MakeYourChart

California GDP by year, compared with countries

California's GDP hit $4.30 trillion in 2025, past the UK ($4.00T) and India ($3.96T) and just short of Japan ($4.44T), in nominal dollars.

Make this videoDownload data (CSV)

Free to edit and export · No signup to start

What the data shows

  • California: $1.07T in 1997, $4.30T in 2025 (4.0× higher).
  • Japan: $4.58T in 1997, $4.44T in 2025. It peaked at $6.33T in 2012.
  • United Kingdom: $1.57T in 1997, $4.00T in 2025 (2.5× higher).
  • India: $0.42T in 1997, $3.96T in 2025 (9.4× higher).

About this chart

California's economy grew from $1.07 trillion in 1997 to $4.30 trillion in 2025, while Japan's, measured in dollars, went from $4.58 trillion to $4.44 trillion. In 1997 Japan was more than four times California's size. In 2025 the gap is about $0.14 trillion, and California has been ahead of the United Kingdom every year since 2019.

India is the fastest riser on the chart, from $0.42 trillion to $3.96 trillion, but it remains behind California in every year shown. These are nominal comparisons: BEA state GDP and World Bank country GDP, both in current US dollars and not adjusted for inflation or purchasing power, so exchange-rate swings move the country lines.

The data

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis GDP by state (SAGDP2) for the state; World Bank (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD) for countries; current US$. Retrieved November 4, 2026.

California's economy vs countries, GDP, current US$ trillions, 1997–2025
DateCalifornia🇯🇵 Japan🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇮🇳 India
1997$1.07T$4.58T$1.57T$0.42T
1998$1.14T$4.15T$1.66T$0.42T
1999$1.24T$4.69T$1.69T$0.46T
2000$1.35T$5.04T$1.67T$0.47T
2001$1.37T$4.44T$1.66T$0.49T
2002$1.42T$4.25T$1.79T$0.51T
2003$1.50T$4.57T$2.06T$0.61T
2004$1.59T$4.94T$2.43T$0.71T
2005$1.70T$4.88T$2.55T$0.82T
2006$1.81T$4.65T$2.72T$0.94T
2007$1.90T$4.62T$3.10T$1.22T
2008$1.95T$5.16T$2.95T$1.20T
2009$1.88T$5.34T$2.43T$1.34T
2010$1.94T$5.81T$2.50T$1.68T
2011$2.01T$6.28T$2.68T$1.82T
2012$2.11T$6.33T$2.72T$1.83T
2013$2.22T$5.27T$2.80T$1.86T
2014$2.34T$4.99T$3.09T$2.04T
2015$2.49T$4.53T$2.95T$2.10T
2016$2.59T$5.11T$2.71T$2.29T
2017$2.74T$5.04T$2.70T$2.65T
2018$2.90T$5.15T$2.90T$2.70T
2019$3.07T$5.25T$2.88T$2.84T
2020$3.08T$5.19T$2.72T$2.67T
2021$3.44T$5.23T$3.19T$3.17T
2022$3.62T$4.45T$3.18T$3.25T
2023$3.82T$4.38T$3.42T$3.50T
2024$4.05T$4.19T$3.70T$3.76T
2025$4.30T$4.44T$4.00T$3.96T

Post it

Suggested caption: “California was under a quarter of Japan's economy in 1997. Now it's close.” Credit the source in your caption; it heads off the 'source?' comments.

Make it yours

  • Switch between bar, line, column and donut races with one click.
  • Pick 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 4:5 for the feed or 16:9 for YouTube.
  • Change the theme, font, colors and race length, and add your own captions.
  • Paste your own numbers from Excel or Google Sheets. See the animated line chart maker for tips.

Frequently asked questions

How big is California's economy?

California's GDP was about $4.30 trillion in 2025, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In current dollars that is larger than the UK ($4.00 trillion) and India ($3.96 trillion) and slightly below Japan ($4.44 trillion).

Is California's economy bigger than Japan's?

Not in 2025. Japan's GDP was $4.44 trillion against California's $4.30 trillion, a gap of about $0.14 trillion. In 1997 the gap was about $3.5 trillion.

Are these GDP figures adjusted for inflation?

No. They are nominal, current-dollar figures from the BEA and the World Bank, so they compare size in dollars rather than purchasing power.

Where does this data come from?

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis GDP by state (SAGDP2) for the state; World Bank (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD) for countries; current US$. Retrieved November 4, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

Yes. Open it in the editor, change the title, theme, colors or format (9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 16:9 for YouTube), and export an MP4. Free exports are 720p with a small watermark; Pro ($11.99/month) removes it and adds 1080p, 4K and 60 fps.

Related data

All us states charts
US statesReal data

Population of California

California peaked at 39.53 million in 2020, dipped, and sits at 39.36 million in 2025, still the most populous state by 7.6 million.

CitiesReal data

Largest cities in California

Los Angeles is California's largest city at about 3.87 million in 2025, below its 2019 peak of 3.98 million; San Jose has slipped under 1 million.

US statesReal data

Texas's economy vs countries

Texas's GDP reached $2.93 trillion in 2025, above Russia ($2.56T) and Italy ($2.55T) but still $0.44 trillion short of France, in nominal dollars.