Introduction | The free market
The Great Depression | Boom | Globalisation
One world? | Did you know? | Find out more

Did you know?

• In 1900, Britain was the world's biggest exporter of coal. By the end of the century, it had virtually abandoned the mining of the mineral.

• In 1913, 33% of Britain's wealth was invested abroad.

• By 1914, American industrial output was equivalent to that of the whole of Europe.

• The number of US government employees rose from about 4.5 million in 1940 to 15 million by the mid-1970s.

• The state enterprises that produced about 75% of China's output in the late 1970s were responsible for only about 28% in 2000, although they employed 44% of the official urban workforce.

• From 1980 to 2000, Chinese GNP multiplied more than seven-fold.

• Because of new technology, production per worker in the steel industries of the US, Japan and Europe rose by 50% in the 1990s.

• In 2000, about 40% of Japanese car exports went to the US.

• By 2000, 21% of consumer spending in the US was done by credit card.

• By 2000, Coca-Cola was one of Africa's biggest employers.

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