Behind the world’s second-highest GDP are hundreds of millions of people who just want to stop being poor.
Professor Nancy Qian wants to direct attention to China’s per capita GDP, not just its total GDP. Looking at more than that one number of overall growth reveals that China’s population is still quite poor, she argues. Credit: Y Denali, Creative Commons
CHICAGO – Economic reporting about China focuses far too much on total GDP and not enough on per capita GDP, which is the more revealing indicator. And this skewed coverage has important implications, because the two indicators paint significantly different pictures of China’s current economic and political situation. They also focus our attention on different issues.
A quick search through all English-language news outlets in the ProQuest database for the ten-year period from 2011-21 sho
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
At the height of the pandemic, Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac was a hero and one of the country’s most promising companies. But its success masked a protracted dispute between rival investors and management for control of the cash-rich company. The Wire China investigates what went wrong.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy