Success and Disappointment Real GDP per capita from 1960 to 2013, measured in 2000 dollars, is shown for Argentina, South Korea, and Nigeria, using a logarithmic scale. South Korea and some other East Asian countries have been highly successful at achieving economic growth. Argentina, like much of Latin America, has had several setbacks, slowing its growth. Nigeria’s standard of living in 2013 was only barely higher than it had been in 1960, an experience shared by many African countries. Neither Argentina nor Nigeria exhibited much growth over the 50-year period, although both have had significantly higher growth in recent years.Source: The Conference Board Total Economy Database™, January 2014, http://www.conference-board.org/data/economydatabase