The ranking of the world’s richest countries can vary depending on the metrics used. One common measure is Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, which can provide insights into the average economic output per person. Here’s an overview of the richest countries based on GDP per capita as of 2024.
List of the 100 richest countries 2024 ranked by GDP
Rank | Country | GDP-PPP per capita ($) | Continent |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Liechtenstein | 143,304 | Europe |
2 | Ireland | 137,638 | Europe |
3 | Singapore | 133,108 | Asia |
4 | Qatar | 114,210 | Asia |
5 | Macao | 98,157 | Asia |
6 | Switzerland | 89,537 | Europe |
7 | United Arab Emirates | 88,962 | Asia |
8 | San Marino | 84,135 | Europe |
9 | Norway | 82,655 | Europe |
10 | United States | 80,412 | North America |
11 | Denmark | 74,958 | Europe |
12 | Netherlands | 73,317 | Europe |
13 | Hong Kong | 72,861 | Asia |
14 | Brunei | 72,610 | Asia |
15 | Taiwan | 72,485 | Asia |
16 | Iceland | 69,833 | Europe |
17 | Austria | 69,069 | Europe |
18 | Saudi Arabia | 68,453 | Asia |
19 | Andorra | 68,232 | Europe |
20 | Sweden | 66,209 | Europe |
21 | Germany | 66,038 | Europe |
22 | Belgium | 65,813 | Europe |
23 | Australia | 64,674 | Australia |
24 | Malta | 63,481 | Europe |
25 | Guyana | 61,099 | South America |
26 | Bahrain | 60,715 | Asia |
27 | Finland | 59,869 | Europe |
28 | Canada | 59,813 | North America |
29 | France | 58,765 | Europe |
30 | United Kingdom | 56,836 | Europe |
31 | South Korea | 56,709 | Asia |
32 | Israel | 54,771 | Asia |
33 | Italy | 54,259 | Europe |
34 | Cyprus | 53,931 | Europe |
35 | New Zealand | 53,809 | Oceania |
36 | Japan | 52,120 | Asia |
37 | Kuwait | 51,765 | Asia |
38 | Slovenia | 52,641 | Europe |
39 | Aruba | 51,352 | South America |
40 | Spain | 50,472 | Europe |
41 | Lithuania | 49,245 | Europe |
42 | Czech Republic | 49,025 | Europe |
43 | Poland | 45,538 | Europe |
44 | Estonia | 45,236 | Europe |
45 | Portugal | 45,227 | Europe |
46 | Bahamas | 44,950 | North America |
47 | Hungary | 43,601 | Europe |
48 | Croatia | 42,873 | Europe |
49 | Panama | 42,738 | North America |
50 | Slovak Republic | 42,228 | Europe |
51 | Turkey | 41,888 | Europe/Asia |
52 | Seychelles | 41,829 | Africa |
53 | Puerto Rico | 41,682 | North America |
54 | Romania | 41,029 | Europe |
55 | Latvia | 40,892 | Europe |
56 | Greece | 39,478 | Europe |
57 | Oman | 39,336 | Asia |
58 | Maldives | 37,094 | Asia |
59 | Malaysia | 37,083 | Asia |
60 | Russia | 35,310 | Europe/Asia |
61 | Bulgaria | 33,780 | Europe |
62 | Kazakhstan | 32,712 | Asia |
63 | Trinidad and Tobago | 30,719 | South America |
64 | Chile | 29,935 | South America |
65 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 29,893 | North America |
66 | Mauritius | 29,349 | Africa |
67 | Uruguay | 28,984 | South America |
68 | Montenegro | 28,002 | Europe |
69 | Argentina | 26,506 | South America |
70 | Costa Rica | 26,809 | North America |
71 | Dominican Republic | 25,523 | North America |
72 | Serbia | 26,074 | Europe |
73 | Antigua and Barbuda | 25,449 | North America |
74 | Mexico | 24,976 | North America |
75 | Libya | 24,382 | Africa |
76 | Belarus | 24,017 | Europe |
77 | China | 23,309 | Asia |
78 | Thailand | 22,491 | Asia |
79 | Georgia | 22,357 | Europe/Asia |
80 | North Macedonia | 21,391 | Europe |
81 | Grenada | 20,195 | North America |
82 | Brazil | 20,079 | South America |
83 | Iran | 19,942 | Asia |
84 | Turkmenistan | 19,939 | Asia |
85 | Armenia | 19,745 | Asia |
86 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 19,634 | Europe |
87 | Albania | 19,566 | Europe |
88 | Colombia | 19,482 | South America |
89 | Botswana | 19,394 | Africa |
90 | Gabon | 19,165 | Africa |
91 | St. Lucia | 18,973 | North America |
92 | Barbados | 18,738 | North America |
93 | Azerbaijan | 18,694 | Europe/Asia |
94 | Equatorial Guinea | 18,363 | Africa |
95 | Suriname | 18,311 | South America |
96 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 17,840 | North America |
97 | Egypt | 17,123 | Africa/Asia |
98 | Moldova | 16,916 | Europe |
99 | Fiji | 15,564 | Oceania |
100 | South Africa | 16,211 | Africa |
Understanding GDP Per Capita
GDP per capita is often used as an indicator of a country’s standard of living. However, it’s important to note that this metric is not a direct measure of personal income. It simply divides the country’s total GDP by its population. Additionally, GDP per capita doesn’t account for the cost of living differences between countries.
Factors Influencing High GDP Per Capita
Several factors contribute to high GDP per capita in these countries, including advanced economies, high levels of innovation and technology, efficient use of resources, and in some cases, significant revenues from natural resources like oil and gas. It’s also noteworthy that some of these jurisdictions, like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, are considered tax havens, which can inflate their GDP figures.
While GDP per capita is a useful indicator for comparing economic productivity and standards of living across countries, it has its limitations. It doesn’t account for income inequality, cost of living differences, or the overall well-being of a country’s residents. Therefore, while these countries rank as the richest by GDP per capita, this doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best places to live in terms of overall quality of life.
READ NEXT