map of wealth distribution in 1 ad

Wealth in the year 1

The size of each territory shows the GDP, adjusted for local purchasing power, of the equivalent territory in 1 AD. The Americas appear small, partly because fewer people lived there in year 1 AD.map 

Wealth in the year 1900

The effects of the industrial revolution have become apparent here - the United Kingdom has the highest estimated GDP per person.

Projected wealth in the year 2015

China seems set to come full circle from 2,000 years ago. If estimates are correct, by 2015 China will be producing 27 per cent of the world's wealth, up from just five per cent in 1960