Country Quotes
The rate of profit is naturally low in rich and high in poor countries, and it is always highest in the countries which are going fastest to ruin.
"The rate of profit is naturally low in rich and high in poor countries, and it is always highest in the countries which are going fastest to ruin."— Adam Smith
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Meaning of this quote
Smith distinguishes investors' profit rates from national prosperity and warns that high returns can accompany distress.
Key takeaway:
Avoid using a high return alone as evidence of a healthy economy.
Origin of the quote
The Wealth of Nations (1776)
Who actually said this?
Replaces the source’s pronoun referring to profit with an explicit subject; Book I, chapter XI.
Source:
The Wealth of Nations (1776)
