The PDF appears to be 2.9 MB and is taking a long time to download, possibly due to the source being "hugged" to death? This appears to be an abstract, based o

The PDF appears to be 2.9 MB and is taking a long time to download, possibly due to the source being "hugged" to death? This appears to be an abstract, based on title: https://www.nber.org/papers/w24112 https://www.nber.org/papers/w24112 This paper answers fundamental questions that have preoccupied modern economic thought since the 18th century. What is the aggregate real rate of return in the economy? Is it higher than the growth rate of the economy and, if so, by how much? Is there a tendency for returns to fall in the long-run? Which particular assets have the highest long-run returns? We answer these questions on the basis of a new and comprehensive dataset for all major asset classes, including—for the first time—total returns to the largest, but oft ignored, component of household wealth, housing. The annual data on total returns for equity, housing, bonds, and bills cover 16 advanced economies from 1870 to 2015, and our new evidence reveals many new insights and puzzles.