Brazil overtakes UK as world's sixth largest economy

Brazil became the world's sixth largest economy in 2011, overtaking the UK, after continuing to see breakneck growth while the UK economy stuttered.

Brazil, whose economy is driven by its vast supply of commodities including oil and iron ore, saw its GDP rise from $2.1trn in 2010 to $2.52trn in 2011, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Meanwhile the UK, where economic growth is still heavily reliant on financial services, saw GDP grow at a much slower rate. It increased from $2.25trn to $2.48trn, leaving the country in seventh place. Elsewhere, the US continues to dominate the global economy for now, with GDP of $15.1trn, up around $500bn in the last year. The gap is being closed however, with Ch...