The United States has the largest economy in the world, by traditional GDP measures.
But when adjustments are made to account for Purchase Price Parity, and the cost differences for similar products, it is China with the largest economy.
The United States has a giant services sector, and includes careers that have no equivalent in other countries. The massive legal, finance, insurance, real estate brokerage, and lobbying industries are far larger in the US than in any other country.
When economists remove those sectors from the calculation of GDP, the result is "Productive GDP", and involves accounting only for the production of tangible products in the economy.
Closing scene, Zhongshan Riverfront, Guangdong
Resources and links:
Average Cost of College By Country
https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-country
10 Cities Where $100k Is Worth the Least
https://smartasset.com/data-studies/100k-worth-2025
China’s Shocking Worldwide Economic Dominance Revealed
https://austrianchina.substack.com/p/chinas-shocking-worldwide-economic
China vs US GDP Comparison and What It Says About Their Respective National Power
https://www.unz.com/bhua/china-vs-us-gdp-comparison-and-what-it-says-about-their-respective-national-power/
New York Times, You Need $100,000 a Year Just to Get by Here
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/nyregion/you-need-100000-a-year-just-to-get-by-here.html
The World’s Busiest Ports
https://www.rferl.org/a/29637065.html
Hotel stays data from Trip.com