Figure 1.1: The History's Hockey Stick Graph of GDP Per Capita
Figure 1.1, known as the 'history's hockey stick' graph, displays the progression of GDP per capita for several countries from 1000 to 2018. The official caption for the figure specifies five countries, though the graph itself plots data for six. In this visualization, the vertical position of each line serves as an estimate of the average living standards for a given year on the horizontal axis. The graph is based on the best available historical data, which is subject to ongoing refinement, and it clearly illustrates the 'hockey stick' growth pattern: a long era of economic flatness followed by a rapid increase. While this graph provides a powerful illustration, it is not exhaustive; more comprehensive data for other countries is available through interactive charts. It is a fundamental visual for understanding the dramatic and recent surge in living standards in certain parts of the world.
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Figure 1.1: The History's Hockey Stick Graph of GDP Per Capita
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The historical graph of average income per person, which shows a long period of economic stagnation followed by a sudden and sharp increase in growth, is commonly referred to as the 'history's ____ ____' graph.
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