WASHINGTON / BANGKOK — According to the latest projections released Monday by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Japan's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) is set to be overtaken by both India and Britain in 2027, causing Japan to slip to sixth place globally.

Accelerated Shifts in Global Rankings

In its previous April report, the IMF had projected that Britain would surpass Japan's GDP by 2029. However, updated estimates now place Britain rising to fifth place two years ahead of that schedule.

According to IMF figures:

*Japan: Nominal GDP is projected at $4.3419 trillion in 2026, rising slightly to $4.4676 trillion in 2027.
*India: Currently ranked sixth behind Japan and Britain with a nominal GDP of $4.0602 trillion in 2026, India's economy is projected to surge to $4.5211 trillion in 2027. This leap will secure India fourth place globally, trailing only the United States, China, and Germany.
*Britain: Nominal GDP is expected to grow from $4.2684 trillion in 2026 to $4.4889 trillion in 2027, successfully surpassing Japan.

Key Drivers Behind the Shift

The primary factors driving this rearrangement of economic standings include higher projected economic growth rates in both India and Britain compared to Japan. Additionally, the ongoing depreciation of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar in foreign exchange markets plays a significant role in reducing Japan's nominal GDP when measured in dollar terms.

Global Economic Outlook

On a broader scale, the IMF revised its worldwide economic growth forecast for 2026 upward by 0.1 percentage point to 3.1%. The organization noted that robust, expanding demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) developments is successfully offsetting the negative economic impacts of soaring global energy prices. Meanwhile, Japan’s economic growth for 2026 was also revised upward by 0.1 percentage point, reaching 0.7%.

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