- Wednesday, 19 October 2016
China has toppled America to become the biggest economy in the world, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund.
The US has been the global leader since it overtook Britain in 1872, but has now lost its status as top dog.
The latest IMF figures show the Chinese economy is worth £11trillion compared with £10.8trillion for the US.
China – whose wealth has accelerated in recent decades amid rapid industrialisation – is expected to extend its lead, with the IMF estimating its economy will be worth £16.7trillion in 2019.
That would be 20 per cent bigger than the US economy, which is forecast to be worth £13.8trillion by then.
China has a population of around 1.3billion – four times that of the US – but its economy has only just become the biggest
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