China gdp pie chart
Since the country opened its doors in 1978, the economy has witnessed tremendous growth. Its gross domestic product has surged from less than $150 billion in 1978 to $8,227 billion in 2012 (see “China’s GDP” chart below). In the process, more than 600 million people have escaped poverty. China accounted for about 82 percent of the 2.9 billion tons of global coal demand growth since 2000, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which created the chart below.