Collectively, the world’s 10 largest companies by revenue generate roughly $4.6 trillion in annual sales, exceeding the GDP of countries like Japan and Germany.

Over the past five years, corporate balance sheets have swelled amid robust consumer demand, recovering economies, and strong labor markets. At the same time, stock markets have become increasingly concentrated, with the largest companies gaining market share through pricing power and economies of scale.

This graphic shows the top 10 Fortune Global 500 companies since 2019, based on data from Fortune. For the rankings, Fortune included public and private companies that report financial data. The latest 2024 ranking is based on total revenues in companies’ fiscal years ending on or before March 31, 2024.

Key Takeaways

• Walmart, with over 10,600 stores worldwide, has maintained its position as the world's largest company by revenue for 12 consecutive years.

• Amazon ranks in second-place, with $574.8 billion in revenues in 2024, up from $232.9 billion in 2019.

• Chinese utility firm State Grid is the largest employer in the world, with investments in projects across Australia, Brazil, Portugal, Italy and the Philippines.

• In 2024, the ten largest companies by revenue include six American firms and three Chinese corporations.

Data sources: https://fortune.com/ranking/global500/