How do the world's biggest companies compare to the biggest economies? Oct 19, 2016, Joe Myers https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/corporations-not-countries-dominate-the-list-of-the-world-s-biggest-economic-entities/

ARE TRANSNATIONALS BIGGER THAN COUNTRIES? Geneva, Switzerland, 12 August 2002 Twenty-nine of the world’s 100 largest economic entities are transnational corporations (TNCs), according to a new UNCTAD list that ranks both countries and TNCs on the basis of value added. Of the 200 TNCs with the highest assets abroad in 2000, Exxon is the biggest in terms of value added ($63 billion). It ranks 45th on the new list, making it comparable in economic size to the economies of Chile or Pakistan (table 1). Nigeria comes in just between DaimlerChrysler and General Electric, while Philip Morris is on a par with Tunisia, Slovakia and Guatemala. The size of large TNCs – usually measured by sales – is sometimes compared to that of national economies as an indicator of corporate influence over the world economy. However, using sales to compare firms with the GDP of countries is conceptually flawed, as GDP is a value-added measure and sales are not. A truly comparable yardstick requires that sales be recalculated as value added. For firms, value added can be estimated as the sum of salaries and benefits, depreciation and amortization, and pre-tax income (1). The value-added activities of the 100 largest TNCs have grown faster than those of countries in recent years, accounting for 4.3% of world GDP in 2000, compared with 3.5% in 1990...

Revenues at Alphabet, Google's parent company, exceeded Puerto Rico's GDP Clothing, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates and electronics are among Puerto Rico's primary exports. •Puerto Rico's GDP value in 2016 was $105,035 million. •Alphabet revenues in 2017 totalled $110,900 million. •Going off its revenues, Google would be 59th in the world by GDP if it were a country. Amazon's revenue exceeded Kuwait's GDP Kuwait is a small, petroleum-based economy. •Kuwait's GDP in 2016 was $110,873 million. •Amazon revenues in 2017 came to $117,900 million. •Amazon would have the 58th highest GDP in the world if it were a country. Apple's revenues in 2017 were higher than Portugal's GDP Leading sectors in Portugal include financial services, telecommunications, and its tourism industry. •Portugal's GDP in 2016 was $205,269 million. •Apple's revenue in 2017 was $229,234 million. •Apple would be 47th in the world by GDP if it were a country. Volkswagen's revenues are greater than the GDP of Chile Chile is considered by many to be the most stable nation in South America, ahead of other nations such as Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. •Chile's GDP in 2016 was $250,008 million. •Volkswagen's revenue in 2017 was $276,264 million. •Volkswagen would be the 43rd country in the world if its revenue represented its GDP. Walmart's revenues exceed Belgium's GDP Belgium is the sixth-largest economy in the euro zone behind Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. •The value of Belgium's GDP in 2016 was $468,148 million. •Walmart's revenue in 2017 totalled $485,873 million. •If it were a country, Walmart would be ranked 24th in the world by its GDP.