Industrial production remains a cornerstone of the global economy and it serves as a key indicator of a nation’s economic capacity and technological advancement.
The following list presents the top ten manufacturing nations ranked by the latest available data for Manufacturing Value Added (MVA), a metric that reflects the net output of the sector after accounting for intermediate inputs.
1. China
According to the World Bank, China tops the list when it comes to manufacturing.
The country makes up about 18% of the total global manufacturing output, which adds a total value of nearly $4.66 trillion to the world economy.
The main exports from China comprise consumer goods like textiles, electronics, and garments.
2. United States
The U.S. used to have the world’s largest manufacturing sector until it was overtaken by China in 2010.
Today, the U.S. is still significantly behind China, which leads the world by a wide margin.
The country accounts for roughly 9.5% of global manufacturing, and its output is valued at almost $2.5 trillion.
American production includes automobiles, chemical products, food products, military equipment, and aircraft.
3. Japan
Japan comes in third and provides approximately 4.0% of the world’s total manufacturing output.
Japan produced a little over $1.05 trillion from manufacturing in 2023.
The country is famous for manufactured exports, including vehicles, computer parts, electronics, and chemicals.
4. Germany
Germany is among the leading European manufacturing nations, with about $839 billion coming from this sector.
Well known for motor vehicle exports, electrical machinery, and manufactured metals, the country accounts for approximately 3.2% of global manufacturing.
5. India
Although it may be better known for the I.T. workforce or customer service centers, India also has a major share of manufacturing output, accounting for around 1.8% of global manufacturing output.
The country gives an output value of roughly $461 billion. It’s mostly known for agricultural products, textiles, engineering goods, leather products, and chemicals.
6. South Korea
South Korea accounts for about 1.6% of global manufacturing, and its output value is around $416 billion.
Manufacturing represents approximately 24% of the entire country’s national output. Significant exports from South Korea include technological products, automobiles, petroleum, and machinery.
7. Mexico
Mexico accounts for around 1.4% of global manufacturing output, enough to generate a value of $359 billion. Mexican exports are mineral fuels, lubricants, food, transport equipment, and machinery.
8. Italy
Italy ranks 8th on the list of manufacturing countries, and its economic structure relies heavily on manufacturing and industrialization.
The output value of Italy’s manufacturing industry amounts to approximately $354 billion, and the country’s primary exports include metal products, clothing and footwear, vehicles, and chemicals.
9. France
France contributes approximately $297 billion in manufacturing output to the global economy, accounting for 1.1% of the total global manufacturing output.
Its leading exports include agricultural products, machinery, aircraft, and hydrocarbon products.
10. Brazil
Brazil ranks 10th among the world’s top manufacturing countries, contributing approximately $290 billion to global manufacturing.
This accounts for about 1.1% of the global total. Brazil’s manufacturing sector is diverse, with major exports including food products, automobiles, aircraft, machinery, and petroleum-based goods.
Meanwhile the highest-ranked African nations by manufacturing output, such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa, are positioned outside the global top 25.
According to UNIDO, Africa’s combined Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) constitutes a small single-digit percentage of the world total, with recent figures showing it at 2% of global MVA
