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What Can Be Learned About the Economies of China and India from Purchasing Power Comparisons?

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  • Alan Heston

Abstract

Comparisons of India and China have been made for over 50 years. This paper focuses on purchasing power estimates in China and India in the 2005 round of the UN International Comparison Programme (ICP) that was coordinated by the World Bank, the Regional Banks and Economic Commissions. The 2005 ICP round provides estimates of purchasing power parities (PPPs) of currencies and real product per capita for 146 countries, and the results for China and India are discussed in the context of the size of these economies. It also provides insights into the prospects of future economic growth in China and India as also policy recommendations for China and the likely scenarios in the future. [Working Paper No. 229]

Suggested Citation

  • Alan Heston, 2010. "What Can Be Learned About the Economies of China and India from Purchasing Power Comparisons?," Working Papers id:2777, eSocialSciences.
    • Handle: RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2777
    Note: Institutional Papers
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    Cited by:

    1. Robert C. Feenstra & Hong Ma & J. Peter Neary & D.S. Prasada Rao, 2013. "Who Shrunk China? Puzzles in the Measurement of Real GDP," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 123(12), pages 1100-1129, December.
    2. Deng, Kent & O’Brien, Patrick Karl, 2016. "China’s GDP per capita from the Han Dynasty to communist times," Economic History Working Papers 64857, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    3. Przemyslaw Kowalski, 2008. "China and India - A Tale of Two Trade Integration Approaches," Trade Working Papers 22170, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    4. Xu, Yingfeng & Yan, Xiaoyi, 2009. "The Role of the Real Exchange Rate Adjustment in Expanding Service Employment in China," Working Papers 2009-11, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    5. Kent Deng & Patrick Karl O’Brien, 2014. "Creative Destruction: Chinese GDP per capita from the Han Dynasty to Modern Times," Working Papers 0063, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    purchasing power; China; India; economic growth; tertiary sector; capital stock;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies

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