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The ranking of the most advanced economic countries has witnessed significant shifts throughout history. In ancient times, civilizations like those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China were economically advanced. During the Middle Ages, European countries like Italy and the Low Countries experienced economic prosperity through trade and commerce.
The Age of Exploration and the Renaissance marked a shift, with European maritime powers such as Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands gaining economic prominence. The Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries propelled the United Kingdom to the forefront, followed by Germany and the United States.
The 20th century saw the rise of the United States as the world’s leading economic power, surpassing European nations. In recent decades, the economic ascendancy of Asian countries, particularly Japan, South Korea, and China, has reshaped the global economic landscape.
If we needed a map revealing the great Global Acceleration, here’s one that illustrates the societal upheavals since the Industrial Revolution and the ongoing unprecedented speed in shifting the global economic center of gravity. Historically tied to demographic and technological power, the economic center has journeyed from the Old World to Europe and North America, and nowadays rapidly shifts eastward with Asia’s ascent.
The map of our planet’s economical ‘centre of gravity’ below was created by scientists from the university of Goningen.
The economic center of gravity is calculated by weighting locations by GDP in three dimensions and projected to the nearest point on the earth’s surface. The surface projection of the center of gravity shifts north over the century, reflecting the fact that in three-dimensional space America and Asia are not only “next” to each other, but also “across” from each other.
The table below shows the most developed states in different historical epochs.
Year
The most developed countries
1 CE
Roman Empire, Han Dynasty (China), Gupta Empire (India), Persian Empire, Axum Kingdom
1000
Byzantine Empire, Islamic Caliphates, Song Dynasty (China), Persian Empire, Indian Chola Dynasty
1500
Ottoman Empire, Ming Dynasty (China), Safavid Empire (Persia), Mughal Empire (India), Holy Roman Empire
1820
British Empire, Qing Dynasty (China), Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire, French Empire
1913
United Kingdom, Germany, United States, France, Japan
1940
United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Soviet Union, Japan
1950
United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, West Germany, Japan
1960
United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan
1970
United States, Soviet Union, Japan, West Germany, United Kingdom
1980
United States, Soviet Union, Japan, West Germany, United Kingdom
1990
United States, Japan, West Germany, United Kingdom, France
2000
United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France
2010
United States, China, Japan, Germany, France
2025
United States, China, Japan, Germany, India
To delve deeper into the economic development of nations, explore the insights provided in the following books.
Russian Novosibirsk, the Economic Center of the World?