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China, Europe and the Great Divergence: A Study in Historical National Accounting, 980-1850

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  • Stephen Broadberry
  • Hanhui Guan
  • David Daokui Li

Abstract

Chinese GDP per capita fluctuated at a high level during the Northern Song and Ming dynasties before trending downwards during the Qing dynasty. China led the world in living standards during the Northern Song dynasty, but had fallen behind Italy by 1300. At this stage, it is possible that parts of China were still on a par with the richest parts of Europe, but by 1750 the gap was too large to be bridged by regional variation within China and the Great Divergence had already begun before the Industrial Revolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Broadberry & Hanhui Guan & David Daokui Li, 2017. "China, Europe and the Great Divergence: A Study in Historical National Accounting, 980-1850," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _155, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:esohwp:_155
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Maystadt, Jean-François & Migali, Giuseppe, 2021. "The transmission of health across 7 generations in China, 1789–1906," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Jacques Melitz, 2019. "Some Doubts about the Economic Analysis of the Flow of Silver to China in 1550–1820," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 105-131, February.
    3. Osamu Saito & Masanori Takashima, 2016. "Estimating the shares of secondary- and tertiary-sector outputs in the age of early modern growth: the case of Japan, 1600–18741," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 20(3), pages 368-386.
    4. Bassino, Jean-Pascal & Broadberry, Stephen & Fukao, Kyoji & Gupta, Bishnupriya & Takashima, Masanori, 2019. "Japan and the great divergence, 730–1874," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-22.
    5. Yi Xu & Zhihong Shi & Bas Leeuwen & Yuping Ni & Zipeng Zhang & Ye Ma, 2017. "Chinese National Income, ca. 1661–1933," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(3), pages 368-393, November.
    6. Baomin Dong & Jiong Gong & Kaixiang Peng & Zhongxiu Zhao, 2015. "Little Divergence: Evidence from Cotton Textiles in Japan and China 1868–1930," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 776-796, November.
    7. Kent Deng & Lucy Zheng, 2015. "Economic restructuring and demographic growth: demystifying growth and development in Northern Song China, 960–1127," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(4), pages 1107-1131, November.
    8. Paul Caruana-Galizia & Ye Ma, 2016. "Chinese Regions in the Great Divergence: Provincial Gross Domestic Product per Capita, 1873–1918," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(1), pages 21-45, March.
    9. Mandai, Yu & Nakabayashi, Masaki, 2018. "Stabilize the peasant economy: Governance of foreclosure by the shogunate," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 305-327.
    10. Broadberry, Stephen, 2013. "Accounting for the great divergence," Economic History Working Papers 54573, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    11. El-Shagi, Makram & Zhang, Lin, 2020. "Trade effects of silver price fluctuations in 19th-century China: A macro approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    12. Peter M. Solar, 2021. "China, Europe, and the Great Divergence: Further Concerns about the Historical GDP Estimates for China," Working Papers 0217, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    13. Kim, Duol & Park, Heejin, 2019. "A Consequence of Coerced Free Trade: Biological Living Standards of Korea during the Port-Opening Period, 1876-1910," CEI Working Paper Series 2019-9, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    GDP Per Capita; Economic Growth; Great Divergence; China; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E10 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - General
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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