Growth is important. Today's growth is what we have to live on tomorrow. This is why we have focused on productivity and growth in this project. During the last decade the US economy accelerated substantially and left most European economies behind. However, it seems that the Nordic economies have performed distinctly better than the central European ones during this period. This makes it very interesting to study the growth pattern and the relationships between these economies in more detail. In this study we have used the growth accounting technique which is a very useful instrument to study the growth performance of nations and industries. Focus has been on the growth pattern and on industrial similarities and differences. We have also studied price development and the impact of technological change and competition, and also the distribution industries.