World GDP has increased more than fivefold since the Great Acceleration began in 1950 and, according to mainstream economic forecasts, it is likely to continue growing at around 3–4% per year at least in the near future.12 But global economic growth is made up of around two hundred national economies with widely differing growth rates. Their differences range from a fast-paced 7–10% per year in low-income countries like Cambodia and Ethiopia to a lethargic 0.2% per year in high-income countries like France and Japan.
