Southern California's Economy Is Bigger Than Brazil's, Study Says

Southern California has one of the largest economies in the world, according to a recent study from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). Researchers found that the region ranked No. 13 overall and generated $1.6 trillion in 2021, making its economy bigger than Brazil.

These findings were part of the quarterly report from the UCLA Anderson Forecast, The Times of San Diego reported Wednesday (December 8). The study says Southern California's economy has been growing faster than the United States over the last couple of decades.

Economist William Yu also broke down the money the region's counties generated:

• Los Angeles County: $815 billion
• Orange County: $272 billion
• San Diego County: $256 million
• Riverside and San Bernardino counties: $211 billion
• Ventura County: $56 billion

The Inland Empire, which includes Riverside and San Bernandino counties, is leading the region when it comes to job growth. Yu says the rise of e-commerce and the warehousing industry is driving that growth.

The report also comes as Los Angeles nabbed a top-ten spot among the most expensive places to live in the world.

Yu also predicts Southern California's economy to grow by 4.2% in 2022 and 2.2% in 2023.