Aggregate and per capita GDP in Europe, 1870–2000: continental, regional and national data with changing boundaries

Abstract

This article presents estimates of aggregate and per capita GDP in constant prices for Europe over the period 1870–2000. Following the approach of Bairoch, we present figures for the continent as a whole and for individual countries on the basis of changing boundaries. This is complementary to the Maddison data-set, where country data are presented on the basis of constant boundaries. Data on the basis of the boundaries of the time are more convenient for comparative historical analysis, and can be combined more easily with data from contemporary sources, such as official statistical collections. Regional totals are also provided.

Keywords:

• gross domestic product
• historical national accounts
• economic growth
• time series

Acknowledgements

This article forms part of the Collaborative Project by the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme for Research, Contract Number SSH7-CT-2008-225342. We are grateful to two anonymous referees and conference participants at Krakow for helpful comments and suggestions.

Notes

¹Bairoch, ‘Europe's Gross National Product’ (1976).

²Maddison, World Economy (2003).

³Broadberry/O'Rourke, Cambridge Economic History (2010a, 2010b).

⁴Broadberry, ‘United States’ (1998); Broadberry, ‘Income Levels’ (2003). The data can be downloaded as an excel spreadsheet from Stephen Broadberry's website at the London School of Economics (http://www2.lse.ac.uk/economicHistory/whosWho/profiles/sbroadberry.aspx).

⁵Goldsmith, ‘Economic Growth’ (1961), 445.

⁶Lorimer, Population (1946), 162.

⁷State Committee of the Russian Federation on Statistics, ‘Population’ (1998), 50–53.

⁸Pamuk, ‘Estimating’ (2006), 813–815; Eldem, Osmanlı (1970), 227.

⁹It should be noted that our use of the term “regional” refers to units larger than nations, and that no attempt has been made here to provide a breakdown of population and GDP for regions within nations.

¹⁰Maddison, Monitoring (1995); Maddison, World Economy (2001).

¹¹Prados de la Escosura, ‘International Comparisons’ (2000); Ward/Devereux, ‘Measuring’ (2003); Broadberry, ‘United States’ (1998); Broadberry, ‘Income Levels’ (2003); Broadberry, Market Services (2006).

¹²Broadberry, Market Services (2006).

¹³Mitchell, International Historical Statistics (2003).

¹⁴Svennilson, Growth (1954).

¹⁵Maddison, World Economy (2003).

¹⁶Broadberry/O'Rourke, Cambridge Economic History (2010a, 2010b).

¹⁷Ivanov/Tooze, ‘Convergence’ (2007); Avramov/Pamuk, Policies (2006); Valge, ‘Majanduse Lätteil’ (2003); Broadberry/Klein, ‘Eastern European Economies’ (2011).

¹⁸Bairoch, ‘Gross National Product’ (1976); Craig/Fisher, Integration (1997); O'Rourke/Williamson, ‘European Periphery’ (1997).

¹⁹Bairoch, ‘Gross National Product’ (1976).

²⁰Broadberry/Irwin, ‘Labor’ (2006).

²¹Although Spain was also neutral during both world wars, it faced a period of severe disruption during its Civil War.

²²Allen, Farm (2003).

⁴⁰Williamson, ‘Evolution’ (1995).

⁴¹Ward/Devereux, ‘Measuring’ (2003).

²³Hansen, Vækst (1974), Table 3.

²⁴Krantz/Schön, ‘National Accounts’ (2007), Table III.

²⁵Lévy-Leboyer (1985), Table A-I.

²⁶Rey, Economici dell'Italia (1991), Table 5.01.

²⁷Hoffmann, Wachstum (1965), Table 248.

²⁸Feinstein, National Income (1972), Tables 1–4.

²⁹Williamson, Evolution (1995), 184.

³⁰Hansen, Vækst (1974), Table 3.

³¹Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, Tweehonderd jaar (2001), Table 9.

³²Krantz/Schön, National Accounts (2007), Tables III.

³³Toutain, ‘produit’ (1997), Table 17b.

³⁴Rossi et al., ‘conti economici’ (1993), Table 1B.

³⁵Batista et al., ‘Estimates’ (1997), Table IV A.1.

³⁶Prados de la Escosura (2003), Table A. 2.7.

³⁷Hoffmann, Wachstum (1965), Table 248.

³⁸Feinstein, National Income (1972), Tables 1–4.

³⁹Williamson, Evolution (1995), 184.

⁴²Bairoch, ‘Gross National Product’ (1976).

⁴³Maddison, World Economy (2003).

⁴⁴Broadberry/O'Rourke, Cambridge Economic History (2010a, 2010b).