Japan has lost its spot as the world's third-largest economy to Germany, as the Asian giant unexpectedly slipped into recession.
Fourth quarter GDP sharply missed forecasts for a 1.4% growth in a Reuters poll of economists.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP slipped 0.1%, compared with a 0.3% rise expected in the Reuters poll.
Germany, on the other hand, saw its nominal GDP grow 6.3% to reach 4.12 trillion euros, or $4.46 trillion based on last year's average exchange rate.
Nominal GDP measures the value of output in current dollars, without adjusting for inflation.
Organizations:
Nikkei, Bank of
Locations:
Tokyo, Japan, Germany, Bank of Japan