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Hmmm.  2009 Nominal GDP Rankings.  Two Cuts.

Viewing the EU as a single unit.


GDP (millions of USD)
1      European Union     15,990,000
2      United States             14,270,000
3      Japan                     5,049,000
4      Brazil             1,482,000
5      Canada             1,319,000
6     Russia             1,255,000
7     India               1,243,000
8      Australia             920,000
9     Mexico             866,300
10     South Korea             800,300

Viewing the EU as 27 units.

GDP (millions of USD)
1      United States     14,270,000
2      Japan     5,049,000
3      China     4,758,000
4      Germany     3,235,000
5      France     2,635,000
6      United Kingdom     2,198,000
7      Italy     2,090,000
8      Brazil     1,482,000
9      Spain     1,438,000
10      Canada     1,319,000
 

Is it really appropriate to count the member states separately when it's clear that the EU is a single economic unit? Particularly after the Greek rescue, and the likely creation of new EU financial institutions.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 05:09:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Eurozone does not equal the European Union.  

One could make a case the Eurozone can be treated as a single entity for analytical purposes.  With the UK still "pounding" along by itself ... the EU nowise.

by ATinNM on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 05:13:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In nominal terms,(using the 2009 figures from the CIA World Factbook), the eurozone is still larger than the US economy.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 05:22:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
My comment was a P/N.
by ATinNM on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:00:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Depends on the exchange rate. The EU is larger than the US regardless of exchange rates.

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:04:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Why is china not in the first list?
by njh on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 05:58:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Copy/paste error?

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:02:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Sure that's the obvious explanation, except that the numbers also skip china.
by njh on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:08:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Argh!

I most have lost it while editing out the individual European states.

It should be third with $4.758 trillion.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:08:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You mean fourth ... its third in the second list, missing from the first, where it should be fourth if its in nominal terms.

Of course, it is much higher if its PPP, but I wouldn't want to do the whole EU on PPP, I'd just use the World Bank PPP figures to scale.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 15th, 2010 at 01:28:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
For purposes involving monetary theory (includes foreign trade, exchange rates and foreign reserves) the Eurozone should be treated as a single unit, not the EU.

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:02:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
But for purposes focusing on the productive sector of the economy, the case for treating individual EU members as distinct national economies is at the very least arguable.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 15th, 2010 at 01:30:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And for fiscal policy, social safety nets, etc.

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 15th, 2010 at 03:10:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Quite ... if its conceded that only the Eurozone can act as a loose confederal national economy with respect to the weakest of the policy tools to address a business cycle downturn, the fact that the whole EU is a loose confederal national economy for all of the strongest policy tools to address a business cycle downturn also bears noting.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 15th, 2010 at 03:05:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In that wikipedia page there are three lists. The IMF list aggregates the European Union, which then has a 30% higher GDP (nominal) than the US, and 30% of world GDP.

The World Bank list aggregates the Eurozone, at 5% less GDP than the US and 20-25% of world GDP.

The CIA world fact book aggregates the European Union, at 10% larger than the US and 25-30% of world GDP.

I go with the World Bank list since the Eurozone is the sensible aggregation.

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:10:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Those figures are also a year older.  

Regardless of the comparison with the the United States, the Eurozone dwarfs the Japanese and Chinese economies.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Mar 14th, 2010 at 06:48:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
... sense that as a productive enterprise China/Japan is acting like a common unit. However expanding the de facto to the pro forma is a fraught political question.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 15th, 2010 at 07:50:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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