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http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Bu...ving_Asian_Neighbour_As_Worlds_Second_Largest
10:32am UK, Monday August 16, 2010
Hazel Tyldesley and Rob Cole, Sky News Online
Japan has lost its place as the second biggest world economy, after its sluggish growth figures saw it slip behind Asian neighbour China.
Exports of cars, gadgets and electrical components have slowed in recent months while Japanese consumers show caution in their spending.
The latest government data showed Japan's GDP growth slowed to 0.4% in April to June from the previous two quarters - a level much lower than expected.
Over the year as whole, Japan's economy is forecast to expand by 2-3%, while China's is growing at around 10% every year.
The gap between the size of the two economies at the end of last year was already narrow and the difference in growth rates mean China will almost certainly top Japan by the end of 2010.
Just five years ago China's GDP was half of Japan's.
While there are dozens of billionaires, the average income for the rest of its 1.3bn people is among the world's lowest.
China has a per capita income of just £2,300 compared to a per capita income of £24,250 in Japan.
Americans remain the richest in the world with a per capita of over £27,000, and their economy is a whole is still by far the biggest.