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California  + Finance  | 

California Now Ranks as World’s Fourth Largest Economy

California has officially overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to newly released data from the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The state’s nominal GDP reached $4.1 trillion, surpassing Japan’s $4.02 trillion, and placing California behind only the U.S., China and Germany in global rankings.

The California economy is growing faster than the world’s top three economies. In 2024, California’s growth rate of 6% outpaced the U.S. (5.3%), China (2.6%) and Germany (2.9%).

California’s success is long-term: the state’s economy grew strongly over the past four years, with an average nominal GDP growth of 7.5% from 2021 to 2024. However, preliminary data indicate that India is projected to surpass California by 2026.

“California isn’t just keeping pace with the world—we’re setting the pace,” said Newsom. “Our economy is thriving because we invest in people, prioritize sustainability and believe in the power of innovation.”

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

  • ◦Economy
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