History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Economic History & Industrialization

The Great Migration: How Factories Moved to Poor Nations Long Before China

We often think of manufacturing moving to countries like China as a recent phenomenon, but the story is much older and more surprising. This video dives into over a century of economic history, from 1870 to 2007, to trace the global spread of industry from rich nations to developing ones. We'll uncover the patterns, forces, and data that drove this massive shift long before the so-called 'China shock' reshaped headlines. Discover how the world economy was being remade by the movement of factories decades ago, and what it tells us about globalization's deep roots.