The bar chart shows the share of total world production in Asia, Europe and the rest of the world in five years between 1840 and 2000.
Overall, Asia had the largest proportion in 1840, but its share declined until 1960 before rising again in 2000. In contrast, Europe’s figure increased steadily to a peak in 1960 and then fell by the end of the period. The rest of the world showed a gradual upward trend overall.
In 1840, Asia accounted for 50% of global production, compared with about 38% in Europe and 10% in the rest of the world. By 1880, Asia’s share had dropped to around 32%, while Europe’s rose to approximately 42%. The figure for the rest of the world also increased to about 26%.
Asia’s share continued to fall to 28% in 1920 and reached a low of roughly 22% in 1960. Meanwhile, Europe climbed to about 45% in 1920 and peaked at nearly 50% in 1960 before declining to around 28% in 2000. The rest of the world rose steadily to approximately 30% by the end of the period, while Asia recovered to 42%.