GDP per capita: definition and caveats
What it measures
Average economic output per person in a country or region per year. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries. Unit: international-$ in 2021 prices.
Key points from Our World in Data
- GDP per capita is a comprehensive measure of people's average income. It helps compare income levels across countries and track how they change over time. It is especially useful for understanding trends in economic growth and living standards.
- GDP per capita is calculated as the value of all final goods and services produced each year in a country (the gross domestic product), divided by the population. It represents the average economic output per person.
- This indicator shows the large inequality between people in different countries. In the poorest countries, average incomes are below $1,000 per year; in rich countries, they are more than 50 times higher.
- This data is expressed in constant international dollars to adjust for inflation and differences in living costs between countries. Read more in our article, What are international dollars?
- This data comes from the World Bank and starts in 1990. For estimates going back several centuries, explore our chart of GDP per capita from the Maddison Project Database.