By Russ Wiles | Arizona Republic
If metro Phoenix were a separate country, it would outrank 158 nations in terms of economic output including Egypt, Vietnam and Greece.
The roughly 5 million people who live in greater Phoenix generated about $265 billion in annual economic output last year. That was more than the roughly 100 million residents of Egypt produced or the 97 million inhabitants of Vietnam — and only slightly lower than that of Bangladesh, with a population of 160 million, according to a September report prepared for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The study ranked the economies of U.S. metro areas alongside those of nations. Metro Phoenix would rank in 61st place, behind the U.S., 44 foreign nations and 15 other large American cities.
