We construct the first time-series for Portugal’s per capita GDP for 1527–1850, drawing on a new database. Starting in the early 1630s there was a highly persistent upward trend which accelerated after 1710 and peaked 40 years later. At that point, per capita income was high by European standards, though behind the most advanced Western European economies. But as the second half of the eighteenth century unfolded, a phase of economic decline was initiated. This continued into the nineteenth century, and by 1850 per capita incomes were not different from what they had been in the early 1530s.

中文翻译：

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从趋同到趋异：葡萄牙经济增长，1527–1850

我们利用一个新数据库构建了 1527-1850 年葡萄牙人均 GDP 的第一个时间序列。从 1630 年代初开始，有一个高度持续的上升趋势，在 1710 年后加速，并在 40 年后达到顶峰。那时，人均收入按欧洲标准衡量是很高的，尽管落后于最先进的西欧经济体。但随着 18 世纪下半叶的展开，开始了经济衰退阶段。这种情况一直持续到 19 世纪，到 1850 年，人均收入与 1530 年代初的情况没有什么不同。