From 97% Poor to Almost Zero: Why China Grew So Fast, Explained with Data

In 1981, 97% of people in China lived on under $3 a day. By 2019, practically none did. With World Bank data we follow 45 years of Chinese growth: the 1978 reforms, ten percent a year for three decades, the factory of the world, 700 million new city dwellers – and why the miracle is slowing down now. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:39 Poorer than India 01:28 The switch 02:15 Ten percent, for thirty years 03:19 The factory of the world 04:10 Building everything 05:14 Seven hundred million new city dwellers 06:00 The great escape 07:23 Why it's slowing down 08:45 What to remember Data & sources: • World Bank, World Development Indicators: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$), NY.GDP.PCAP.KD – China, India, United States, World, 1978–2025 (CC BY 4.0) • World Bank, World Development Indicators: GDP growth (annual %), NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG – China 1978–2025 (CC BY 4.0) • World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform via WDI: Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP), SI.POV.DDAY – China 1981–2022 (CC BY 4.0) • World Bank, World Development Indicators: Exports of goods and services (% of GDP), NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS – China 1970–2025; Gross capital formation (% of GDP), NE.GDI.TOTL.ZS – China, India, Japan, US, Germany 2024; Households final consumption expenditure (% of GDP), NE.CON.PRVT.ZS – China, US 2024 (CC BY 4.0) • World Bank, World Development Indicators: Population, SP.POP.TOTL – United States and European Union 2024 (CC BY 4.0) • World Bank, World Development Indicators: Urban population (% of total and total), SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS / SP.URB.TOTL; Population, SP.POP.TOTL; Population ages 65+, SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS; Fertility rate, SP.DYN.TFRT.IN – China 1960–2025 (CC BY 4.0) • World Bank, World Development Indicators: GDP (current US$), NY.GDP.MKTP.CD – China and United States 1980–2025 (ratio computed) (CC BY 4.0) • World Trade Organization: China's accession, 11 December 2001 • Shenzhen Municipal Government / Statistics Bureau: permanent resident population 17.99 million, end of 2024; Shenzhen Special Economic Zone established August 1980 Made with AI assistance: synthetic narration voice; the animations and charts are generated in code from the public data listed above. Facts were checked against these sources. This video is for education only and is not financial advice. #china #economics #money