USSR Economic Growth

[EL KAISER]

I had understand that in the Seventies and Eighties there was a "stagnation" period in which the U.S. grew faster than USSR, yet i found these data on a web page of the United Nations Statistics Division in which the average annual economic growth of USSR in those years is much bigger than that of the U.S. How reliable are these?
GDP annual Growth rate (not Per Capita) of U.S. and USSR.



YEAR
URSS

USA

YEAR


1975

2.6

-0.2

1975



1976

6.2

5.4

1976



1977

5.2

4.6

1977



1978

5.1

5.6

1978



1979

3.4

3.2

1979



1980

4.9

-0.2

1980



1981

5.3

2.6

1981



1982

7.6

-1.9

1982



1983

4.7

4.6

1983



1984

4

7.3

1984



1985

1.4

4.2

1985



1986

1.5

3.5

1986



TOTAL

51.9

38.7

TOTAL



AVERAGE
4.3

3.2

AVERAGE

[Antiochus]

Entirely plausible. It should be noted that even during the 'stagnation' period, the USSR never had a contraction. But at the same time these statistics should be taken with a grain of salt.

[willowtooth]

I had understand that in the Seventies and Eighties there was a "stagnation" period in which the U.S. grew faster than USSR, yet i found these data on a web page of the United Nations Statistics Division in which the average annual economic growth of USSR in those years is much bigger than that of the U.S. How reliable are these?
GDP annual Growth rate (not Per Capita) of U.S. and USSR.



YEAR
URSS
USA
YEAR


1975
2.6
-0.2
1975


1976
6.2
5.4
1976


1977
5.2
4.6
1977


1978
5.1
5.6
1978


1979
3.4
3.2
1979


1980
4.9
-0.2
1980


1981
5.3
2.6
1981


1982
7.6
-1.9
1982


1983
4.7
4.6
1983


1984
4
7.3
1984


1985
1.4
4.2
1985


1986
1.5
3.5
1986


TOTAL
51.9
38.7
TOTAL


AVERAGE
4.3
3.2
AVERAGE




It looks accurate but its overtly cherrypicked, the two dips represent recessions in the USA. and even when factoring them in the 2 countries only differ by a single percentage point. That said the competing growth of the US vs USSR economy was a bit of a myth, and outside government propaganda most people weren't worried about. It would be like comparing how much 2 people can benchpress to determine who the best soccer player is. Your talking about countries that were destroyed by war and had no international banks to build them back up like western europe. The usa received billions of dollars when the wars in europe started going from the 16th largest military and a GDP lower than porutgal. To the top military and banking power in the world and in only a few short years. When WW2 ended they rebuilt europe practically for free and while many of those countries completely demilitarized the USSR was spending triple the amount on its military that the US was (as portion of GDP). The USSR was also promised a similar deal to the warsaw pact when it collapsed but still today it has not received it and has never recovered under "capitalism".

https://artir.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/usasov1.png?w=640

https://nintil.com/2016/03/26/the-soviet-union-gdp-growth/

[pastradamus]

1982
7.6




- Thats an INSANE level of growth. Its interesting how fast it all collapsed for a finish. Good post OP.