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The Anglo-German Industrial Productivity Puzzle, 1895–1935: A Restatement and a Possible Resolution

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  • RITSCHL, ALBRECHT

Abstract

International productivity comparisons are often plagued by discrepancies between benchmark estimates and time series extrapolations. Broadberry and Burhop present both types of evidence for the Anglo-German comparison. For their preferred data, they find only a minimal German productivity lead prior to World War I, while use of a revised industrial output series for Germany by Ritschl leads to implausible results. This article presents further time series revisions and substantial corrections to the Broadberry and Burhop benchmark estimate. Results strongly suggest a considerable German productivity lead over Britain prior to World War I, which eroded during and after the war.

Suggested Citation

  • Ritschl, Albrecht, 2008. "The Anglo-German Industrial Productivity Puzzle, 1895–1935: A Restatement and a Possible Resolution," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 68(2), pages 535-565, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:68:y:2008:i:02:p:535-565_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jaworski, Taylor, 2020. "Specification and structure in economic history," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Nikita I. Lychakov & Dmitrii L. Saprykin & Nadia Vanteeva, 2020. "Not Backward: Comparative Labour Productivity In British And Russian Manufacturing, Circa 1908," HSE Working papers WP BRP 199/HUM/2020, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    3. Stephen Broadberry & Carsten Burhop, 2008. "Resolving the Anglo-German Industrial Productivity Puzzle, 1895-1935: A Response to Professor Ritschl," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2008_27, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    4. Fremdling, Rainer, 2018. "Statistik und Organisation der NS-Kriegswirtschaft und der DDR-Planwirtschaft 1933-1949/50 [Statistics and Organization of the NS-War Economy and the East-German Planned Economy 1933-1949/50]," MPRA Paper 87664, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Joost Veenstra & Herman Jong, 2016. "A Tale of Two Tails: Establishment Size and Labour Productivity in United States and German Manufacturing at the Start of the Twentieth Century," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(2), pages 198-220, July.
    6. Veenstra, Joost, 2015. "Output growth in German manufacturing, 1907–1936. A reinterpretation of time-series evidence," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 38-49.
    7. Rainer Fremdling & Reiner Staeglin, 2014. "Editor's choice Output, national income, and expenditure: an input–output table of Germany in 1936," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 18(4), pages 371-397.
    8. Cristiano Andrea Ristuccia & Adam Tooze, 2013. "Machine tools and mass production in the armaments boom: Germany and the United States, 1929–44," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 66(4), pages 953-974, November.

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