§ Mr. Cadburyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the gross domestic product per capita, expressed in dollars at current prices and exchange rates, in each year since 1945, in each of the Organisation for Economic Co—operation and Development countries.
§ Mr. BrittanFigures of gross domestic product per head on a comparable basis for the member countries of OECD are not available for years before 1950. Details for the period 1950 to 1960 are given in the table below. Corresponding figures for the years 1961–1979 are given on page 88of National Accounts of OECD countries 1950–1979, volume 1 main aggregates. Revised estimates for the years 1977–1979 and provisional estimates for 1980 of gross domestic product at current prices and exchange rates, and population, from which per capita estimates may be derived, are given on pages 180 and 181 respectively of the January 1982 edition of OECD Main Economic Indicators.
It is well recognised, however, that the use of official or market exchange rates to convert GDP estimates to a common unit of measurement can give very misleading results because the rates do not necessarily reflect the relative purchasing power of national currencies in terms of the goods and services available in the countries being compared. A more realistic assessment is given by the use of purchasing power parities to convert to a common unit. Such estimates are not available for all OECD countries, but estimates compiled by the Statistical Office of the European Communities are available for members of the Community and are given on page 160 of Eurostat National Accounts ESA—Aggregates 1960–1979.
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1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 Ireland 352 371 427 473 476 499 511 532 560 599 625 Italy, — 365 391 430 455 499 540 571 616 653 745 Luxembourg — — 1,222 1,124 1,143 1,242 1,360 1,457 1,440 1,468 1,656 Netherlands 487 549 567 597 661 726 774 835 837 883 966 Norway 661 819 889 882 950 1,000 1,127 1,182 1,160 1,224 1,296 Portugal — — — 200 205 215 230 240 246 261 275 Spain — — — — 299 331 377 412 462 399 374 Sweden 879 1,078 1,167 1,194 1,264 1,354 1,459 1,547 1,622 1,718 1.867 Switzerland 966 1,042 1,091 1,137 1,196 1,275 1,352 1,415 1,435 1,495 1,614 Turkey 166 195 218 247 245 286 322 345 236 182 189 United Kingdom 717 801 863 933 981 1,049 1,125 1,185 1,238 1,296 1.362 Yugoslavia — — — — — — 327 396 414 499 586 ߞ Not available.
* Fiscal year beginning on I July of year indicated.
† Fiscal year beginning on I April of year indicated.
‡The sharp drop between 1959 and 1960 reflects a change in the exchange rate from 16 kroner per dollar to 34 kroner per dollar.