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Five-Year Plans

economics
Written and fact-checked byThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Holodomor
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Victim of the Holodomor lying on a sidewalk in Kharkiv, Ukraine, photo by Alexander Wienerberger, 1932 or 1933.
Diocesan Archive of Vienna (Diözesanarchiv Wien)/BA Innitzer

Five-Year Plans, method of planning economic growth over limited periods, through the use of quotas, used first in the Soviet Union and later in other socialist states.

In the Soviet Union the first Five-Year Plan (1928–32), implemented by Joseph Stalin, concentrated on developing heavy industry and collectivizing agriculture, at the cost of a drastic fall in consumer goods. The second Five-Year Plan (1933–37) continued the objectives of the first. Collectivization, coupled with other Stalinist policies, led to terrible famines that caused the deaths of millions of people. The man-made famine in Ukraine in 1932–33, known as the Holodomor, has been recognized as an attempted genocide against the Ukrainian people. The third Five-Year Plan (1938–42) emphasized the production of armaments. The fourth (1946–53) again stressed heavy industry and military buildup, angering the Western powers.

In China the first Five-Year Plan (1953–57) stressed rapid industrial development, with Soviet assistance; it proved highly successful. Shortly after the second plan began in 1958, the Great Leap Forward was announced; its goals conflicted with the Five-Year Plan, leading to failure and the withdrawal of Soviet aid in 1960.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.