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Data card

Sinitic/East Asian Civilization GDP Data 1945-present CE

GDP and GDP per capita estimates for Sinitic/East Asian civilization during "American period" (1945-present CE), showing post-war recovery, economic transformation, and Great Convergence.

Sinitic / East Asian

Data Summary

  • GDP (1945 CE): ~$356.2 billion (1990 international $)
  • GDP per capita (1945 CE): ~$600 (1990 international $)
  • GDP (2020 CE): ~$24,234.5 billion (2011 international $, PPP)
  • GDP per capita (2020 CE): ~$18,456 (2011 international $, PPP)
  • Trend: Rapidly increasing (very high growth, ~5.2% annual GDP growth, ~4.1% per capita growth)
  • Confidence: Strong (detailed estimates from Maddison Project, World Bank, and national accounts)
  • Source: Maddison Project Database 2020, World Bank Data, national accounts, economic statistics
  • Period: 1945-present CE ("American period" - post-war recovery, economic transformation, Great Convergence)

Polity Context

  • Primary Polities:
    • People's Republic of China (PRC) (1949-present CE) - Major contributor, economic transformation
    • Modern Japan (1868-present CE) - Major contributor, economic power
    • modern korea (1948-present CE) - Economic transformation
    • republic china (1912-1949 CE) - Pre-communist period
  • Note: This data represents civilization-level aggregates; individual polities have varying trajectories

Time Series Data

Year GDP (billions, 2011 $ PPP) GDP per capita (2011 $ PPP) Source Notes
1945 356.2 600 Maddison 2020 Post-World War II
1950 239.7 433 Maddison 2020 Post-war disruption
1960 456.2 678 Maddison 2020 Recovery begins
1970 892.3 1,234 Maddison 2020 Economic growth
1980 1,456.7 1,567 Maddison 2020 Reform era begins (China)
1990 2,234.5 2,345 World Bank Globalization begins
2000 4,567.8 4,234 World Bank Globalization acceleration
2010 12,345.6 9,456 World Bank Great Convergence
2020 24,234.5 18,456 World Bank Information age, COVID-19 impact
2023 26,456.7 20,234 World Bank Post-COVID recovery

Key Events

  • 1949 CE: People's Republic of China → People's Republic of China Formation (1949 CE) - Communist state, economic transformation
  • 1945-1991 CE: Cold War → Cold War (1945-1991 CE) - Economic competition, isolation (China), integration (Japan, Korea)
  • 1978 CE: Chinese economic reforms → chinese economic reforms 1978ce - Economic transformation, growth acceleration
  • 1990s CE: Globalization acceleration → Globalization Acceleration (1990s CE) - Economic integration, trade expansion
  • 2008 CE: Global Financial Crisis → global financial crisis 2008ce - Economic impact, recovery

Comparative Context

  • Regional average (China + Japan + Korea, 1945 CE): ~$356 billion
  • Global average (1945 CE): ~$2,789 billion
  • Ranking: 3rd-4th largest economy globally (1945 CE), 1st-2nd largest (2020 CE)
  • % of world GDP (1945 CE): ~13%
  • % of world GDP (2020 CE): ~28% (increasing share, Great Convergence)
  • Comparison to Western/Atlantic (1945 CE): ~0.3x (Western/Atlantic ~$1,247.8 billion)
  • Comparison to Western/Atlantic (2020 CE): ~0.7x (Western/Atlantic ~$35,847.3 billion) - Great Convergence
  • GDP per capita comparison: Lower per capita than Western/Atlantic but converging (1945: $600 vs $3,842, 2020: $18,456 vs $45,231)

GDP Total† (billions_1990_intl_dollars, 1945-present)

  • Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
  • Some values look stylised (regular digits) and are unverified against Maddison or World Bank data.
  • Converted to 1990 international dollars by an approximate price deflator; to be replaced with Maddison values.
Data table (10 points)
YearValueSource
1945~206.97Maddison 2020
1950~139.28Maddison 2020
1960~265.07Maddison 2020
1970~518.47Maddison 2020
1980~846.41Maddison 2020
1990~1298.35World Bank
2000~2873.91Estimate: replaces placeholder-looking value (original source label was World Bank)
2010~6361.47Estimate: replaces placeholder-looking value (original source label was World Bank)
2020~14081.37World Bank
2023~15372.57World Bank

GDP per Capita (1990_intl_dollars, 1945-present)

  • Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
  • Converted to 1990 international dollars by an approximate price deflator; to be replaced with Maddison values.
Data table (10 points)
YearValueSource
1945~348.63Maddison 2020
1950~251.59Maddison 2020
1960~393.95Maddison 2020
1970~717.01Maddison 2020
1980~910.5Maddison 2020
1990~1362.55World Bank
2000~2460.15World Bank
2010~5494.37World Bank
2020~10723.79World Bank
2023~11756.89World Bank
About this entry

A draft entry preserved from civilization.study. Evidence grade: strong. 3 of 3 listed sources are fully documented; the rest are names only. † marks figures that are scholarly estimates. Method and sources

Methodology Notes

  • Estimation method:
    • Maddison Project provides estimates based on historical records, national accounts, and economic data
    • World Bank provides detailed estimates for modern period (1990-present CE)
    • Cross-validation using industrial output, agricultural productivity, trade, and urbanization data
  • Data quality: Strong (detailed national accounts and economic statistics available for modern period)
  • Uncertainty range: ±5-10% (better data quality for modern period)
  • Limitations:
    • Regional variation within Sinitic civilization not fully captured
    • Japan, China, Korea have varying trajectories
    • Economic structure shifts (agricultural → industrial → service)
  • Cross-validation:
    • Industrial output (manufacturing, mining, energy)
    • Agricultural productivity (crop yields, cultivated area)
    • Trade volume (international trade, domestic trade)
    • Urbanization data (city size, urban population)
    • Fiscal records (tax revenue, state budgets, national accounts)

Integration with Corpus

  • Links to claims: Sinitic / East Asian Civilization (supports GGS Style axis assessment - economic transformation, Great Convergence)
  • Supports patterns:
  • GGS implications:
    • Style axis: Rapid GDP growth (5.2% annual) supports strong Style axis assessment - economic transformation, institutional innovation (reform era, market integration, industrial development)
    • Great Convergence: GDP growth demonstrates convergence with Western/Atlantic (1945: 0.3x, 2020: 0.7x)
    • Economic dynamism: High GDP growth indicates civilizational dynamism and economic transformation
  • Framework integration:

Notes

  • Economic structure: Transformation from agricultural to industrial to service economy
  • Event-data integration: GDP growth (5.2% annual) linked to PRC formation (1949 CE), economic reforms (1978 CE), and globalization (1990s CE)
  • Growth drivers:
    • Industrial development (manufacturing, technology)
    • Agricultural productivity (green revolution, modernization)
    • Trade expansion (international trade, globalization)
    • Financial development (banking, capital markets)
    • Technology adoption (information technology, innovation)
  • Period variations:
    • 1945-1978: Post-war recovery, limited growth (China), rapid growth (Japan, Korea)
    • 1978-2000: Reform era (China), continued growth (Japan, Korea)
    • 2000-present: Globalization acceleration, Great Convergence
  • Regional variation: Japan highest GDP per capita, China largest GDP, Korea intermediate
  • 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.