19 of the 20 countries with the lowest estimated GDP per capita in the world in 2023 are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Burundi is believed to have a GDP per capita of just 326.84 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.

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 four are in Asia, alongside the U.S., Canada, 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.

Gross domestic product ranking table.

The statistic shows global gross domestic product (GDP) from 1985 to 2022, with projections up until 2029. In 2020, global GDP amounted to about 85.52 trillion U.S. dollars, two and a half trillion lower than in 2019. Gross domestic product Gross domestic product, also known as GDP, is the accumulated value of all finished goods and services produced in a country, often measured annually. GDP is significant in determining the economic health, growth and productivity in the country, and is a stat often used when comparing several countries at a time, most likely in order to determine which country has seen the most progress. Until 2020, Global GDP had experienced a growth every year since 2010. However, a strong growth rate does not necessarily lead to all positive outcomes and often has a negative effect on inflation rates. A severe growth in GDP leads to lower unemployment, however lower unemployment often leads to higher inflation rates due to demand increasing at a much higher rate than supply and as a result prices rise accordingly. In terms of unemployment, growth had been fairly stagnant since the economic downturn of 2007-2009, but it remains to be seen what the total impact of the coronavirus pandemic will be on total employment.

This dataset provides values for GDP 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 Gross Domestic Product Per Capita for Least Developed Countries (NYGDPPCAPCDLDC) from 1960 to 2023 about per capita and GDP.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States was worth 27720.71 billion US dollars in 2023, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of the United States represents 26.29 percent of the world economy. This dataset provides - United States GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

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

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.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of California was about 3.23 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, meaning that it contributed the most out of any state to the country’s GDP in that year. In contrast, Vermont had the lowest GDP in the United States, with 35.07 billion U.S. dollars. What is GDP? Gross domestic product, or GDP, is the total monetary value of all goods and services produced by an economy within a certain time period. GDP is used by economists to determine the economic health of an area, as well as to determine the size of the economy. GDP can be determined for countries, states and provinces, and metropolitan areas. While GDP is a good measure of the absolute size of a country's economy and economic activity, it does account for many other factors, making it a poor indicator for measuring the cost or standard of living in a country, or for making cross-country comparisons. GDP of the United States The United States has the largest gross domestic product in the world as of 2023, with China, Japan, Germany, and India rounding out the top five. The GDP of the United States has almost quadrupled since 1990, when it was about 5.9 trillion U.S. dollars, to about 25.46 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022.

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.

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 U.S. dollars.

Italy IT: GDP data was reported at 1,716,934.700 EUR mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,680,948.100 EUR mn for 2016. Italy IT: GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 626,620.681 EUR mn from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,716,934.700 EUR mn in 2017 and a record low of 13,014.646 EUR mn in 1960. Italy IT: GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Gross Domestic Product: Nominal. GDP at purchaser's prices 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.; ;

GDP: per Capita: Gansu: Longnan: Hui data was reported at 38,066.588 RMB in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 35,547.000 RMB for 2022. GDP: per Capita: Gansu: Longnan: Hui data is updated yearly, averaging 19,772.000 RMB from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2023, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38,066.588 RMB in 2023 and a record low of 5,401.000 RMB in 2005. GDP: per Capita: Gansu: Longnan: Hui data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s National Accounts – Table CN.AF: Gross Domestic Product: per Capita: County Level Region.

United States US: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Agriculture data was reported at 1.014 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.070 % for 2015. United States US: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Agriculture data is updated yearly, averaging 1.139 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2016, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.380 % in 2013 and a record low of 0.969 % in 2002. United States US: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Agriculture data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Gross Domestic Product: Share of GDP. Agriculture corresponds to ISIC divisions 1-5 and includes forestry, hunting, and fishing, as well as cultivation of crops and livestock production. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3 or 4.; ; World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; Weighted Average; Note: Data for OECD countries are based on ISIC, revision 4.

Data from 1st of June 2022. For most recent GDP data, consult dataset nama_10_gdp. Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure for the economic activity. It is defined as the value of all goods and services produced less the value of any goods or services used in their creation. The volume index of GDP per capita in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) is expressed in relation to the European Union average set to equal 100. If the index of a country is higher than 100, this country's level of GDP per head is higher than the EU average and vice versa. Basic figures are expressed in PPS, i.e. a common currency that eliminates the differences in price levels between countries allowing meaningful volume comparisons of GDP between countries. Please note that the index, calculated from PPS figures and expressed with respect to EU27_2020 = 100, is intended for cross-country comparisons rather than for temporal comparisons."

In 1938, the year before the Second World War, the United States had, by far, the largest economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). The five Allied Great Powers that emerged victorious from the war, along with the three Axis Tripartite Pact countries that were ultimately defeated made up the eight largest independent economies in 1938.

When values are converted into 1990 international dollars, the U.S. GDP was over 800 billion dollars in 1938, which was more than double that of the second largest economy, the Soviet Union. Even the combined economies of the UK, its dominions, and colonies had a value of just over 680 billion 1990 dollars, showing that the United States had established itself as the world's leading economy during the interwar period (despite the Great Depression).

Interestingly, the British and Dutch colonies had larger combined GDPs than their respective metropoles, which was a key motivator for the Japanese invasion of these territories in East Asia during the war. Trade with neutral and non-belligerent countries also contributed greatly to the economic development of Allied and Axis powers throughout the war; for example, natural resources from Latin America were essential to the American war effort, while German manufacturing was often dependent on Swedish iron supplies.

Ecuador EC: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Industry: Manufacturing data was reported at 8.560 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.766 % for 2016. Ecuador EC: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Industry: Manufacturing data is updated yearly, averaging 16.865 % from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2017, with 53 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.401 % in 2000 and a record low of 8.560 % in 2017. Ecuador EC: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Industry: Manufacturing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ecuador – Table EC.World Bank.WDI: Gross Domestic Product: Share of GDP. Manufacturing refers to industries belonging to ISIC divisions 15-37. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3. Note: For VAB countries, gross value added at factor cost is used as the denominator.; ; World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; Weighted average; Note: Data for OECD countries are based on ISIC, revision 4.

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.

This dataset covers the link between natural resources booms and social policy expenditure for all countries of the Global South.

All countries with “total natural resources rents” (World Bank data) above 15% have been checked. Economic booms have been defined as “GDP growth (annual %)” (World Bank data) showing at least three years of consecutive economic growth amounting to a total of at least 20% in GDP growth. For each country, all consecutive years where the total natural resource rent stays above 15% and GDP is growing have been taken together as one natural resource boom phase.

For each natural resource boom phase state social policy expenditure has been taken from the World Bank database, the IMF and the Global State Revenues and Expenditures Dataset (GSRE). For 45 cases from 37 countries there are sufficient data for analysis. For 23 cases, data on social spending are not sufficient to establish a trend over the full boom period for at least one type of social policy expenditure.

For the 45 cases, we calculate the slope of the linear trendline for all types of social expenditure as share of GDP for which data are available. We sort all cases for which sufficient data are available into three groups: (1) social spending increases in line with GDP (i.e., average increase = flat trendline for spending as share of GDP, marked as “=” in the dataset), (2) state social spending gets a substantially higher share of GDP (operationalized as a trendline slope higher than +7%, marked as “+” in the dataset) or (3) the share of GDP devoted to social spending by the state decreases (slope of the trendline below -7%, marked as “–” in the dataset).

This dataset contains the full data collection in one Excel file (sheet 1 contains all original data for all countries, sheets 2-4 shows the trendline scopes for all case countries and sheet 5 lists all sources used by country). This dataset also contains a pdf file with a detailed description of data collection.

New in this version: Data for the trendline slope have been added for five years prior to and after each natural resource boom. The description of data collection (pdf file) has been updated.