Does anybody know where I can find historical GDP/GNP growth data from the 1800s?

-- Matt Hall (mhall@free-market.net), May 15, 2001

Answers

better late than never...try 'Historical Statistics of the US - Colonial Times to 1970' published by the USD Dept of Commerce, 1975. Bicentennial edition....if you haven't found it already. There is also a companion edition similarly titled except covering European economies.

-- m r (rhinoceros@ozemail.com.au), August 06, 2001.

I am also looking for historical GDP/GNP data but only for the UK. I found some information in "British Historical Statistics" B.R. Mitchell, Cambridge University Press 1988 ISBN 0 521 33008 4 If you find Uk data on your way let me know. Cheers

-- Katharina Kowalski (k.kowalski@gmx.at), May 30, 2002.

Stumbled on your question in a google. I think the idea of GDP may be an anachronism prior to this century. The concept pre-supposes that the objective of the economic function is profit by corporations, partnerships, etc. (For example, you're spouse's work around the house doesn't go it) In prior centuries this wasn't the case. The objective was [something like] increasing family landholdings. Another way of looking at it is to understand that the Proprietary view of owner's equity didn't exist.

-- Jeff Zaun (jeffrey.zaun.wg00@wharton.upenn.edu), June 18, 2002.

In response to Jeff Zaun's answer, I disagree. GDP is simply the total value of goods and services produced in an economy. GDP does not "pre-suppose" any objective at all. Like the speedometer on a car does not pre-suppose the purpose of a trip. A country may have such an objective, but the GDP does not.

-- Paul A Grace (paulgrace@lookoutranch.com), November 11, 2003.

I've been looking for statistics on the GDP of the world's top ten biggest economies of the mid 1800's to the mid 1900's. My objective is to establish a relation between forms of government and economy, and their changing in a hundred years.

- Joao Amaral

-- Joao Amaral (johnnie@alternex.com.br), February 03, 2004.

You Guys are all a bunch of idiots. GDP stands for : Guys Dig Puppies

-- Benny economicgenius (Bmajoros@hotmail.com), February 12, 2004.

The CIA web site (www.cia.gov) is a good source of current data about countries in the world. Historical data about GDP/GNP growth could be accessed on each countries Ministry of Economy data sheets. The annoying part will be to related that data and produce a report.

-- Pedro Gondim (peduti55@hotmail.com), November 24, 2004.