Ranked: The World’s 25 Richest Countries by GDP per Capita

Get Ya Wig Split · Apr 19, 2023

Ranked: The World’s 25 Richest Countries by GDP per Capita

Mapped: Which Are the World’s Richest Countries?

Measuring GDP per capita is a common measure of the economic wealth on a per person basis. This article sorts countries according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections on GDP per capita for 2023.

Currently this metric is at $13,920 globally in 2023, up from $13,400 in 2022 and $11,160 in 2020, all nominal figures, not accounting for inflation.

Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in the EU has a population of 634,000 and is the richest country in this ranking with a per capita GDP of nearly $130,000. Formerly known for its steel manufacturing, the country now boasts a large financial services sector, which accounts for the majority of its economic output.

Luxembourg’s per capita GDP is nearly 415 times the per capita GDP of the world’s poorest country, Burundi, at $303.

Ireland is the second-richest country in the world on a GDP per capita basis with $107,000, followed by Switzerland at nearly $94,000. Ireland’s GDP per capita, in particular, has seen a significant increase in recent years due to its pro-business environment, low corporate tax rates, and a highly educated workforce that attracts foreign direct investment.

Most of the richest countries are found in Europe and North America (the top two richest continents), with a per capita GDP of $34,500 and $59,000, respectively. On the other hand, most of the poorest countries in the world are found in Africa.

Both metrics show a continuation of historical trends of regional wealth in the world.