* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

GDP per capita, Purchasing Power Parity, 2023:

The average for 2023 based on 43 countries was 50594 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 130491 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Moldova: 15855 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: U.S. dollars; Source: The World Bank
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries GDP per capita, PPP, 2023 Global rank Available data
Luxembourg 130491 1 1990 - 2023
Ireland 115505 2 1990 - 2023
Norway 90242 3 1990 - 2023
Switzerland 81758 4 1990 - 2023
Denmark 71455 5 1990 - 2023
Netherlands 70674 6 1990 - 2023
Faroe Isl. 70373 7 2008 - 2023
Iceland 66941 8 1990 - 2023
Andorra 64631 9 1990 - 2023
Austria 64394 10 1990 - 2023
Germany 63155 11 1990 - 2023
Belgium 62933 12 1990 - 2023
Sweden 62722 13 1990 - 2023
Malta 59602 14 1990 - 2023
Finland 56506 15 1990 - 2023
France 54018 16 1990 - 2023
Italy 52636 17 1990 - 2023
UK 52582 18 1990 - 2023
Cyprus 52195 19 1990 - 2023
Slovenia 47868 20 1990 - 2023
Czechia 47495 21 1990 - 2023
Spain 47341 22 1990 - 2023
Lithuania 46160 23 1990 - 2023
Poland 43625 24 1990 - 2023
Estonia 41707 25 1990 - 2023
Portugal 41536 26 1990 - 2023
Croatia 41138 27 1990 - 2023
Romania 40304 28 1990 - 2023
Hungary 40204 29 1990 - 2023
Russia 39753 30 1990 - 2023
Slovakia 39207 31 1990 - 2023
Latvia 38368 32 1990 - 2023
Greece 36855 33 1990 - 2023
Turkey 34283 34 1990 - 2023
Bulgaria 33142 35 1990 - 2023
Belarus 27718 36 1990 - 2023
Montenegro 27368 37 1997 - 2023
Serbia 25742 38 1995 - 2023
North Macedonia 23345 39 1990 - 2023
Bosnia & Herz. 19847 40 1990 - 2023
Albania 17992 41 1990 - 2023
Ukraine 15885 42 1990 - 2023
Moldova 15855 43 1990 - 2023


New - World map: GDP per capita, PPP




Definition: GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as the U.S. dollar has in the United States. 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 constant 2011 international dollars.
Is the world income inequality getting smaller?

If poor countries grow faster than rich countries, over time they will catch up in terms of their level of income measured by GDP per capita in PPP terms. This process is called income convergence. Alternatively, incomes would diverge if the rich countries grow more rapidly than poor countries. If economic growth is the same everywhere, then the differences in income across countries would remain the same. There are two main reasons for why incomes across countries might converge over time.

Technology spillover. One reason is that innovations and technologies that are developed in the rich countries soon become available in the poor countries. That happens, for example, through foreign direct investment as companies from the rich countries bring new technologies to the poor countries. When the same technology is available everywhere, then incomes would also tend to become equal over time because technology is an important ingredient of economic development.

Based on that argument, incomes would converge faster if a poor country is ready to use the advanced technology. If it has an educated work force and stable political and economic conditions, the technological spillover is more likely to occur. Conversely, if its education system and institutions are not well developed, the new technology cannot be adopted. The income of the country will lag behind the income of countries with better education and institutions.

Diminishing returns. The second reason is that investments in the rich countries are less profitable than investments in the poor countries. Think of it as follows. If an accounting firm (in a rich country) has 10 computers, one more computer will make little difference. If an accounting firm (in a poor country) has no computers at all, then buying one computer would make a big difference. The investment in that first computer would pay off handsomely. Therefore, international investment would flow primarily from the rich countries to the poor countries where profits are greater. This inflow of investment will make poor countries richer.

However, returns could also be increasing, instead of diminishing. In the example above, if the firm has many computers and much experience using them, an additional computer will be put to good use. If it has only one computer, then it may not know what to do with it. In that version of the story, adding investments to already rich firms or countries is more profitable. Then, investment flows to them and makes them even richer. Incomes around the world diverge instead of converging.

What is the evidence? There is income convergence across countries that are already fairly affluent. For example, incomes have converged significantly in the European Union and other rich countries in North America and elsewhere. Looking more broadly, there is no evidence that the incomes of poor countries in Africa, Latin America and elsewhere have gained relative to the rich countries. In fact, when it comes to the poorest countries, there has even been some income divergence.


Selected articles from our guide:

Are trade deficits bad for the economy?

Sources of economic growth

Currency values and investment returns

How to write an economics research paper

All articles

130491
115505
90242
81758
71455
70674
70373
66941
64631
64394
63155
62933
62722
59602
56506
54018
52636
52582
52195
47868
47495
47341
46160
43625
41707
41536
41138
40304
40204
39753
39207
38368
36855
34283
33142
27718
27368
25742
23345
19847
17992
15885
15855
0
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65245.5
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130491


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