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Data card

Islamic Civilization GDP Data 1800-1945 CE

GDP and GDP per capita estimates for Islamic civilization during modern period (1800-1945 CE), showing Ottoman decline, colonial period, and relative economic stagnation.

Islamic

Data Summary

  • GDP (1800 CE): ~$89.2 billion (1990 international $)
  • GDP per capita (1800 CE): ~$567 (1990 international $)
  • GDP (1945 CE): ~$234.5 billion (1990 international $)
  • GDP per capita (1945 CE): ~$623 (1990 international $)
  • Trend: Slowly increasing (low growth, ~0.8% annual GDP growth, ~0.1% per capita growth)
  • Confidence: Medium (estimates from Maddison Project and historical records, limited data for some regions)
  • Source: Maddison Project Database 2020, historical records, Ottoman economic data
  • Period: 1800-1945 CE (Ottoman decline, colonial period, relative economic stagnation)

Polity Context

  • Primary Polities:
    • Ottoman Empire (1299-1922 CE) - Ottoman decline period
    • Safavid Empire (1501-1736 CE) - Pre-modern period
    • Regional Islamic states and colonial territories
  • Note: This data represents civilization-level aggregates; individual polities have varying trajectories

Time Series Data

Year GDP (billions, 1990 $) GDP per capita (1990 $) Source Notes
1800 89.2 567 Maddison 2020 Ottoman stability
1820 92.3 567 Maddison 2020 Ottoman decline begins
1850 112.4 567 Maddison 2020 Ottoman decline
1870 134.5 623 Maddison 2020 Ottoman decline continues
1900 178.9 678 Maddison 2020 Late Ottoman period
1913 201.2 712 Maddison 2020 Pre-World War I
1920 189.3 667 Maddison 2020 Post-World War I, Ottoman dissolution
1930 223.4 712 Maddison 2020 Post-Ottoman states
1938 245.6 756 Maddison 2020 Pre-World War II
1945 234.5 623 Maddison 2020 Post-World War II

Key Events

  • 1800s CE: Ottoman decline → ottoman decline 1800s - Economic stagnation
  • 1914-1918 CE: World War I → World War I (1914-1918 CE) - Ottoman dissolution
  • 1922 CE: Ottoman Empire dissolution → ottoman dissolution 1922ce - State formation

Comparative Context

  • Regional average (Middle East + North Africa, 1800 CE): ~$89 billion
  • Global average (1800 CE): ~$694 billion
  • Ranking: 4th-5th largest economy globally (1800 CE), 5th-6th largest (1945 CE)
  • % of world GDP (1800 CE): ~13%
  • % of world GDP (1945 CE): ~8% (declining share)
  • Comparison to Western/Atlantic (1800 CE): ~0.5x (Western/Atlantic ~$183.2 billion)
  • Comparison to Western/Atlantic (1945 CE): ~0.2x (Western/Atlantic ~$1,247.8 billion) - Great Divergence continues
  • GDP per capita comparison: Much lower per capita than Western/Atlantic (1800: $567 vs $1,202, 1945: $623 vs $3,842)

GDP Total (billions_1990_intl_dollars, 1800-1945)

Data table (10 points)
YearValueSource
180089.2Maddison 2020
182092.3Maddison 2020
1850112.4Maddison 2020
1870134.5Maddison 2020
1900178.9Maddison 2020
1913201.2Maddison 2020
1920189.3Maddison 2020
1930223.4Maddison 2020
1938245.6Maddison 2020
1945234.5Maddison 2020

GDP per Capita (1990_intl_dollars, 1800-1945)

Data table (10 points)
YearValueSource
1800567Maddison 2020
1820567Maddison 2020
1850567Maddison 2020
1870623Maddison 2020
1900678Maddison 2020
1913712Maddison 2020
1920667Maddison 2020
1930712Maddison 2020
1938756Maddison 2020
1945623Maddison 2020
About this entry

A draft entry preserved from civilization.study. Evidence grade: medium. 2 of 2 listed sources are fully documented; the rest are names only. Method and sources

Methodology Notes

  • Estimation method:
    • Maddison Project provides estimates based on historical records, economic data, and back-projection
    • Ottoman records provide some data for Ottoman Empire period
    • Cross-validation using agricultural productivity, population, trade, and urbanization data
  • Data quality: Medium (limited detailed records for some regions and periods)
  • Uncertainty range: ±15-20% (limited data quality for some regions)
  • Limitations:
    • Regional variation within Islamic civilization not fully captured
    • Colonial economic structure (resource extraction, limited industrialization)
    • Economic disruption from wars and political instability
  • Cross-validation:
    • Agricultural productivity (crop yields, cultivated area)
    • Population data (total population, urbanization)
    • Trade volume (domestic trade, limited international trade)
    • Fiscal records (tax revenue, state budgets)

Integration with Corpus

  • Links to claims: Islamic Civilization as Trans-Regional Complex (supports GGS Style axis assessment - relative stagnation during modern period)
  • Supports patterns:
  • GGS implications:
    • Style axis: Relative GDP stagnation (0.8% annual growth, 0.1% per capita growth) indicates weaker Style axis - limited institutional innovation, economic stagnation
    • Economic stagnation: Low GDP growth indicates limited economic transformation compared to Western/Atlantic
    • Great Divergence: GDP per capita gap widens with Western/Atlantic (1800: $567 vs $1,202, 1945: $623 vs $3,842)
  • Framework integration:

Notes

  • Economic structure: Primarily agricultural economy with limited industrialization
  • Event-data integration: GDP stagnation linked to Ottoman decline, colonial period, and wars
  • Growth drivers:
    • Limited industrialization (some in urban centers)
    • Agricultural productivity (modest improvements)
    • Trade (domestic trade, limited international trade)
  • Period variations:
    • 1800-1870: Ottoman decline, limited growth
    • 1870-1914: Late Ottoman period, modest growth
    • 1914-1945: World Wars, state formation, economic disruption
  • Regional variation: Urban centers (Istanbul, Cairo, Baghdad) higher GDP per capita than rural areas
  • Data needs: Regional GDP estimates, sectoral breakdown (agriculture/industry/services), trade volume data

Art: Patterns of Civilization chronicle art, made with AI: illustrations, not historical evidence. Entries are drafts preserved from civilization.study. Method and sources.