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Mapped: The Five Smallest Countries by GDP Size in 2025

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Mapped: The Five Smallest Countries by GDP Size in 2025

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The world’s largest economies get a lot of coverage, but have you ever wondered what the smallest countries by GDP size are?

We plot out these countries, along with their estimated GDP and population in 2025. Data is sourced from the International Monetary Fund and UN World Population Prospects.

This list only includes sovereign countries and may miss smaller economies due to data unavailability.

ℹ️ Slide (or tap) though the graphic to see all countries, ranked from fifth to first.

Ranked: The Five Smallest Economies in the World

Counting down, the island nation of Palau is the 5th smallest economy in the world with an estimated GDP of $353 million in 2025.

This island republic in Oceania covers hundreds of tiny islands with a total area of 459 km2 (177 sq. miles).

RankSmallest Economies2025 GDP2025 Population
5🇵🇼 Palau$353M18K
4🇰🇮 Kiribati$333M136K
3🇲🇭 Marshall Islands$294M36K
2🇳🇷 Nauru$179M12K
1🇹🇻 Tuvalu$79M9K

The entire population of Palau numbers around 18,000 people, the carrying capacity of approximately two cruise ships.

However, compared to Tuvalu, Palau looks positively massive.

Tuvalu is the smallest economy in the world, with projected $79 million GDP in 2025. Its population is 9,000 people strong, enough to fit on one cruise ship.

Remote Areas, Small Populations, Limited Economy

Looking through the list, all these islands are located in remote areas in the middle of the Pacific, with small resident populations.

Both these factors combine to limit opportunities for economic growth.

As a result, natural resources—in the form of agricultural products or fishing—are primary economic sectors, along with tourism.

That doesn’t mean that these countries haven’t thought of creative ways to boost their economy. For example, Tuvalu’s government makes money from leasing its “.tv” internet domain.

Meanwhile, Nauru (second-smallest, $179 million) used to have a thriving phosphate mining sector until all primary veins were depleted.

However in the 2010s, the Australian government paid Nauru hundreds of millions of dollars to hold asylum seekers in an offshore processing center.

Though the center has since closed, an abeyance fee is still paid.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

These remote Pacific Islands depend entirely on food imports, and it’s one of the reasons why obesity is all a problem. Check out Countries With the Highest Adult Rates to understand why.

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