California says it overtakes Japan to become world’s No. 4 economy

California has surpassed Japan as the world’s No. 4 economy with a nominal GDP of $4.1 trillion in 2024, according to updated data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. This achievement follows Japan's decline since overtaking China in 2010 and Germany in 2023, which had placed it as the fourth-largest economy until its latest GDP figures were revealed.