The bar chart compares the average annual Gross Domestic Product growth rates across three different groups: wealthy countries, developing nations using a global business approach, and those with a non-global approach – throughout a forty-year period from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Overall, the most important trend is the consistent rise of the globalisers, who moved from having the lowest growth rates to the highest by the end of the period. On the other hand, wealthy countries, despite a strong start, had a decrease in their growth and then stayed at a lower level. Non-globalisers had a period of marked growth in the 1970s but could not sustain it in the following decades.
As can be seen from the graph, the average annual GDP growth in wealthy nations steadily declines, falling from roughly 4.5% during the 1960s to a stable 2% by the 1990s. In contrast, developing countries that adopted a global approach to business showed a completely opposite pattern. Starting at around 1% in the first decade, their economic expansion climbed consistently, reaching 3% in the 1970s, 4% in the 1980s and finally peaking at nearly 4.5% in the last recorded period. This continuous upward movement demonstrates how embracing international trade gradually strengthens their economic performance over time.
Meanwhile, the growth trend for non-globalising nations proved much more irregular. After beginning at 2.5% in the 1960s, their GDP expansion jumped to about 3.5% in the following decade, matching the performance of wealthier economies. However, this positive shift did not last; by the 1980s growth had dropped sharply to around 1% before recovering slightly to 1.5% in the 1990s. Interestingly, the 1970s stood out as a period of convergence, when all three groups recorded similar growth rates of approximately 3%. Outside of that single decade, the gap between the categories remained clearly visible, with globalisers pulling ahead while the other two struggled to maintain steady progress