Measured by gross domestic product (GDP), the USA is the world's largest industrial nation. If the European Union is not considered as a whole, the Federal Republic of Germany ranks third. But does this also translate into influence?
For the reference year 2024, GDP figures for various countries are available. The USA and China are the world's economic giants. However, when viewed as a whole, the European Union displaces China from second place. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the total value of all goods and services produced within a nation's economy over the course of a year. The overall calculation of GDP is based on the production, expenditure, and income approaches regarding resources. GDP is therefore a key metric for economic comparisons.
The 10 World's Largest Industrial Nations (GDP in trillions of US dollars, 2024):1
If one also considers nominal GDP per capita, the gap between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China is enormous.
The Most Influential Countries in the World
The 2024 Best Countries Ranking2 quickly reveals that the rankings at the top - among the largest economies - have barely changed. The Best Countries Ranking evaluates perceptions regarding 73 attributes associated with a modern nation. The assessment of international influence is based on five attributes considered in relation to one another:
- Leadership strength
- Connection to the rest of the world
- Cultural influence
- Political influence
- Strong international alliances
The USA tops this ranking as well, followed by China. Here, Great Britain (3rd place) overtakes Germany (4th place). Even Russia moves up to 6th place, behind France.
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Sources
1 Statista Research Department in Auswertung: "Ranking der 20 Länder mit dem größten Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP) im Jahr 2024", published Okt. 2025. last accessed 03.2026 (German)
de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/157841/umfrage/ranking-der-20-laender-mit-dem-groessten-bruttoinlandsprodukt/
2 Statista Research Department in Auswertung: "Rangliste der 20 einflussreichsten Länder der Welt nach dem Best Countries Ranking 2024" published Okt. 2025. last accessed 03.2026 (German)
de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/983950/umfrage/top-20-der-einflussreichsten-laender-nach-dem-best-countries-ranking/