Kapitalbildning i svensk industri 1870-1930

Sammanfattning: The significance of physical capital is often mentioned in general terms in economic history literature. In this study the amount of physical capital is calculated and its significance for industrial growth is analysed for the period 1870-1930. The largest and most important part of this thesis consists of constructions of capital stocks for industry as a whole and on the branch level. These constructions are based on a few selected capital valuations and historically-rooted primary material on the company level, along with available data on investment, capital deflators, the amount of horsepower etc. The dissertation shows that physical capital was important for industrial growth during the first decades, but decreased somewhat in significance at the end of the period studied. A clear structural development was also shown, with a phase characterised by transformation around the turn of the century, when building capital in particular increased rapidly, and a phase dominated by rationalisation at the end of the period, when substantial machinery investment contributed to a fast increase in total factor productivity.