This paper uses stylized facts to analyse the production paths and socioeconomic performance of a group of countries over the last few decades, with a view to making a comparative analysis of the Argentine case. Nine countries were selected for this purpose (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Norway and the Republic of Korea); and a long-term analysis was performed by constructing indicators that synthesize the production paths and performance of these economies. The paper concludes that two major types of production paths have predominated during this period. The first is based on dynamic advantages concentrated in high-technology goods, which results in a positive performance. The second is based on static advantages, such as cheap labour or natural resource abundance, which leads to more heterogeneous outcomes.