Simon Kuznets
Russian-American economist who developed GDP measurement and inequality studies.
Most quoted
"Economic growth is a long-term rise in capacity to supply increasingly diverse economic goods to its population, this growing capacity based on advancing technology and the institutional and ideological adjustments that it demands."
— from Economic Growth of Nations: Total Output and Production Structure, 1971
"The volume of goods and services produced by a nation in any given period, when measured in monetary terms, is the most comprehensive single measure of its economic performance."
— from National Income, 1929-1932, 1934
"The main reason for the difficulties in measuring national income is that it is not a simple sum of individual incomes, but a complex aggregate of various economic activities."
— from National Income and Capital Formation, 1919-1935, 1937
All quotes by Simon Kuznets (98)
Capitalism without measurement is like navigation without a compass.
Growth curves bend towards equity over time.
I have spent my life counting beans, only to realize the soup matters more.
Wars distort economies, but peace rebuilds them stronger.
The GDP I invented is a tool, not a god.
Human capital is the true wealth of nations.
Statistics are the eyes of economics.
In economics, as in life, what we measure shapes what we value.
The Kuznets curve is not destiny, but a tendency.
Poverty is not just low income, but lack of opportunity.
I regret not measuring happiness sooner.
Economic history teaches us that cycles repeat, but lessons are forgotten.
Innovation drives growth, but regulation tempers it.
Numbers don't lie, but interpretations do.
The future of economics lies in interdisciplinary approaches.
Wealth without work is a hollow victory.
Globalization will widen gaps before it closes them.
My biggest joke was creating GDP without including unpaid work.
Sustainability must be the new metric of growth.
Education is the great equalizer in unequal times.
Contemporaries of Simon Kuznets
Other Economicss born within 50 years of Simon Kuznets (1901–1985).