The gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of all major economies included except China was negative in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Growth rates were positive again in 2021, but stagnated in some countries in 2023 amid high inflation rates. What does GDP measure? GDP is the sum of all consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports in an economy. As such, different things drive the growth of each of these countries. Germany benefits from a high value of net exports, also known as its trade balance. Drawbacks of GDP growth as a metric GDP measures growth, but it does not capture welfare gains correctly in many cases. For example, carbon dioxide emissions often go hand in hand with a growing GDP. These emissions are from industry, such as coal power plants, or consumption, such as driving cars, but GDP does not measure the damage from these activities. Also, national debt is not incorporated into GDP.

The FAO Sugar Price Index was measured at 111.2 points for January 2025. 2023 saw the highest prices since 2011. The combined impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and high inflation rates likely contributed to increasing prices in past years. Global sugar price In 2024, the global sugar price is forecast to decrease by more than ten percent, as compared to 2023. In general, the total sugar consumption worldwide has gradually increased during the last 12 years. In 2010/11, the global consumption of sugar amounted to about 156 million metric tons. By 2023/24, it had increased to about 177 million metric tons. However, the market value of the global sugar industry has fluctuated over the years. In 2012, the global sugar manufacturing industry was valued at over 113 billion U.S. dollars, compared to just under 78 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Global sugar exports Total global sugar exports amount to more than 68 million metric tons per year. The leading sugar-exporting country worldwide is Brazil. The South American country is the world’s largest sugar producer and accounts for about half of the entire global sugar exports. Thailand and India are the countries with the second and third most sugar exports worldwide. Those two countries export about 10 and 4.6 million metric tons of sugar per year, respectively. The main importer of sugar worldwide is Indonesia. The Southeast Asian country imports approximately five million metric tons of sugar. The United States ranks in third place, with sugar imports of about 3.1 million metric tons of sugar annually.