China’s Historical GDP Share in The World

There is an overview in an article on China Whisper.com: China`s historical GDP share in the world

An American Nobel winner claimed that by 2040 China will be the biggest economy on the earth and he also said that China had been the biggest economy on the earth for the last two thousand years. Now let’s take a look at China’s historical GDP share in the world:

Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC) GDP per capita: Unknown

The share of Qin dynasty and the dynasties before it are too aged to calculate, no relevant data is available, so we can only start from the Han dynasty.

Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) GDP per capita: $450 — 26%

Han Dynasty accounted for 26% of the global wealth, at that time the Roman Empire dominated western world, while Han Dynasty is the economic center of the eastern world.

Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) GDP per capita: $480 — 58% of world GDP

China’s feudal society gets to its peak in Tang Dynasty, which accounted for 58% of the world GDP, the empire is very rich and powerful comparing with other countries of the same time.

In the western world the second Eastern Roman Empire accounted for only 9% of the world GDP. The third Arab Empire accounted for just 7% of the world’s GDP. The fourth Ancient India accounted for 7% of the world’s GDP. Tang Dynasty could be described as a dominance among many great ancient countries.

Song Dynasty (960-1279) GDP per capita: US$2,280 — 80%

The entire Song Dynasty accounted for 80% of the world’s GDP. This share should be the highest among Chinese history mainly due to a booming commerce, foreign trade and technological advancement, all these made Song the richest dynasty in Chinese history. After a thousand years, Westerners said: “a thousand years ago, China’s economic aggregate accounted for 80% of the world at that time.”

After a thousand years Chinese people said in shock: “how is this possible?” Western historians described its wealth and prosperity like this, the living conditions of a porter at the gate of the capital Dongjing city was even better than a Western monarch of the same period. Song is a classic dynasty that hide the wealth into the people.

Typical of Song Dynasty architecture in China

Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) Estimated for about 30% -35% world GDP

It is difficult to calculate economic data of Yuan Dynasty, its GDP is estimated to account for about 30% -35% of the world according to the foreign research institutions.

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) GDP per capita: US$600 — 55%

In the period of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, its total wealth accounted for 55% of the world GDP. The average share was 45% during the whole Ming Dynasty, but the late Ming Dynasty rapidly declined for famine and war.

The Ming’s Beijing capital complex also called the Purple Forbidden City

Qing Dynasty (1644-1922) GDP per capita: US$600 — 35% -10% of World GDP (drastic decline due to the rise of the British Empire)

Qing Dynasty accounted for 35% -10% of the World GDP, the economy experienced big recession after 1840 Opium War, large amounts of silver were used to pay indemnities to invaders and outflowed at the same time, causing its GDP rapidly falling from 35% in period of Kangxi and Qianlong to less than 10% in Jiaqing period.

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