California overtakes Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy.

California has surpassed Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, as he warned of the threat posed by President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the tech powerhouse’s fast-growing wealth.

The Golden State’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) reached $4.1 trillion in 2024, according to preliminary data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, edging past Japan’s $4.02 trillion nominal GDP in the same period as recorded by the International Monetary Fund.