ICOP Industrial Database (1987 Benchmark)

International Comparisons of Output and Productivity by Industry

Summary tables for comparisons of manufacturing productivity

Full database for manufacturing productivity comparisons

List of publications and downloadable papers

Summary tables for comparisons of manufacturing productivity

The tables summarize the main results of the currency conversion factors (unit value ratios) and manufacturing labour productivity levels for 1960, 1973, 1987, 1998 and 2000. These results are largely based on benchmark comparisons for the late 1980s (mostly 1987) which were extrapolated over time using time series on output and labour input. Meanwhile more recent benchmark comparisons are undertaken, some of which can be downloaded below (go to: List of publications and downloadable papers)

Summary Table 1 presents the currency conversions ratios (unit value ratios) for total manufacturing with the exchange rate and total GDP purchasing power parity for the benchmark year.

Summary Table 2 presents levels of value added per person employed and value added per hour worked in manufacturing relative to the United States for 1960, 1973, 1987, 1998 and 2000.

The source note provides the references to the individual benchmark studies. Some of these studies can be downloaded below (go to: List of publications and downloadable papers)

Full database for manufacturing productivity comparisons

The following tables provide time series on output, persons employed and working hours from 1950 to 2000. These time series are linked to the benchmark estimates for the late 1980s and extrapolated over time to obtained comparative levels of value added per person employed and value added per hour worked in manufacturing relative to the United States from 1950-2000.

Table 1 presents real value added in manufacturing, 1950-2000
Source Table 1 describes underlying sources of these indices

Table 2 presents persons employed in manufacturing, 1950-2000
Source Table 2 describes underlying sources of these indices

Table 3 presents actual hours per person employed in manufacturing, 1950-2000
Source Table 3 describes underlying sources of these indices

Table 4 presents value added per person employed in manufacturing relative to the US level, 1950-2000

Table 5 presents value added per hour worked in manufacturing relative to the US level, 1950-2000
See source note for the references to the individual benchmark studies. Some of these studies can be downloaded below (go to: List of publications and downloadable papers)

List of publications and downloadable papers

The a large number of papers is underlying the ICOP 1987 Benchmark Database. A complete list of ICOP papers, notes, publications up to 2000 is available.

Our latest comprehensive write-up of the ICOP project is Bart van Ark and Marcel Timmer, PPPs and International Productivity Comparisons: Bottlenecks and New Directions, paper for Joint World Bank-OECD seminar on Purchasing Power Parities, 30 January . 2 February 2001, Washington D.C.

A shorter account has been published in the International Productivity Monitor (Center for the Study of Living Standards), by Bart van Ark and Marcel Timmer, titled The ICOP Manufacturing Database: International Comparisons of Productivity Levels (Number 3, Fall 2001)

The chapters from the Monograph Series No. 1 by Bart van Ark, titled: International Comparisons of Output and Productivity. Manufacturing Productivity Performance of Ten Countries from 1950 to 1990 (Groningen, 1993) can be downloaded.

The following downloadable ICOP publications are published after 2000:

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