Regional Shares of World GDP Since Year 0

Full Title: Regional Shares of World GDP Since Year 0: A Two-Millennia Perspective [Article No.= Part1 1-1]

日本語タイトル：地域別世界GDPシェアの超長期推移：2千年にわたる視点 [記事 No. = Part1 1-1]

Posted on March 11, 2026.

[Tables]

Table 1 Changes in Regional Shares of World GDP (%): 0-1988

Table 1 地域毎の世界GDPシェアの推移 (%): 0-1988

Note: Note: The Total Western Offshoots consist of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

（注意）Total Western Offshoots は United states （アメリカ合衆国），Canada ，Australia と New Zealand から成ります．

Source: By Yoshida using OECD (2006) “The World Economy” data.

Table 2 Changes in Regional Shares of World GDP (million international $): 0-1988

Table 2 地域毎の世界GDPシェアの推移 (購買力平価調整後の million $): 0-1988

Source: By Yoshida using OECD (2006) “The World Economy” data.

Table 3 Changes in Regional Shares of World GDP (%): 1820-2022

Table 3 地域毎の世界GDPシェアの推移 (%): 1820-2022

Source: By Yoshida using “Maddison Project Database 2023.”

See the following URL for the data sources of this database: https://www.rug.nl/ggdc/historicaldevelopment/maddison/releases/maddison-project-database-2023?lang=en. (Accessed on Sep. 5, 2024.)

このデータベースのソースについては次のURLをご覧ください: https://www.rug.nl/ggdc/historicaldevelopment/maddison/releases/maddison-project-database-2023?lang=en. (2024年9月5日閲覧.)

[Facts]

1. 実は，西暦0年以降の歴史上ほとんどの期間において，アジア地域が最も地域GDPのシェアが大きい地域であった．
2. 西欧地域のシェアが伸びてきたのは1500年代以降である．
3. 西欧地域とTotal Western Offshoots地域のシェア合計値がアジア地域のシェアを上回るのは1800年代後半以降である．
4. 1900年代以降はTotal Western Offshoots地域のシェアが際立ってくる．
5. 2010年代後半以降は再度アジア地域のシェア合計値が西欧地域とTotal Western Offshoots地域のシェア合計値を上回るようになった．

1. In fact, for most of the period in history since the year 0, the Asian region has held the largest share of regional GDP.
2. The share of the Western-Europe Region began to grow after the 1500s.
3. The combined share of the Western-Europe Region and the Total Western-Offshoots Region exceeded that of the Asian Region only after the late 1800s.
4. Since the 1900s, the share of the Total Western-Offshoots region has become increasingly prominent.
5. From the late 2010s onward, the combined share of the Asian region once again surpassed that of the Western-European region and the Total Western-Offshoots region.

[Discussion]

1. Fact 1はアジア地域が稲作漁労文明，欧米地域が畑作牧畜文明であることと関係している可能性が高い: 米作は麦作と比べて，面積あたりの産出付加価値量が圧倒的に多い．

“References”

• 安田喜憲（2009）『稲作漁撈文明：長江文明から弥生文化へ』雄山閣
• 川勝平太（1997）『文明の海洋史観』中央公論社

2. Fact 2は大航海時代の開幕と関係している可能性が高い．

3. Fact 3は産業革命の開幕と関係している可能性が高い．

“Note: 1500年代以降の世界運営の実情を知るための歴史的・政治的イベント例”

• トルデシリャス条約（1494年）とサラゴサ条約（1529年）
• 秀吉・家康のキリスト教禁教政策（1587-1873年）
• アヘン戦争（1840-1842年）
• 戊辰戦争（1868-1869年）

“References”

• Pomeranz, K. and S. Topik (2013) The World That Trade Created (3rd ed.), London and New York: Routledge (福田郁夫・吉田敦訳（2013）『グローバル経済の誕生』筑摩書房）
• 村上直次郎 (2025) 『異国往復書簡集：戦国武将VS西洋列強 外交戦争の記録』経営科学出版

1. Fact 1 is highly likely related to the Asian region being a paddy farming and fishing civilization, while the Western region is a dry-field farming and livestock civilization: Compared to wheat farming, rice farming yields an overwhelmingly greater amount of added value per unit area.

“References”

• Yasuda, Y. (2009）”Rice-farming and Fishing Civilization – From the Yangtze River Civilization to the Yayoi Culture,” Tokyo: Yuzankaku, Inc. (In Japanese)
• Kawakatsu, H. (1997）”Maritime History Perspective of Civilization,” Tokyo: Chuokoron-sha. Inc. (In Japanese)

2. Fact 2 is highly likely related to the dawn of the Age of Exploration.

3. Fact 3 is highly likely related to the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.

“Note: examples of historical and political events for understanding the actual state of worldgovernance since the 1500s”

• Treaty of Tordesillas（1494）& Treaty of Zaragoza（1529）
• Policy of Prohibiting Christianity by Hideyoshi Toyotomi (Kanpaku: chief adviser to the emperor) and Ieyasu Tokugawa (Shogun) (1587-1873)
• Opium War (in China) (1840-1842)
• The Boshin War (in Japan) (1868-1869)

“References”

• Pomeranz, K. and S. Topik (2013) The World That Trade Created (3rd ed.), London and New York: Routledge
• Murakami, N. (2025) “Collection of Correspondence with a Foreign Lands – Warring States Warlords vs. Western Powers: Records of Diplomatic Warfare,” Tokyo: Keiei Kagaku Publishing, Inc. (In Japanese)