US? China? India? The 10 biggest economies in 2030 will be...

A changing global economy means that many developing nations are set to become much richer in the next 15 years

Doug Bolton
Friday 17 April 2015 14:53 BST
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A new world economic leader - China will be snapping at the heels of the USA as the world's biggest economy by 2030
A new world economic leader - China will be snapping at the heels of the USA as the world's biggest economy by 2030

By 2030, China will have almost tripled its gross domestic product (GBP), India will have overtaken Japan as the world's fourth biggest economy, and the UK's GDP will be lagging behind Brazil's.

So says data from the US Department of Agriculture, who have published their projections of each country's GDP for the next 15 years.

The figures give an interesting insight into the rapidly changing world economy.

Brazil's runaway economic success is well-known, but it may be surprising that in 15 years, Nigeria will have moved up six places and edged into the world's largest economies - with a projected GDP of $1,048 billion, more than double their current figure.

While the US is set to remain the world's largest economy in 2030, they won't be as comfortable in their position. Currently, the US's GDP is almost double that of the second-largest economy - China.

According to the projections, China will be snapping at their heels, with a GDP only $2000 billion lower. The fact they will have tripled their GDP by then suggests that they won't be in second place for much longer.

Things are looking up for India as well, which will use its massive labour force to steam past western Europe, overtaking Germany, France and the UK.

An Indian artist and his son dress in costume for a Hindu festival in Bangalore. India could be the world's fourth biggest economy by 2030.

There are, of course, some losers too. Russia, despite being set to add £800 billion to its GDP, will fall one place to become the 12th biggest economy.

Even the poor old UK will move down the chain - despite being projected to add more than $1000 billion to its GDP, it will go down one place, becoming the world's 7th biggest economy.

At the bottom in 2030 will be the Federated States of Micronesia - a cluster of Islands in the Pacific whose GDP will fall to only around $500 million.

The US government data included projected GDPs for 190 countries, whose economic output make up more than 99 per cent of the global economy.

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