Simon Kuznets

Economist · United States · Academics · Lived 1901 to 1985 · aged 84

Simon Kuznets is read about 222 times a day, in 61 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 16 September 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.

Something wrong?

Compare

He invented the yardstick by which nations measure themselves. Before Simon Kuznets, no one could say with precision whether an economy was growing or shrinking - he built the framework that turned GDP from concept to global standard.

Academics Academic Economics 20th Century

A life in dates

1985Died8 July 19851977Francis A. Walker MedalAward1971Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred NobelAward1962“Distinctions must be kept in mind between quantity and quality of growth, between its costs and return, and between the short and the long term.”In their wordsSimon Kuznets in: Herbert David Croly eds. (1962) The New Republic Vol. 147. p. 29: About rethinking the system of national accountingRead the whole statement

“we need far more empirical study than we have had so far of the universe of inventors; any finding concerning inventors... would be of great value...”In their wordsSimon Kuznets (1962, p. 32), as cited in: David W. Galenson, "Understanding the Creativity of Scientists and Entrepreneurs." (2012).Read the whole statement

1955“The central theme of this paper is the character and causes of long-term changes in the personal distribution of income.”In their wordsp. 1Read the whole statement

“The paper is perhaps 5 per cent empirical information and 95 per cent speculation, some of it possibly tainted by wishful thinking.”In their wordsp. 26Read the whole statement

1939Fellow of the Econometric SocietyAward1937Fellow of the American Statistical AssociationAward1934“The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income.”In their wordsSimon Kuznets in report to the Congress, 1934; "National Income, 1929-1932". 73rd US Congress, 2d session, Senate document no. 124, page 7.Read the whole statement

1901Born30 April 1901

Also in Deutsch

Photos 4

Simon Kuznets 1971b

Simon Kuznets 1971

Simon Kuznets 1971b (cropped)

Simon Kuznets close-up (cropped)

In their own words 7

Simon Kuznets

7 statements, newest first

Distinctions must be kept in mind between quantity and quality of growth, between its costs and return, and between the short and the long term.
1962, Simon Kuznets in: Herbert David Croly eds. (1962) The New Republic Vol. 147. p. 29: About rethinking the system of national accounting, Own words
we need far more empirical study than we have had so far of the universe of inventors; any finding concerning inventors... would be of great value...
1962, Simon Kuznets (1962, p. 32), as cited in: David W. Galenson, "Understanding the Creativity of Scientists and Entrepreneurs." (2012)., Own words
The central theme of this paper is the character and causes of long-term changes in the personal distribution of income.
1955, p. 1, Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Francis A. Walker Medal1977

Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel1971

Fellow of the Econometric Society1939

Fellow of the American Statistical Association1937

Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association

Family

Simon Kuznets

Children

Is this everyone?

Only relatives with a profile here are drawn, so a family can be larger than this. A line here can also be wrong.

Correct this family

About this person

Born in the Russian Empire on April 30, 1901, Kuznets emigrated to America and trained as an economist at a moment when the field still relied more on theory than measurement. He set about changing that, pioneering methods to quantify economic production and turning economics into an empirical science grounded in data. His work on gross domestic product gave governments a single number to capture all output within their borders - a tool that reshaped policy and planning worldwide. The effort earned him the 1971 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his empirically founded interpretation of growth and development. He died July 8, 1985, having spent decades building the statistical architecture that still underpins how we understand prosperity.

Country

United States

In common with Simon

Robert MundellBoth received Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel

Wassily LeontiefBoth received Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel

Theodore SchultzBoth received Francis A. Walker Medal

James HeckmanBoth received Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel

Gary S. BeckerBoth received Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel Frank KnightBoth received Francis A. Walker Medal

Fame.am measures public visibility signals. It does not measure human value, talent, morality, or credibility.