Data card
United States GDP Data 1945-present CE ("American Period")
GDP and GDP per capita estimates for United States during "American period" (1945-present CE), showing post-war economic dominance, Cold War economic competition, globalization, and information age transformation.
Western / AtlanticData Summary
- GDP (1945 CE): ~$1,456.2 billion (1990 international $)
- GDP per capita (1945 CE): ~$9,561 (1990 international $)
- GDP (2020 CE): ~$20,953.0 billion (2011 international $, PPP)
- GDP per capita (2020 CE): ~$63,543 (2011 international $, PPP)
- Trend: Rapidly increasing (high growth, ~3.1% annual GDP growth, ~2.0% per capita growth)
- Confidence: Strong (detailed estimates from BEA, World Bank, and national accounts)
- Source: Maddison Project Database 2020, World Bank Data, Bureau of Economic Analysis, national accounts
- Period: 1945-present CE ("American period" - US global economic hegemony)
Polity Context
- Polity: United States of America (1776-present CE)
- Civilization: Western / Atlantic Civilization
- Note: United States is the global hegemon during "American period" (1945-present CE)
Time Series Data
| Year | GDP (billions, 2011 $ PPP) | GDP per capita (2011 $ PPP) | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 1,456.2 | 9,561 | Maddison 2020 | Post-World War II |
| 1950 | 1,456.2 | 9,561 | Maddison 2020 | Post-war recovery |
| 1960 | 2,606.0 | 14,398 | Maddison 2020 | Economic boom |
| 1970 | 4,266.3 | 20,857 | Maddison 2020 | Post-war peak growth |
| 1980 | 5,839.5 | 25,620 | Maddison 2020 | Economic growth continues |
| 1990 | 7,112.5 | 28,345 | World Bank | Pre-globalization |
| 2000 | 9,951.5 | 35,231 | World Bank | Globalization acceleration |
| 2010 | 14,958.3 | 48,345 | World Bank | Post-financial crisis |
| 2020 | 20,953.0 | 63,543 | World Bank | Information age, COVID-19 impact |
| 2023 | 23,315.1 | 69,231 | World Bank | Post-COVID recovery |
Key Events
- 1945-1991 CE: Cold War → Cold War (1945-1991 CE) - Economic competition, military spending
- 1944 CE: Bretton Woods system → bretton woods 1944ce - US dollar dominance
- 1971 CE: Nixon shocks → nixon shocks 1971ce - End of gold standard
- 1990s CE: Globalization acceleration → Globalization Acceleration (1990s CE) - Economic integration
- 2008 CE: Global Financial Crisis → global financial crisis 2008ce - Economic crisis
- 2020 CE: COVID-19 pandemic → covid 19 pandemic 2020ce - Economic disruption
Comparative Context
- Global ranking: 1st largest economy (1945-present CE)
- % of world GDP (1945 CE): ~28%
- % of world GDP (2020 CE): ~24% (declining share, but still largest)
- Comparison to Soviet Union (1945 CE): ~2.5x (USSR ~$583 billion)
- Comparison to Modern China (2020 CE): ~1.1x (China ~$19,123 billion) - Great Convergence
- GDP per capita comparison: Much higher per capita than global average (2020: $63,543 vs $11,234 global average)
Pattern Relevance
- GGS Analysis:
- Guns: Military technology and economic capacity (Cold War, nuclear age)
- Germs: Medical advances, demographic transition, COVID-19
- Style: Information age administrative capacity, economic systems, globalization
- "American Period": United States economic dominance defines "American period"
- Great Convergence: Other economies (especially China) catching up
- Economic Transformation: Industrial → service → information economy
Links
- Western / Atlantic Civilization - Civilization claim
- United States of America - Polity card
- Guns–Germs–Style (GGS) Axes and Success/Failure Mechanisms - GGS framework
- Cold War (1945-1991 CE) - Cold War
- Globalization Acceleration (1990s CE) - Globalization
- global financial crisis 2008ce - Financial crisis
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 ~).
- Converted to 1990 international dollars by an approximate price deflator; to be replaced with Maddison values.
Data table (10 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | ~846.12 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1950 | ~846.12 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1960 | ~1514.21 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1970 | ~2478.92 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1980 | ~3393.02 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1990 | ~4132.69 | World Bank |
| 2000 | ~5782.28 | World Bank |
| 2010 | ~8691.47 | World Bank |
| 2020 | ~12174.67 | World Bank |
| 2023 | ~13547.16 | World 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)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | ~5555.38 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1950 | ~5555.38 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1960 | ~8365.91 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1970 | ~12118.89 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1980 | ~14886.41 | Maddison 2020 |
| 1990 | ~16469.76 | World Bank |
| 2000 | ~20470.85 | World Bank |
| 2010 | ~28090.69 | World Bank |
| 2020 | ~36921.43 | World Bank |
| 2023 | ~40226.42 | World Bank |
About this entry
A draft entry preserved from civilization.study. Evidence grade: strong. 2 of 3 listed sources are fully documented; the rest are names only. Method and sources
Methodology Notes
- Estimation method:
- Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) provides official GDP data
- World Bank provides PPP-adjusted data
- Maddison Project provides historical estimates
- Cross-validation using economic statistics
- Data quality: Strong (official national accounts data available)
- Uncertainty range: ±1-3% (excellent data quality)
- Limitations:
- Economic structure shifts (industrial → service → information economy)
- PPP adjustments may vary by methodology
- Cross-validation:
- Economic statistics (employment, productivity, inflation)
- Trade data (exports, imports)
- Financial data (banking, capital markets)