FIGURE 17-1 Economic Growth in the United States, India, and China over the Past Century

Real GDP per capita from 1900 to 2010, measured in 1990 dollars, is shown for the United States, India, and China. Equal percent changes in real GDP per capita are drawn the same size. As the steeper slopes of the lines representing China and India show, since 1980 India and China had a much higher growth rate than the United States. In 2000, China attained the standard of living achieved in the United States in 1900. In 2010, India was still poorer than the United States was in 1900. (The break in the China data from 1940 to 1950 is due to war.)

Source: Maddison Project, http://www.ggdc.net/maddison.