Brazil took over 11th place in 2005, up three notches from 14th in 2004. The BOK attributed the Brazilian surge to intense restructuring efforts by the current Brazilian government led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil also adopted a high interest rate policy to rein in inflation. It recorded a trade surplus that strengthened the real against the U.S. dollar, leading to 31.8 percent growth in nominal GDP, which is calculated in the U.S. currency.

The U.S. had the world's largest GDP with $12.41 trillion, followed by Japan with $4.53 trillion and Germany with $2.79 trillion. China took fourth place with $2.23 trillion, and Britain came in fifth with $2.12 trillion. Next on the list were France, Italy, Spain, and Canada. India took 10th place.

If Korea's GDP is used as a standard at 100, the U.S. GDP would be 1,569, Japan's 573, and China's 282. The ASEAN's would be 110 and the European Union's 1,171.

In 2005, Korea's GDP grew at a rate of 4.2 percent, 25th-fastest among the world's top 50 economies. China came in first with a 10.2 percent GDP growth rate, followed by Venezuela with 9.3 percent and India with 9.2 percent.

Korea's nominal gross national income jumped one notch from the previous year to take 11th place among 208 countries surveyed in 2005.

Korea's per-capita GNI amounted to $15,840, 49th-largest among 208 countries, up one notch from 50th in 2004. Luxembourg had the world's largest per-capita GNI according to the World Bank, but the exact figure was not revealed. Norway came in second with $60,890, followed by Switzerland with $55,320. The U.S. had the seventh-largest per-capita GNI with $43,560. Japan took 12th place with $38,950, and Hong Kong and Singapore came in 29th and 30th with $27,670 and $27,580.

Korea's per-capita GNI calculated by purchasing power parity, an indicator of how much the local currency can buy, amounted to $22,010 in 2005. That put it in 46th place, the same spot as the previous year.

(englishnews@chosun.com )