The latest forecast from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that Japan's nominal gross domestic product will be lower than Germany this year, dropping from the third largest economy in the world to the fourth. The International Monetary Fund's forecast further shows that Japan's total economic output will be surpassed by India by 2026, dropping from fourth to fifth in the world. Japanese experts have pointed out that with the decline of economic size, Japan may become a country lacking a sense of existence in the medium to long term.