The rich-poor income gap widened from 2x in 1820 to 16x today
Original title: GDP per capita · Our World in Data · Date unavailable
Chart: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0
So what
In 1820 the richest region (the US and other Western offshoots) was about twice as rich per head as Sub-Saharan Africa; by 2022 the gap was over 16 times. East Asia shows the way out: from $1,100 per head in 1950 to $22,000, a twentyfold rise. Convergence is possible, but it has been regional, not universal.
| Label | Value | Unit | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western offshoots (US, Canada, Australia, NZ) GDP per capita | 2513.0454 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| Western offshoots (US, Canada, Australia, NZ) GDP per capita | 14773.206 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| Western offshoots (US, Canada, Australia, NZ) GDP per capita | 35619.383 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| Western offshoots (US, Canada, Australia, NZ) GDP per capita | 56567.887 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| Western Europe GDP per capita | 2170.7048 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| Western Europe GDP per capita | 7239.914 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| Western Europe GDP per capita | 25367.219 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| Western Europe GDP per capita | 41323.023 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| East Asia GDP per capita | 911.1599 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| East Asia GDP per capita | 1109.4408 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| East Asia GDP per capita | 6089.8413 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| East Asia GDP per capita | 21728.52 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| Eastern Europe GDP per capita | 1044.5385 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| Eastern Europe GDP per capita | 4133.084 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| Eastern Europe GDP per capita | 10091.273 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| Eastern Europe GDP per capita | 20656.266 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| Middle East and North Africa GDP per capita | 885.8996 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| Middle East and North Africa GDP per capita | 2287.5552 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| Middle East and North Africa GDP per capita | 6431.515 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| Middle East and North Africa GDP per capita | 19874.799 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| World GDP per capita | 1127.73 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| World GDP per capita | 3360.164 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| World GDP per capita | 8210.969 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| World GDP per capita | 16676.75 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| Latin America GDP per capita | 956.9071 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| Latin America GDP per capita | 3678.346 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| Latin America GDP per capita | 8054.83 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| Latin America GDP per capita | 14028.038 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| South and South East Asia GDP per capita | 919.20123 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| South and South East Asia GDP per capita | 1069.7146 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| South and South East Asia GDP per capita | 2573.6833 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| South and South East Asia GDP per capita | 8377.074 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
| Sub Saharan Africa GDP per capita | 1188 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1820 |
| Sub Saharan Africa GDP per capita | 1326.6232 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1950 |
| Sub Saharan Africa GDP per capita | 1812.6813 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 1990 |
| Sub Saharan Africa GDP per capita | 3436.5957 | international-$ (2011 prices) | 2022 |
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