§ Mr. Martenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the gross national product per head of population in each of the 20 leading nations, including Great Britain in 1959 and 1970, respectively, from information available to him from international sources.
§ Mr. HigginsFigures for 1959 are given in the table below. Figures for 475W 1970 are not available but those for 1968, the latest year for which information is available, were given in answer to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Dixon) on 27th October and are repeated below.
Estimates have been converted from national currencies to United States dollars at current exchange rates, but this does not necessarily give a comparison of differences in the standard of living as these exchange rates may not reflect differences in internal purchasing power. In making comparisons between these figures for 1959 and 1968 for particular countries, it should also be borne in mind that they reflect not only the real growth of the gross national product but also changes in prices and any changes which may have taken place in the official exchange rates against the United States dollar.—[Vol. 805, c. 25.]
GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT AT MARKET PRICES PER HEAD OF POPULATION (U.S. dollars) 1959 1968 Australia* … 1,510 2,480 Austria … 790 1,550 Belgium … 1,180 2,160 Canada … 2,070 3,010 Denmark … 1,210 2,540 Finland … 1,000 1,710 France … 1,230 2,530 Germany … 1,160 2,200 Greece … 400 860 Ireland … 620 1,020 Italy … 650 1,390 Japan … 390 1,400 Netherlands … 900 1,980 New Zealand† … 1,450 1,770 Norway … 1,200 2,360 Spain … 340‡ 770 Sweden … 1,610 3,230 Switzerland … 1,490 2,790 United States … 2,760 4,380 United Kingdom … 1,300 1,860 * Figures relate to fiscal years beginning 1st July. † Figures relate to year beginning 1st April. ‡ Figures relate to 1960, as those for 1959 are not yet available.