World Economic Historical Statistics

Discover the only comprehensive collection of long-term economic statistics spanning centuries for every nation on Earth. World Economic Historical Statistics by Carlos Sabillon fills a critical gap: while short-term data abounds, no prior work has assembled consistent, comparable figures on GDP growth, manufacturing output, agriculture, population shifts, inflation, unemployment, exports, services, and more across 10-year, 50-year, and 100-year periods. Drawing from economic histories, World Bank reports, and international organizations, these charts reveal patterns invisible in fragmented sources.Part I dismantles conventional wisdom on growth drivers. Sabillon examines culture, religion, language, ethnicity, population size, natural resources, politics, terrorism, education, science, technology, infrastructure, health, income distribution, democracy, corruption, foreign investment, female emancipation, business performance, banking, and environmental policies. Using the data, he tests each against history—showing, for instance, how landlocked Switzerland and resource-poor Japan achieved top growth rates, while oil-rich Venezuela stagnated. He critiques major economic schools: mercantilism's trade surpluses propelled Dutch and English rises but faltered later; liberalism and comparative advantage promised prosperity via free trade and specialization, yet protectionist South Korea and Taiwan surged ahead; Marxism ignored growth for redistribution, with dismal results in the USSR; Keynesianism and import substitution delivered mixed outcomes in Latin America.Part II delivers the data goldmine. World and regional overviews track East Asia's manufacturing boom (Japan at 10%+ annual growth 1950-69), Western Europe's post-WWII surge, Sub-Saharan Africa's stagnation, and Latin America's volatility. Country charts spotlight standouts: U.S. GDP averaging 7% yearly 1870-99 amid industrialization; China's 20th-century acceleration despite state control; India's slow pace until recent reforms. Metrics like life expectancy, construction shares of workforce, and export growth enable direct comparisons—Switzerland's steady 2-3% GDP from 1850 onward versus Bolivia's fits and starts.Economists, historians, policymakers, and students gain tools to question assumptions and spot real growth engines. Funded partly by the Swiss National Fund and praised by experts from Geneva to Georgetown, this 2005 Algora Publishing volume challenges why some nations thrive while others lag. At 476 pages with precise methodology notes, it's an essential reference for decoding prosperity's true mechanics. Unlock history's lessons—order now and see the numbers reshape your view of the global economy. Read more