An American Nobel winner claims that by 2040 China will be the biggest economy on Earth and he also states that China had been the biggest economy on earth for the last two thousand years. Now let`s take a look at China`s historical GDP share in the world:
Qin Dynasty 秦朝 221–206 BC
GDP per capita: Unknow
The share of Qing and the dynasties before are too aged to calculate, no relevant data is available, so we only start from the Han dynasty.
Han dynasty 汉朝 (206 BC–220 AD)
GDP per capita: $450
Han Dynasty accounted for 26% of the global wealth, at that time the Roman Empire dominated western world. Han Dynasty is the economic center of the eastern world.
Tang Dynasty 唐朝 618 – 907 AD
GDP per capita:$480
China’s feudal society gets to its peak in Tang Dynasty, accounting for 58% of world GDP, we will know its rich and powerful comparing with other countries of the same time ,The second Eastern Roman Empire accounted for 9% of world GDP. The third Arab Empire accounted for 7% of the world’s GDP. The fourth Ancient India accounted for 7% of the world’s GDP. Tang Dynasty can be described as a dominance among many big ancient countries .
Song Dynasty 宋朝 960-1279 AD
GDP per capita:US$2,280
The entire Song Dynasty accounted for 80% of the world’s GDP, The share should be the highest among Chinese history due mainly to a booming commerce, foreign trade and technological advancement, making 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, living conditions of a porter at the gate of the capital Dongjing city is better than a Western monarch of the same period. Song is a classic dynasty that hide the wealth into the people
Yuan Dynasty 元朝 1271-1368 AD
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 明朝 1368–1644 AD
GDP per capita:US$600
In the period of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, total wealth accounted for 55% of world GDP. The average share was 45% during the whole Ming Dynasty, but the late Ming Dynasty rapidly declined for famine and war.
Qing Dynasty 清朝 1644-1922 AD
GDP per capita:US$600
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 indemnitiess 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.
People’s Republic of China 中华人民共和国 1949-
GDP per capita:US$5414
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China was worth 7298.1 billion US dollars in 2011, according to a report published by the World Bank. The GDP value of China is roughly equivalent to 9.48 percent of the world economy.
