The Hamilton Index of Advanced-Industry Performance: Data Visualization Tool
Surprisingly, there has been little empirical analysis of how nations compare in technologically advanced, traded-sector industries that are strategically important due to the dual role they play in economic and national security. ITIF’s Hamilton Index of Advanced-Industry Performance addresses this question by aggregating OECD data on value-added production in seven advanced-industry sectors: pharmaceuticals; medicinal, chemical, and botanical products; electrical equipment; machinery and equipment; motor vehicle equipment; other transport equipment; computer, electronic, and optical products; and IT and information services.
This visualization tool covers the 24-year period from 1995 through 2018 (the most recent year for which OECD data is available), comparing 66 nations’ value-added output, domestic industry concentration, and global market shares in each sector. The data benchmarks national performance both in absolute terms (nominal U.S. dollars) and relative to nations’ respective shares of global GDP, a ratio known as known as a location quotient (LQ).
- For detailed analysis of the data and its policy implications, see: Robert D. Atkinson, “The Hamilton Index: Assessing National Performance in the Competition for Advanced Industries” (ITIF, June 2022).
