Long-term Economic and Military Trends, 1994-2015: United States and Asia

Key economic and military trends in China, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Korea, and India will likely indicate the future of Asia’s security environment. For the period 1994-2015, this report forecasts each country’s gross domestic product (GDP), per-capita GDP, military spending, and military capital stocks, synthesizing and comparing them to illuminate trends that, among many others, will significantly affect the future security environment in Asia. All of the estimates should be treated with caution because of the many uncertainties that underlie the results. The methodology and structure of this report are similar to those in an earlier RAND report (see N-2757-USDP, 1989).