the world's economy in 1870 and 34% in 1820. China's share of global GDP varied from a quarter to a third of global output between the year 1 until the late 19th century.

Japan

Japan represented 17.8% of the world's economy in 1994 (highest point), after that its contribution to the world's economy has gradually diminished, and reached its lowest point in 2012 (8.32%). Although the very lowest since 1960 was in the year 1960 when it produced 3.28% of the world's GDP.

Germany

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

represented 8.98% of the world's economy in 1969 (highest point), falling to 4.74% in 2012 (lowest point). It accounted for 5.5% of the world's economy in 1820, 6.5% in 1870, and 8.8% in 1913.

France

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

represented 5.8% of the world's economy in 1969. After rising to 5.94% in 1974, its contribution to the world's economy fell to 3.64% in 2012 (lowest point). France represented 6.5% of the world's economy in 1870.The World Economy page 263 by Angus Maddison

India

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

represented 3.5% of the world's economy in 1964, and had its lowest world economy share at 1.2% in 1992 and rose again to 3.75% in 2019. India made up 16% of the world's economy in 1820, 25% in the 1500s and one-third of the world economy from 1AD to 1000AD.

United Kingdom

The

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

represented 3.42% in 2012 (lowest point) of the world's economy falling from 6.42% in 1960. It accounted for 5.2% of the world's economy in 1820, 9.1% in 1870, and 8.3% in 1913. England, Scotland and Wales generated 1.8% of the world's GDP in 1600.

Brazil

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

represented 3.34% of the world's economy in 2011 (highest point), and had its lowest world economy share at 1.55% in 1969.

Italy

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

represented 5.11% of the world's economy in 1969. After rising to 5.18% in 1974, its contribution to the world's economy fell to 2.81% in 2012 (lowest point).

Russia

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

accounted for 10% of the world's economy in 1820, 10.90% in 1870, and 10.10% in 1913. The

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

represented 20% of the world's economy in 1966 (highest point) and at the year of its dissolution (1991) produced 7.58% of the world's economy (lowest point). In 2012, Russia's nominal GDP share stood at 2.82% (highest point) and reached a nadir in 1998 at 1.38% (lowest point).

Canada

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

represented 2.63% of the world's economy in 1969. This figure has been generally stable, having peaked at 2.76% in 1981 and 2002, and being at its lowest (2.55%) in 1992. In 2012 Canada's share was 2.54%.

South Korea

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

represented 2.02% of the world's economy in 2006 (highest point), and had its lowest world economy share at 0.156% in 1965.

References

{{GDP country lists, state=uncollapsed historical largest GDP

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...