15. Sugar
Sugar, often referred to as ‘white gold,’ was enormously profitable during Europe’s colonial era. Its cultivation and trade reshaped global economies and societies, fueling the transatlantic slave trade and economic expansion. By the early 18th century, the sugar trade generated a value equivalent to around 1% of British gross domestic product (GDP), growing to 4% of GDP a century later. This dynamic and rapidly growing sector significantly contributed to the British economy, particularly in the tertiary sector. (cambridge.org)
