Table 1

Relative Capability of Major Powers in the International System, 1950-1995

Ratio of U.S. GNP in Current U.S.$ Exchange Rates

          1950     55     60     65     70     74     75     76     77 
U.S.A.     100    100    100    100    100    100    100    100    100
Japan      3.8    5.5    7.6   12.2   19.8   32.3   32.9   33.3   36.7 
Germany    7.3          16.5   16.9   18.8   27.3   27.5   26.3   27.4  
France    9.0    14.2 13.5 14.5 18.8 22.2 20.1 20.2 
Italy    4.5     8.5  9.4  9.3 10.8 11.5 11.1 11.4 
Britain   15.3    14.7 12.3 12.1 13.6 14.9 13.1 13.2 
Canada    5.4  6.4  6.5  7.9  8.3 10.3 10.7 11.5 10.5
USSR*    5.6  7.1  8.7 34.2 32.2 32.5 32.9 30.1 29.0 
China     NA  9.6  NA  6.8  9.1  9.9 10.2  8.6  8.8
USA % 9    NA 59.4  NA 46.4 44.6 39.1 38.0 39.3 38.9 
USA % 8**   NA  NA  NA  NA 52.0 44.8 43.4 44.6 43.8 
USA % G-7  68.6 65.9 62.0 57.4 54.6 46.9 45.5 46.4 45.6
  
      1978  79  80  81  82  83  84  85  86
U.S.A.    100  100  100  100  100  100  100  100  100
Japan    46.1 41.9 40.0 39.3 35.5 36.0 33.7 33.5 46.7
Germany   30.4 31.9 31.3 23.5 21.6 20.0 16.6 15.7 21.2
France    22.4 24.1 25.1 19.6 17.8 15.8 13.4 13.2 17.4 
Italy    12.4 13.6 15.2 12.0 11.4 10.8 11.0 10.6 14.3 
U.K.     14.9 17.1 20.1 17.1 15.8 13.9 11.4 11.4 13.6 
Canada    9.7  9.6  9.8  9.8  9.8  9.9  9.2  8.8  8.6 
USSR*    29.5 28.2 27.4 23.2 23.6 22.5 18.8 17.5 19.9
China    10.1 10.8 11.5  9.6  9.0  8.9  8.0  7.3  6.7
USA % 9   36.3 36.1 35.4 39.3 40.9 42.0 45.0 45.9 40.2
USA % 8**  40.6 40.2 39.3 43.3 45.3 46.4 49.2 49.9 43.8
USA % G-7  42.4 42.0 41.1 45.2 47.2 48.4 51.2 51.7 45.1
         1987  88  89  90  91  92  93  94  95*
U.S.A.    100  100  100  100  100  100  100  100  100
Japan    53.0 60.3 55.9 53.4 59.2 61.5 67.1 68.4 71.6
Germany   24.9 25.0 23.2 27.3 28.1 30.0 27.2 26.1 30.1
France   19.7 19.9 18.7 21.8 21.1 22.2 19.9 18.9 20.9
Italy    16.9 17.3 16.9 19.9 20.4 20.5 15.8 14.9 15.3
U.K.    15.2 17.3 16.3 17.8 17.8 17.5 14.4 14.4 15.6
Canada    9.2 10.1 10.6 10.4 10.3  9.5  8.7  7.9  7.8
USSR/Russia 21.2 21.6 20.9  NA 13.8  5.3  1.7  1.3  NA
China    6.8  7.9  6.6  6.2  6.6  7.0  8.5  8.9  NA
USA % G9  37.5 35.8 37.2  NA 36.1 36.6 38.0 36.0  NA
USA % G8** 40.7 38.9 40.3 38.9 37.9 37.3 38.2 36.1  NA

USA % G-7 41.8 40.0 41.4 39.9 38.9 38.3 39.5 39.9 38.2

Sources: IMF, International Financial Staistics, OECD Main Economic Indicators, Un National Accounts Statistics, The Economist

* January 1, 1995. At May 5, 1995 exchange and growth rates, USA = 100, Japan 81.5%, Germnay 31.6, France 21.9, Italy 14.7 , U.K. 15.1, Canada 8.2, Russia .7, China 10.3