GDP Per Capita
A country's gross domestic product divided by its population, measuring average economic output per person.
What is GDP Per Capita?
GDP per capita divides a country's gross domestic product by its total population to produce a measure of average economic output per person. It is the most widely used indicator of living standards and economic development across countries. Comparisons between countries are typically made using purchasing power parity (PPP)-adjusted GDP per capita, which adjusts for differences in price levels so that $1 buys a comparable basket of goods in each country. While GDP per capita is useful, it is an average and does not reflect income distribution — a country with high GDP per capita may still have widespread poverty if income is highly concentrated.
Example
In 2023, US GDP per capita (nominal) was approximately $80,000 — among the highest of large economies. However, Norway, Luxembourg, and Switzerland ranked higher. Meanwhile, India's nominal GDP per capita was around $2,500, though PPP-adjusted GDP per capita was roughly $9,000, reflecting lower domestic price levels.
Source: World Bank — GDP per Capita