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The United States had the world’s largest economy in 2013, followed by China and Japan. Ranked by the World Bank’s GDP (current US$) indicator, the top ten were the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, Italy and India.
Top 10 economies by GDP in 2013
The figures below use the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI) series for GDP (current US$), sorted from largest to smallest. Values are rounded to two decimal places; they are historical estimates in nominal U.S. dollars, not current GDP figures.
| Rank | Economy | 2013 GDP (current US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $16.88 trillion |
| 2 | China | $9.74 trillion |
| 3 | Japan | $5.27 trillion |
| 4 | Germany | — |
| 5 | France | — |
| 6 | United Kingdom | — |
| 7 | Brazil | — |
| 8 | Russia | — |
| 9 | Italy | — |
| 10 | India | — |
The World Bank’s DataBank historical series reports $16.881 trillion for the United States, $9.743 trillion for China and $5.272 trillion for Japan in 2013. Rounded to two decimals, those amounts are $16.88 trillion, $9.74 trillion and $5.27 trillion.
Canada followed India in this WDI ranking. The order shown is based on the same indicator and year throughout; figures from another dataset or measure may produce a different order.
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What this ranking measures
GDP (current US$) is the value of an economy’s output measured in current prices and converted into U.S. dollars. The World Bank indicator draws on national statistical offices and official sources, OECD national accounts and World Bank staff estimates. It is a nominal total-output measure.
- It is not GDP per capita. A larger total economy does not mean the typical resident has a higher income or greater household prosperity.
- It is not real GDP growth. Current-price figures are not adjusted to remove price changes over time.
- It is not GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP adjusts for differences in local prices and can yield a different ranking. Do not combine PPP values with current-dollar values in one list.
Why other 2013 rankings can differ
Before comparing two lists, check that they use the same valuation, price basis, year, dataset vintage and country or economy coverage. The World Bank series can be revised, and the IMF’s World Economic Outlook uses a separate compilation process. The IMF notes that differences may reflect data collection, methodology, timing, coverage and staff estimates.
Rank #2
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Nominal dollars versus PPP
Current-dollar GDP converts output into U.S. dollars using current exchange rates. Exchange-rate movements can change a country’s dollar value even when its domestic production changes differently. PPP GDP instead adjusts for relative purchasing power, so it answers a different comparison question.
Current prices versus constant prices
Current-price GDP reflects prices in the year being measured. Constant-price GDP is designed to compare output after accounting for price changes. A ranking based on one should not be described as a ranking based on the other.
Rank #3
Total GDP versus GDP per capita
Total GDP compares the scale of whole economies. GDP per capita divides output by population and is a different measure; neither alone captures the distribution of income or household well-being.
Historical revisions and methods
Historical estimates may change as statistical agencies update data or methods. For example, the IMF’s October 2013 WEO database documented a U.S. national-accounts revision that treated research and development and certain artistic originals as capital expenditure, raising the revised U.S. GDP level by 3.4 percent. The same documentation says India’s data and forecasts were presented on a fiscal-year basis beginning with the July 2013 WEO Update. These are methodological details to bear in mind when comparing releases, not substitutes for the World Bank series used in the table.
For a competing ranking, identify the named provider and release, then compare its indicator, units, year and economy coverage with the WDI current-dollar series. A list that uses PPP, constant prices, a different vintage or different coverage is answering a different question.
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