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

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.

The statistic displays the global gross domestic product (GDP) per capita from 2013 to 2023. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. In 2023, global GDP per capita amounted to about 13,169.6 U.S. dollars. Gross domestic product and global economy The global economy suffered a major impact with the global financial crisis of 2008 but after a drop in global gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2009, the global economy recovered and reached record-high GDP per capita prices in 2013. Global GDP per capita has doubled over the past decade. Gross domestic product of industrial countries and emerging and developing countries combined is greater than GDP of all the other selected global regions combined, indicating economic prosperity and recovery despite some financial backsets. In the main industrialized and emerging countries, gross domestic product per capita is highest for the United States, followed by Germany and France. In the European Union, despite the financial crisis of 2008, GDP per capita has improved significantly. Another member of the European Union, Luxembourg, even reports the largest GDP per capita worldwide, followed by non-EU members Norway and Qatar.

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.

The average for 2023 based on 183 countries was 26826 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 130491 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Burundi: 829 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2023 based on 62 countries was 56418 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 130491 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Palau: 15797 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

19 of the 20 countries with the lowest estimated GDP per capita in the world in 2024 are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Sudan is believed to have a GDP per capita of just 351.02 U.S. dollars - for reference, Luxembourg has the highest GDP per capita in the world, at almost 130,000 U.S. dollars, which is around 400 times larger than that of Burundi (U.S. GDP per capita is over 250 times higher than Burundi's). Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa Many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa have been among the most impoverished in the world for over a century, due to lacking nutritional and sanitation infrastructures, persistent conflict, and political instability. These issues are also being exacerbated by climate change, where African nations are some of the most vulnerable in the world, as well as the population boom that will place over the 21st century. Of course, the entire population of Sub-Saharan Africa does not live in poverty, and countries in the southern part of the continent, as well as oil-producing states around the Gulf of Guinea, do have some pockets of significant wealth (especially in urban areas). However, while GDP per capita may be higher in these countries, wealth distribution is often very skewed, and GDP per capita figures are not representative of average living standards across the population. Outside of Africa Yemen is the only country outside of Africa to feature on the list, due to decades of civil war and instability. Yemen lags very far behind some of its neighboring Arab states, some of whom rank among the richest in the world due to their much larger energy sectors. Additionally, the IMF does not make estimates for Afghanistan, which would also likely feature on this list.

Graph and download economic data for Constant GDP per capita for High Income Countries (NYGDPPCAPKDHIC) from 1960 to 2023 about per capita, income, and GDP.

GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) in World was reported at 24248 USD in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The GDP per capita for countries is shown in this dataset for the different years. This economic metric shows the economic output per person and determines the country’s situation based on its economic growth. This dataset can be used to analyze the prosperity of a country based on its economic growth. Countries with higher GDP per countries are determined to be developed whereas countries with low GDP per capita are determined to be developing countries. This dataset can be used to analyze a country’s wealth and prosperity.

Graph and download economic data for Constant GDP per capita for Low Income Countries (NYGDPPCAPKDLIC) from 1980 to 2024 about per capita, income, and GDP.

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.

Since 1970, net national incomes per capita have grown in each region of the world. North America has experienced the largest increase, growing from nearly 4,500 U.S. dollars per capita in 1970 to $57,300 per capita in 2021. Europe and Central Asia follow behind North America, growing from 1,200 dollars per capita in 1970 to 22,000 in 2021. Other regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia have not grown as high, but their growth is still significant, with net national incomes per capita in 2021 growing to between 10 and 20 times their 1970 levels.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product Per Capita for Lower Middle Income Countries (NYGDPPCAPCDLMC) from 1960 to 2024 about per capita, income, and GDP.

This statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in selected world regions in 2023. In North America, the gross domestic product per capita in 2023 amounted to approximately 79,640.43 U.S. dollars.

This statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the main industrialized and emerging countries in current prices in 2024. All figures are estimates. This year, the gross domestic product per capita in China amounted to approximately 13,312.7 U.S. dollars.

GDP per capita growth (annual %) in World was reported at 1.8895 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - GDP per capita growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Net national incomes have grown globally, growing from 694 U.S. dollars in 1970 to 9,750 in 2021. Much of this growth can be attributed to improvements in overall global development, as economies in developing countries have grown rapidly. Net national incomes grew steadily from the 1970s to the 2000s, and then experienced a sharper increase during the 2000s until the Great Recession, falling slightly in 2008.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in China was last recorded at 13121.68 US dollars in 2024. The GDP per Capita in China is equivalent to 104 percent of the world's average. This dataset provides - China GDP per capita - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product Per Capita for Low and Middle Income Countries (NYGDPPCAPCDLMY) from 1960 to 2023 about per capita, income, and GDP.