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California is now the world’s fourth largest economy

April 23, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom

By KAREN VELIE

Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced that California has officially overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy.

“California isn’t just keeping pace with the world—we’re setting the pace,” Newsom said in a press release. “And, while we celebrate this success, we recognize that our progress is threatened by the reckless tariff policies of the current federal administration. California’s economy powers the nation, and it must be protected.”

California’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) reached $4.1 trillion in 2024, surpassing Japan’s $4.02 trillion, and placing California behind only the United States, China, and Germany in global rankings, according to newly released data from the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Top seven economies in the world

In 2024, California’s 6% growth rate outpaced the United State’s 5.3% rate, China’s 2.6% rate and Germany’s 2.9% rate. Preliminary data indicates India is projected to surpass California by 2026.

 


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The most recent data available indicates that California’s budget deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year is projected to be approximately $2 billion, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) in their November 2024 report. However, the LAO also warns of potential double-digit operating deficits in future years, projecting deficits in the range of $20-30 billion annually by the 2028-29 fiscal year if no further budgetary adjustments are made.


4

You would think that wearing this badge could allow us to be the Gorilla in the room and set the price. Cheap electricity, cheap gasoline, cheap groceries, etc. Negotiate for the benefit of our citizens! Instead, pockets are lined, handouts to illegals, criminals roam free and we are bent over.


18

We’re number one in homeless population too, but you don’t hear him bragging about that.


17

California is actually 6th per capita, sitting behind Hawaii, Wash DC, New York, Oregon and Vermont.

But I will acknowledge the homeless do gravitate towards blue states. Is that because of the economic policies of the state (depressed jobs) creating more homeless or because they are treated better there (and get more stuff)? We can argue that out for ages.


I know I would rather be homeless in CA than North Dakota.


3

MrYan, I don’t think you can count the homeless by a per capita basis, only by total numbers.

There’s a reason for those signs in wilderness areas “Please don’t feed the wildlife, they will become dependent on handouts”.


10

You can and should if want comparable numbers (statistics), and a discussion based on reason not anecdotes.


Using your logic California is the best at education nationally since we educate more children here. We know that is not true. Time to go back to school.


0

He must be counting all the state fees and taxes in his “economy” numbers.


19

When you look at the empty commercial buildings throughout most cities, including SLO, it’s hard to fathom being forth in ghost towns. It never ceases to amaze me how the power of words routinely abuses the public without consequences. Then again, this is how you become electable like Cammila Harris. It’s all very sad.


25

Blue states, even blue cities, vastly outperform red states/cities. That’s just a fact. Huge amounts of money go from blue to help red; maybe time to cut the fat!?! Pure capitalism ain’t all its cracked up to be when you have to survive 100% on your own!


-44

While true ,we all need to remember we are all apart of the same great country.

Unfortunately after 100 days of trump (who has the worst polling numbers of any modern day president) and his disaster of a presidency the idea that we need tolerate this dolt any longer is mind numbing. Not to mention the cast of morons he has nominated as his “cabinet” are leading the way to the bottom.

Too bad republicans lost their morals and spine to continue supporting this train wreck of an administration.


-40

SO true! I am so very tired of hearing how the “libtards” in the blue states are such losers, whilst we subsidize the entirety of the red states and their complete lack of functional policies. We have given them food, medical care, infrastructure, etc., etc., galore whilst they badmouth us like belligerent teens who still live at home.


Mississippi, for instance, takes double what it gives to the federal government. They all sponge off of states like Cali, while even those so called “conservatives” who live here call us names.


Were we keeping all that we actually take in, we would not have problems like homelessness, etc. It is our largess to all of the struggling states, ruby red “patriots” that they may consider themselves to be, that holds us back from even more greatness and better lifestyles for all who live and work here.


Like it or not, that is the reality. We have better education, medical care, safety nets, etc., which pays off in the long run. Vote me down for the truth, but it changes nothing.


-37

“Like it or not, that is the reality. We have better education, medical care, safety nets, etc., which pays off in the long run. Vote me down for the truth, but it changes nothing.”


Except, that’s actually not true at all. Mississippi’s educational comeback is all in the news recently. But don’t take my word for it, here’s the ultra-MAGA SF Chronicle weighing in:


https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/california-housing-education-reading-literacy-20288858.php


Here are the last two paragraphs of the editorial:


“What, exactly, is politically challenging about ensuring that our youngest kids learn to read? Isn’t California ranking far below Mississippi for early childhood literacy enough of a wake-up call? 

Mississippi, incidentally, also had the lowest rate of homelessness in the United States in 2023. It’s a sad day when struggling families who want to stay housed and ensure their kids learn to read have a better shot in the dark-red Deep South than they do in California.”


As the saying goes, we’re all entitled to our own opinions, but we’re not entitled to our own facts. Maybe you will read this and take it in. Peace.


1

CA is just “blue” along the coast. Don’t forget about the red CA counties that feed the state and nation, and provide places for those in the blue areas to recreate in.

And, watch out for Texas!


54

You sell coastal farming short. Second the Central Valley farmers have Edmund J Brown, old moonbeams dad, a democrat, to thank for the California aqueduct system. Our collective effort created a system that feeds the nation. Without it they are dry farmers praying for California rain.


We all know when it is foggy, every valley person is in Cayucos recreating.


10

Factually incorrect, many interior cities lean majority left; Fresno, Sacramento, Chico, etc etc. I couldn’t care less about Texas btw…


-17

Did you catch his tweet?


“CA just became the 4th largest economy in the WORLD. In 2023, we contributed $83 billion to the fed govt. Texas? Took $71 billion.”


Texas is a joke apparently.


0

In your dreams. Texas??? Ha, ha, ha. Please.


-15

“Pure capitalism ain’t all it’s cracked up to be when you have to survive 100% on your own!”


And yet capitalism has made California the fourth largest economy in the world in spite of the leadership in Sacramento, SF and LA!


24

…I explicity specified “pure capitalism”, aka each for their own no help allowed kind of capitalism. Remember, there has always been a spoonful of socialism in this country.


-10

No such thing..pure capitalism has never existed. We enjoy a system of mixed capitalism, at least since the beginning of the 20th century if not longer.


12

Our family has been surviving on our own just fine with no help from the state or feds.

In fact our state has been on the fast track to put us out of business, but we’re still surviving. It’s called working harder and smarter to put food on your table.


11

Built all the roads you travel on, then? Have your own fire dept., your own military, your own school system, your own personal internet, you own police force, your own food inspections, your own water inspections, your own postal service, your own transportation safety standards board, your own higher education – oh – probably didn’t go. That explains the attitude right there.


-17

Well let’s see here…..first of all I put myself through Cal Poly, a degree in agriculture with NO help what’s so ever. I worked three jobs and carried a full load. The road we live on is currently being patched by neighbor’s as the city will not/has not taken care of their portion.

We pay a ^%$ load of taxes so our government will take care of these services, but when that government becomes too large or a nanny state and strips away rights or over regulates then we have a problem.

When I see businesses being regulated out of this state or forced to close their doors, then there is a problem. When I see CDFW take money for permits and close the seasons while not returning the money paid for said permits we have a problem. When I see that same agency’s budget grow to “regulate” us while there are fewer of us than ever, we have a problem. When I see serious tax money being wasted it ticks me off. A very tiny, tiny, tiny example that is playing on the radio currently about trash in California and how one piece is just too much. And why yes, we test our own well and have our own fire system in place. I need to get back to work now….


13

What rights of your are being stripped away?


-3

California has been facing a significant budget deficit in recent years, with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) estimating a $27 billion deficit in 2023-2024 and a $55 billion deficit in 2024-2025….

Did presidential wannabe Newsom mention this?…


9

So much to unpack here. First, how much of this is simply based on the valuation of tech companies? In other words, how much of this supposed $4.1 trillion is just zeroes and ones floating around? What’s the breakdown by economic sector, I.e., agriculture, industrial production, services, etc.? Second, if we’re now the world’s fourth-largest economy, where the f–k is all the money going? I’m not seeing it on the roads, nor in graffiti cleanup, nor in building more prisons, nor in getting the homeless under control. Most of us seem to be hanging on by the skin of our teeth. So, cui bono? This has a very hollow feel to me, like a house of cards, or perhaps a Potemkin Village. I had the opportunity to go up to the DMZ in Korea years ago, at Panmunjom. On the NK side is a big impressive building called the Panmungak. Three stories, very grandiose. But it’s only 15 feet deep. I’m feeling like California is kind of like that.


13