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.

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 statistic displays the global gross domestic product (GDP) per capita from 2014 to 2024. 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 2024, global GDP per capita amounted to about 13,673 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.

The average for 2024 based on 177 countries was 27291 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in Singapore: 132570 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Burundi: 836 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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 Constant GDP per capita for High Income Countries (NYGDPPCAPKDHIC) from 1960 to 2024 about per capita, income, and GDP.

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is a crucial economic indicator that represents the average economic output per person in a given country or region. It is calculated by dividing the total GDP by the population size. This metric is often used to compare the economic performance of different countries and assess the relative prosperity of their citizens. Two commonly used versions of this indicator are GDP per capita at current prices and GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP). GDP per capita at current prices reflects the total economic output of a country divided by its population, using the market prices of goods and services at the time of measurement. This metric provides a snapshot of the economic activity within a country without adjusting for inflation or differences in the cost of living across regions. Global GDP per capita at current prices (PPP) provides a measure of the average economic output per person, adjusted for the differences in the cost of living between countries. This adjustment allows for a more accurate comparison of living standards and economic productivity across different 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.

The average for 2024 based on 58 countries was 58042 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in Singapore: 132570 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Barbados: 19946 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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.

ABOUT

The Global GDP Per Capita Dataset provides a comprehensive record of annual economic output per person across various countries and regions. It includes key economic indicators such as GDP per capita (adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity), country codes, and yearly data points. This dataset is valuable for economists, researchers, policymakers, and analysts interested in studying economic growth, income distribution, and global development trends.

Key features of the dataset:

✅ Covers multiple countries and regions worldwide
✅ Provides annual GDP per capita data from 1990 to 2023
✅ Adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity (PPP, constant 2021$)
✅ Sourced from the World Bank - World Development Indicators
✅ Useful for economic analysis, policy-making, and financial forecasting

This dataset serves as a crucial resource for understanding global economic trends, comparing living standards across nations, and making data-driven decisions in economic research and policy development.

FILE INFORMATION

The dataset consists of structured records related to GDP per capita, compiled from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI). Each file contains country-level economic data, including GDP per capita values in constant 2021 international dollars (PPP). This allows researchers, economists, and data analysts to study economic growth patterns and trends over time. The file type is CSV.

COLUMNS DESCRIPTION

• Entity – The country or region name.
• Code – The country code (ISO Alpha-3 format or OWID custom code) [NOTE : missing value if there is no ISO Alpha-3 code].
• Year – The year of the GDP observation (1990–2023).
• GDP per capita (PPP, 2021$) – The economic output per person, adjusted for inflation and cost of living.

This dataset provides valuable insights into economic trends over three decades, helping researchers analyze global income levels, economic development, and policy impacts.

Graph and download economic data for Constant GDP per capita for Low and Middle Income Countries (NYGDPPCAPKDLMY) from 1960 to 2024 about per capita, income, and GDP.

The average for 2024 based on 178 countries was 15841.4 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in Bermuda: 117661.27 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Burundi: 255.6 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Actual value and historical data chart for World GDP Per Capita Ppp Us Dollar

This statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in selected world regions in 2024. In North America, the gross domestic product per capita in 2024 amounted to approximately 82,406.48 U.S. dollars.

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.

Actual value and historical data chart for World GDP Per Capita Growth Annual Percent

The adjusted net national income per capita worldwide stood at 9,707.19 U.S. dollars in 2021. Between 1970 and 2021, the net national income per capita rose by 9,011.28 U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

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.

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.