This graphic from Madison Trust Company gives us powerful insight into the leading worldwide economies from the 60s until now. As we can see from the chart, the US has always led the way with the biggest GDP by a wide margin, except for a brief period in the 1990s when they were surpassed by Japan. Many things can lead to a robust economy including natural resources, population size, taxation and other economic policies, and incentives for businesses to operate in a particular country. The U.S. has a large population, an abundance of natural resources, and lots of incentives that attract foreign companies and workers as well as support for homegrown business.
We can see major historical events on this graphic like the fall of the Soviet Union and West Germany. Germany bounced back as a leader and had a consistently strong GDP for decades, but Russia only made the chart in the later half of the 2000s.
Infographic by: madisontrust