I lost my chart!

December 9, 2009 8:00 PM

I used to have a really nice chart showing the growth of the US GDP from the early 1800s through now. I think it was a Fed chart with the recession eras shaded. Can anyone help me find this?
posted by aburd to Work & Money (6 answers total)

Maybe this?
posted by miyabo at 8:16 PM on December 9, 2009

Response by poster: I thought it was on the NBER's site but I can't find that info in chart form. I've looked on the St. Louis Fed site and the Fed Site and can't track it down.
posted by aburd at 9:14 PM on December 9, 2009

I think my economics professor showed that recently. I'll ask him on friday when I see him.
posted by thekiltedwonder at 11:44 PM on December 9, 2009

Here is GDP back to 1929, with recessions shaded, this is from your go-to spot for US economic statistics, the st louis fed's FRED database. (oops, I just read you already checked there).

The earlier you go back the funkier the data is. IIRC, national accounts began being gathered in WWII and backfilled into the 30s when the data was fairly fresh. Even the BEA, who calculates these statistics, only goes back to 1929 on their website.

I poked around some of the economic history sites, maybe you will have better luck there...
posted by shothotbot at 5:33 AM on December 10, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks guys!
posted by aburd at 1:49 PM on December 10, 2009

Found it thanks to a chart in today's FT. You should check out Angus Maddison's home page. He has put together very long gdp estimates (back to 1 CE). Obviously, you need to figure out what he is doing before you use this but he is a serious guy. Here is relevant execl file.
posted by shothotbot at 6:11 AM on December 11, 2009