How the world’s largest economies have changed historically by share of global GDP from 1961 to 2025 (last 64 years), revealing the rise, peak, and decline of economic powers over time. The United States fell from nearly 36% of world output in 1960 to the mid‑20s while still remaining the biggest economy in 2025. Japan surged to almost 18% of global GDP in the mid‑1990s before entering its “Lost Decades”. China’s stunning climb from the low single digits in 1990 to rival the U.S. as a true econo