In the build up to the Second World War, the United States was the major power with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world. In 1938, the United States also had the highest overall GDP in the world, and by a significant margin, however differences in GDP per person were much smaller. Switzerland In terms of countries that played a notable economic role in the war, the neutral country of Switzerland had the highest GDP per capita in the world. A large part of this was due to the strength of Switzerland's financial system. Most major currencies abandoned the gold standard early in the Great Depression, however the Swiss Franc remained tied to it until late 1936. This meant that it was the most stable, freely convertible currency available as the world recovered from the Depression, and other major powers of the time sold large amounts of gold to Swiss banks in order to trade internationally. Switzerland was eventually surrounded on all sides by Axis territories and lived under the constant threat of invasion in the war's early years, however Swiss strategic military planning and economic leverage made an invasion potentially more expensive than it was worth. Switzerland maintained its neutrality throughout the war, trading with both sides, although its financial involvement in the Holocaust remains a point of controversy. Why look at GDP per capita? While overall GDP is a stronger indicator of a state's ability to fund its war effort, GDP per capita is more useful in giving context to a country's economic power in relation to its size and providing an insight into living standards and wealth distribution across societies. For example, Germany and the USSR had fairly similar GDPs in 1938, whereas Germany's per capita GDP was more than double that of the Soviet Union. Germany was much more industrialized and technologically advanced than the USSR, and its citizens generally had a greater quality of life. However these factors did not guarantee victory - the fact that the Soviet Union could better withstand the war of attrition and call upon its larger population to replenish its forces greatly contributed to its eventual victory over Germany in 1945.

This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Throughout the early 20th century, Italy consistently had the highest GDP per capita in Southern Europe, which grew consistently at each given interval. Portugal was the only other country to see consistent growth between the four given years, whereas the civil wars in Spain (1936-1939) and Greece (1946-1949) saw their respective GDP per capita fall in the corresponding years. Overall, GDP per capita across these four countries grew by just 28 percent between 1913 and 1950, although it did drop in 1938 due to the Spanish Civil War. Southern Europe's GDP per capita in 1950 was just 51 percent of the rate in Western Europe.

This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Graph and download economic data for Real gross domestic product per capita (A939RX0Q048SBEA) from Q1 1947 to Q2 2025 about per capita, real, GDP, and USA.

Historical dataset showing North America GDP per capita by year from 1960 to 2023.

Historical dataset showing U.S. GDP per capita by year from 1960 to 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Gross domestic product per capita (A939RC0A052NBEA) from 1929 to 2024 about per capita, GDP, and USA.

Between 1900 and 1950, Scandinavian countries saw the largest growth in GDP per capita in Europe, more than doubling between 1913 and 1950. In comparison, growth rates were much lower in Western Europe, and lower still in East-Central Europe. From 1913 (the year before the First World War) until the end of the Second World War's recovery period in 1950, Western Europe's GDP per capita grew by just 43 percent, while East-Central Europe's figure increased by just 26 percent.

This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA PPP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Although Italy had the largest GDP per capita of the four largest Southern European states, between 1913 and 1950, the highest rates of GDP per capita growth were experienced in Portugal and Greece. Compared with GDP per capita in 1913, Portugal's figure grew consistently between each period, facilitated by the relative peace it experienced during the early 20th century. Greece's GDP per capita grew by 68 percent between 1913 and 1938, however it fell significantly over the 1940s due to the devastation caused by the Second World War and Greek Civil War.

In 2025, Luxembourg was the country with the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. Of the 20 listed countries, 13 are in Europe and five are in Asia, alongside the U.S. and Australia. There are no African or Latin American countries among the top 20. Correlation with high living standards While GDP is a useful indicator for measuring the size or strength of an economy, GDP per capita is much more reflective of living standards. For example, when compared to life expectancy or indices such as the Human Development Index or the World Happiness Report, there is a strong overlap - 14 of the 20 countries on this list are also ranked among the 20 happiest countries in 2024, and all 20 have "very high" HDIs. Misleading metrics? GDP per capita figures, however, can be misleading, and to paint a fuller picture of a country's living standards then one must look at multiple metrics. GDP per capita figures can be skewed by inequalities in wealth distribution, and in countries such as those in the Middle East, a relatively large share of the population lives in poverty while a smaller number live affluent lifestyles.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean GDP per capita by year from 1960 to 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Constant GDP per capita for the United States (NYGDPPCAPKDUSA) from 1960 to 2024 about per capita, real, GDP, and USA.

The "Per Capita GDP of All Countries 1970 to 2022" dataset provides a comprehensive overview of the economic performance of all countries in the world from 1970 to 2022 in US Dollar. This dataset includes several key columns:

Country: This column lists the names of the countries included in the dataset. Year: This column indicates the specific year for which the GDP data is recorded from 1970 to 2022. By analyzing this dataset, you can observe trends in economic growth, identify periods of significant economic change, and compare the economic performance of different countries over time. This information is valuable for economists, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the economic history and development of nations.

This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

In 1950, GDP per capita in Western Europe (29 countries) was just 48 percent of GDP per capita in the U.S. The post-war economic boom from 1950 to 1973 was the most prosperous period in Western Europe's history, and GDP per capita more than doubled in this period, reaching 69 percent of the U.S.' rate. Due to several economic crises in Europe in the following decades, growth rates in Western Europe remained relatively stable. Still, they did not reach the same heights as seen during the so-called Golden Age of Capitalism.

In contrast, the U.S. had been harder hit than Western Europe by the economic difficulties of the 1970s and 1980s, but the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 coincided with one of the most successful decades in U.S. history, with the economy thriving in the 1990s. For Western Europe, the fall of communism had a knock-on effect that limited growth in the early 1990s, although GDP per capita compared to the U.S. was fairly similar to 1973's rate (albeit lower) at 66 percent.

Graph and download economic data for Constant GDP per capita for the World (NYGDPPCAPKDWLD) from 1960 to 2024 about World, per capita, real, and GDP.

Historical dataset showing World GDP per capita by year from 1960 to 2023.

Japan JP: GDP: per Capita data was reported at 4,310,331.385 JPY in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,239,913.960 JPY for 2016. Japan JP: GDP: per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 3,316,894.840 JPY from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,310,331.385 JPY in 2017 and a record low of 172,438.322 JPY in 1960. Japan JP: GDP: per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Gross Domestic Product: Nominal. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current local currency.; ; World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; ;