15 Largest Economies in the World Ranked by 2015 PPP

4. Japan

Projected 2015 GDP growth: 0.6%
GDP based on PPP valuation (in billions of dollars): 4,842

Present-day Japan has seen its most impressive growth happen during the 1960’s until the 1990’s. After the war, the country ignored spending for national defense and instead focused on the improvement of the economy. This resulted in an average of 10% annual GDP growth in the 60’s, and lower but high growth rates from the 70’s until the 90’s, when the Tokyo Stock Exchange crashed. Today, Japan has the world’s fourth largest economy by PPP, and is the world’s biggest creditor, with the country possessing 13.7% of the world’s financial assets. While the automobile industry is still the 3rd largest in the world, Japan has been shifting to high-tech and precision goods as the focus of the manufacturing industry.