Military production during World War II was a critical component to military performance during WWII

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Over the course of the war, the Allied countries

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

 outproduced the Axis countries

Axis Powers

The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...

 in most categories of weapons.
This table shows the relationships in Gross domestic product (GDP)

Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....

, between a selection of Allied and Axis countries, from 1938 to 1945, counted in billion international dollars and 1990 prices.


Notes on the table (remember that the distribution values are rough estimates):

1. France-Axis distribution: 1940: 56%, 1941-43: 100%, 1944: 58%.
2. Italy distribution: 1938-1943: 100% Axis, 1944-1945: 100% Allies
3. Japanese values are included in Axis totals for all years in order to illustrate potential contribution
4. Soviet Union-Allies distribution: 1939: Only 67% due to the pact with Germany, but none to Axis.