Angus Maddison

About the Author

Angus Maddison (1926-2010) was a pioneering economic historian renowned for his meticulous reconstructions of long-term global economic growth and comparative productivity across civilizations. A Dutch-British scholar who spent much of his career at the University of Groningen, Maddison's work revolutionized our understanding of historical economic performance by compiling vast datasets on GDP, population, and living standards from antiquity to the modern era. His quantitative approach bridged economics and history, challenging Eurocentric narratives and highlighting the rise and fall of economic powers like China and the West. Through influential publications with the OECD Development Centre, he provided essential tools for policymakers and scholars to analyze global inequality and development trajectories over centuries.