The novel coronavirus pandemic, or COVID-19, had a severe impact on the global economy, causing a decrease of the G20 countries' gross domestic product (GDP) of all G20 countries except for China and Turkey in 2020. The rising inflation in 2022 and 2023 also caused slowing economic growth in some countries, but not nearly as heavy as during the COVID-19 pandemic.For more information about the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, please check out our dedicated topic page.

The fastest growing economy in Europe in 2024 was Malta. The small Mediterranean country's gross domestic product grew at five percent in 2024, beating out Montenegro which had a growth rate of almost four percent and the Russian Federation which had a rate of 3.6 percent in the same year. Estonia was the country with the largest negative growth in 2024, as the Baltic country's economy shrank by 0.88 percent compared with 2023, largely as a result of the country's exposure to the economic effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent economic sanctions placed on Russia. Germany, Europe's largest economy, experience economic stagnation with a growth of 0.1 percent. Overall, the EU (which contains 27 European countries) registered a growth rate of one percent and the Eurozone (which contains 20) grew by 0.8 percent.

In 2022, the global economic development slowed down. After bouncing back and being on track to recover from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, economies worldwide started suffering again due to high inflation and disrupted supply chains. During the second quarter of 2024, the GDP growth rate in the countries included varied, with the GDP of India growing by 1.3 percent. Meanwhile, the GDP of Germany shrunk by 0.1 percent in the second quarter of 2024.

Haiti is expected to experience the worst economic recession in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024. Haiti's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 is forecast to be 3 percent lower than the value registered in 2023, based on constant prices. Aside from Argentina, Haiti, and Puerto Rico, most economies in the region were likely to experience economic growth in 2024, most notably, Guyana.

This statistic shows a forecast on the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) in selected countries between 2013 and 2022 up to 2024. According to the forecast, the GDP in Germany will increase by 0.9 percent in 2024, compared to the previous year.

Germany was forecast to experience an economic stagnation in 2024, with a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of zero percent. However, it is estimated to grow slightly in 2024 and 2025. The United States is forecast to have the highest GDP growth rate of the G7 in 2024.

The GDP of all EU candidate countries grew more than twice the EU average in 2024. Georgia's GDP grew by 7.5 percent compared to the EU average of 1.1 percent, the largest growth recorded among all EU candidate countries.

The statistic shows the growth of the real gross domestic product (GDP) in the EU member states in the second quarter 2024 compared to the same quarter of the previous year. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year. It is considered to be a very important indicator of the economic strength of a country and a positive change in it is a sign of economic growth. In the second quarter of 2024, the real GDP in Denmark increased by 2.5 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The overall EU GDP amounted to around 15.8 trillion euros around the same time. Global economy and the economic crisis The global economy has been slowly recovery after having been devastated by the global financial crisis in 2008. The economic crisis, which hit Greece, Ireland and Portugal, among other countries, severely, marked the beginning of the European sovereign debt crisis which forced these nations to request a bailout between 2013 and 2014. In November 2014, the unemployment rate in Greece amounted to around a desastrous 25 percent, which means one quarter of Greeks who were of working age were out of work. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate average for the whole European Union was at 10 percent. In addition, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland ranked at the top of the list of the nations in the European Union with the largest national debt in relation to the gross domestic product. In the third quarter of 2014, Greece’s national debt amounted to 176 percent of the gross domestic product. Despite the crisis, the global economy is expected to improve. It is estimated that GDP in the European Union will grow by 1.85 percent in 2015 in comparison to the previous year. Also, the national debt in relation to GDP in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Ireland will decrease between 2015 and 2016.

In 2024, the United States had the largest economy in the world, with a gross domestic product of just under 29 trillion U.S. dollars. China had the second largest economy, at around 18.5 trillion U.S. dollars. Recent adjustments in the list have seen Germany's economy overtake Japan's to become the third-largest in the world in 2023, while Brazil's economy moved ahead of Italy's in 2024. Global gross domestic product Global gross domestic product amounts to almost 110 trillion U.S. dollars, with the United States making up more than one-quarter of this figure alone. The 12 largest economies in the world include all Group of Seven (G7) economies, as well as the four largest BRICS economies. The U.S. has consistently had the world's largest economy since the interwar period, and while previous reports estimated it would be overtaken by China in the 2020s, more recent projections estimate the U.S. economy will remain the largest by a considerable margin going into the 2030s.The gross domestic product of a country is calculated by taking spending and trade into account, to show how much the country can produce in a certain amount of time, usually per year. It represents the value of all goods and services produced during that year. Those countries considered to have emerging or developing economies account for almost 60 percent of global gross domestic product, while advanced economies make up over 40 percent.

The statistic shows the growth rate of the real gross domestic product (GDP) in the United States from 2019 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2023, the growth of the real gross domestic product in the United States was around 2.53 percent compared to the previous year. See U.S. GDP per capita and the US GDP for more information.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States

The gross domestic product (GDP) of a country is a crucial economic indicator, representing the market value of the total goods and services produced and offered by a country within a year, thus serving as one of the indicators of a country’s economic state. The real GDP of a country is defined as its gross domestic product adjusted for inflation.

An international comparison of economic growth rates has ranked the United States alongside other major global economic players such as China and Russia in terms of real GDP growth. With further growth expected during the course of the coming years, as consumer confidence continues to improve, experts predict that the worst is over for the United States economy.

A glance at US real GDP figures reveals an overall increase in growth, with sporadic slips into decline; the last recorded decline took place in Q1 2011. All in all, the economy of the United States can be considered ‘well set’, with exports and imports showing positive results. Apart from this fact, the United States remains one of the world’s leading exporting countries, having been surpassed only by China and tailed by Germany. It is also ranked first among the top global importers. Despite this, recent surveys revealing Americans’ assessments of the U.S. economy have yielded less optimistic results. Interestingly enough, this consensus has been mutual across the social and environmental spectrum. On the other hand, GDP is often used as an indicator for the standard of living in a country – and most Americans seem quite happy with theirs.

Macao's real gross domestic product (GDP) experienced a dramatic recovery, rising from a negative growth rate of about 21.4 percent in 2022 to an impressive 80.5 percent in 2023. However, it was projected to plummet to about 10.6 percent in 2024. In comparison, Mongolia recorded the second-highest real GDP growth rate in East Asia at over 7.4 percent in 2023, followed by China at around 5.25 percent.

In 2023 the real gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States increased by 2.5 percent compared to 2022. This rate of annual growth indicates a return to economy normalcy after 2020 saw a dramatic decline in the GDP growth rate due to the the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and high growth in 2021.

What does GDP growth mean?

Essentially, the annual GDP of the U.S. is the monetary value of all goods and services produced within the country over a given year. On the surface, an increase in GDP therefore means that more goods and services have been produced between one period than another. In the case of annualized GDP, it is compared to the previous year. In 2023, for example, the U.S. GDP grew 2.5 percent compared to 2022.

Countries with highest GDP growth rate

Although the United States has by far the largest GDP of any country, it does not have the highest GDP growth, nor the highest GDP at purchasing power parity. In 2021, Libya had the highest growth in GDP, growing more than 177 percent compared to 2020. Furthermore, Luxembourg had the highest GDP per capita at purchasing power parity, a better measure of living standards than nominal or real GDP.

In 2023, the real gross domestic product (GDP) in the Philippines grew by approximately 5.55 percent, marking the highest growth rate in Southeast Asia. In comparison, Singapore's real GDP growth rate dropped to less than 1.1 percent. Most Southeast Asian economies are projected to see an increase in their real GDP growth rates in 2025 compared to 2023, except for Laos and Myanmar. Southeast Asia, a tapestry of economic and cultural complexity Historically a critical component of global trade, Southeast Asia is a diverse region with heterogeneous economies. The region comprises 11 countries in total. While Singapore is a highly developed country economy and Brunei has a relatively high GDP per capita, the rest of the Southeast Asian countries are characterized by lower GDPs per capita and have yet to overcome the middle-income trap. Malaysia is one of these countries, having reached the middle-income level for many decades but yet to grow incomes proportionally to its economic development. Nevertheless, Southeast Asia’s young population will further drive economic growth across the region’s markets. ASEAN’s economic significance Aiming to promote economic growth, social progress, cultural development, and regional stability, all Southeast Asian countries except for Timor-Leste are part of the political and economic union Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Even though many concerns surround the union, ASEAN has avoided trade conflicts and is one of the largest and most dynamic trade zones globally. Factors such as the growing young population, high GDP growth, a largely positive trade balance, and exemplary regional integration hold great potential for future economic development in Southeast Asia.

According to preliminary figures, the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in China amounted to 5.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, the IMF expects a GDP growth rate of around 4.6 percent. Real GDP growth The current gross domestic product is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. It refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. When analyzing year-on-year changes, the current GDP is adjusted for inflation, thus making it constant. Real GDP growth is regarded as a key indicator for economic growth as it incorporates constant GDP figures. As of 2023, China was among the leading countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide, second only to the United States which had a GDP volume of almost 27.5 trillion U.S. dollars. The Chinese GDP has shown remarkable growth over the past years. Upon closer examination of the distribution of GDP across economic sectors, a gradual shift from an economy heavily based on industrial production towards an economy focused on services becomes visible, with the service industry outpacing the manufacturing sector in terms of GDP contribution. Key indicator balance of trade Another important indicator for economic assessment is the balance of trade, which measures the relationship between imports and exports of a nation. As an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing and industrial production, China has reached a trade surplus over the last decade, with a total trade balance of around 823 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

The real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of Macao was more than 80 percent in 2023, which was the highest growth rate across all countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region in that year. In comparison, China's real GDP was reported to grow at about 5.25 percent in 2023 and projected to grow by 3.3 percent by 2029.

The economy of the European Union is set to grow by 1.5 percent in 2025, according to forecasts by the European Commission. This marks a significant slowdown compared to previous years, when the EU member states grew quickly in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. Malta is the country which is forecasted to grow the most in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 4.3 percent. Many of Europe's largest economies, on the other hand, are set to experiencing slow growth or stagnation, with Germany, France, and Italy growing below two percent.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the growth of the real gross domestic product (GDP) in China ranged at 5.4 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. GDP growth in China In 2024, China ranged second among countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide. Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, the country has experienced rapid social and economic development. In 2013, it became the world’s largest trading nation, overtaking the United States. However, per capita GDP in China was still much lower than that of industrialized countries. Until 2011, the annual growth rate of China’s GDP had constantly been above nine percent. However, economic growth has cooled down since and is projected to further slow down gradually in the future. Rising domestic wages and the competitive edge of other Asian and African countries are seen as main reasons for the stuttering in China’s economic engine. One strategy of the Chinese government to overcome this transition is a gradual shift of economic focus from industrial production to services. Challenges to GDP growth Another major challenge lies in the massive environmental pollution that China’s reckless economic growth has caused over the past decades. China’s development has been powered mostly by coal consumption, which resulted in high air pollution. To counteract industrial pollution, further investments in waste management and clean technologies are necessary. In 2017, about 1.15 percent of GDP was spent on pollution control. Surging environmental costs aside, environmental issues could also be a key to industrial transition as China placed major investments in renewable energy and clean tech projects. The consumption of green energy skyrocketed from 0.52 exajoules in 2005 to 13.3 million in 2022.

The gross domestic product (GDP) in emerging markets and developing economies was forecast to grow by almost four percent in 2025 compared to the previous year. The expected growth rate was higher than that for advanced economies, which was forecast at 1.8 percent relative to 2024.

The combined gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the G7 countries is expected to slow in 2023 amid rising inflation rates around the world. That year, it was forecast to grow by around 1.5 percent, before increasing over the next years. GDP growth rates were even forecast to be slightly negative in Germany in 2023.

The statistic shows global gross domestic product (GDP) from 1985 to 2022, with projections up until 2029. In 2020, global GDP amounted to about 85.52 trillion U.S. dollars, two and a half trillion lower than in 2019. Gross domestic product Gross domestic product, also known as GDP, is the accumulated value of all finished goods and services produced in a country, often measured annually. GDP is significant in determining the economic health, growth and productivity in the country, and is a stat often used when comparing several countries at a time, most likely in order to determine which country has seen the most progress. Until 2020, Global GDP had experienced a growth every year since 2010. However, a strong growth rate does not necessarily lead to all positive outcomes and often has a negative effect on inflation rates. A severe growth in GDP leads to lower unemployment, however lower unemployment often leads to higher inflation rates due to demand increasing at a much higher rate than supply and as a result prices rise accordingly. In terms of unemployment, growth had been fairly stagnant since the economic downturn of 2007-2009, but it remains to be seen what the total impact of the coronavirus pandemic will be on total employment.