Brazil economy overtakes UK
Brazil has overtaken the UK as the world's sixth largest economy, an economic research group reports.
(BBC NEWS) London - The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said its latest World Economic League Table showed Asian countries moving up and European countries falling back.
The CEBR also predicted that the UK economy would overtake France by 2016.
It also said the eurozone economy would fall 0.6% in 2012 "if the euro problem is solved", or 2% if it is not.
CEBR chief executive Douglas McWilliams told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Brazil overtaking the UK was part of a growing trend.
"I think it's part of the big economic change, where not only are we seeing a shift from the west to the east, but we're also seeing that countries that produce vital commodities - food and energy and things like that - are doing very well and they're gradually climbing up the economic league table," he said.
A report based on International Monetary Fund data published earlier this year also said the Brazilian economy would overtake the UK in 2011.
