📜 A long story
United States, 1800 → today
The United States grew from 6 million in 1800 to 344 million; a newborn can expect 39.9 more years of life than in 1880, and output per person is 23× its 1800 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 6 million people lived in the United States.
1900
74.8 million people.
12× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1827.
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1859.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1889.
1950
154 million people.
2.1× the 1900 level
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1931.
2023
344 million people, the latest year in this series.
2.2× the 1950 level
Reached 50 times the 1800 level in 2007.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1880
In 1880, a newborn in the United States could expect to live 39.4 years, on average.
1901
49.3 years.
+9.9 years since 1880
Passed 40 years in 1890 (no data between 1880 and 1890, so it may have happened earlier).
1950
68.1 years.
+19 years since 1901
Passed 50 years in 1902.
Passed 60 years in 1931.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 7.9 years between 1915 and 1918 (55.1 years → 47.2 years).
2023
79.3 years, the latest year in this series.
+11 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1961.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1800
In 1800, the United States produced about Int$2,550 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$8,040.
3.2× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1873.
1950
Int$15,200.
1.9× the 1900 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1941.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 33% between 1929 and 1933 (Int$12,000 → Int$8,050).
2022
Int$58,500, the latest year in this series.
3.8× the 1950 level
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1973.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 2013.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1800
In 1800, fossil fuels and industry in the United States emitted about 0.042 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
8.9 t.
211× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1824.
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1832.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1844.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1851.
Reached 50 times the 1800 level in 1868.
1950
16.5 t.
1.9× the 1900 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 39% between 1926 and 1932 (16.8 t → 10.3 t).
2024
14.2 t, the latest year in this series.
14% lower than in 1950
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in the United States had spent 4.3 years in school, on average.
1900
6.4 years.
+2.1 years since 1870
Passed 6 years in 1900.
1950
8.7 years.
+2.4 years since 1900
Passed 8 years in 1935.
2015
13.3 years, the latest year in this series.
+4.6 years since 1950
Passed 10 years in 1965.
Passed 12 years in 1980.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).