Economy of the British Empire facts for kids

After France lost the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (from 1792 to 1815), the British Empire became the strongest navy and empire in the 1800s. No one could challenge the British at sea. This time of British power was called Pax Britannica, which means "British Peace."

This period (1815–1914) was mostly peaceful in Europe and around the world. During this time, the British Empire became the most powerful country globally. It even acted like a "global policeman." Also, in the early 1800s, the Industrial Revolution started in Britain. This changed the country a lot. By 1851, during the Great Exhibition, Britain was known as the "workshop of the world" because it made so many goods.

How the Empire Made Money

The table below shows how much money, or gross domestic product (GDP), different parts of the British Empire made. GDP is a way to measure the total value of goods and services produced in a country or region. These numbers are from 1870 and 1913. They show what percentage of the world's economy and the empire's economy each part made up. We also compare these to the United States and the Russian Empire.

In 1870, British India (which included what is now Pakistan and Bangladesh) had the largest economy within the British Empire. The United Kingdom was second. By 1913, the United Kingdom had the largest economy, with British India in second place. This table does not include numbers for most British territories in Africa, except for British Egypt.

See also

• Demographics of the British Empire
• Economic history of the United Kingdom
• Economy of India under Company rule
• Economy of India under the British Raj