Jim Whitney   March 16, 2011

Applying the Ricardian Model Are some countries too poor to trade? (Data = 1990)

Country Real GDP per
capita ($1985)
Openness
(X+M) as share
of GDP (%)
Population (millions)
Western hemisphere
U.S. $18,054 21.5%  250.4
Belize 3,464   0.2
Bolivia 1,658   7.2
Chile 4,338   13.2
El Salvador 1,824   5.2
Guatemala 2,127   9.2
Uruguay 4,602   3.1
LOW:      

Asia and Pacific

Bangladesh 1,390   108.3
Laos 1,385   4.1
Mongolia 1,842   2.2
Philippines 1,763   61.5
Sri Lanka 2,096   17.0
LOW:      

Africa

Lesotho 972   1.8
Mozambique 760   15.7
Rwanda 756   6.9
Sierra Leone 901   4.1
Sudan 757   25.1
Zimbabwe 1,182   9.8
LOW:      

    Online source: Penn World Tables data series by topic (Unavailable: Western Hemisphere: Haiti, Cuba; Asia: Afghanistan Cambodia, Micronesia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Vietnam; Africa: Somalia)
    Alternative hardcopy source: United Nations. Statistical Yearbook: 40th edition. (HA/12.5/.U63/1993)