Do you sometimes wonder how your country's economy compares to the economies of other countries in the world? In the table below I tried to arrange as many countries as I could, showing their financial indices and population data. The numbers were taken from the CIA 2002 factbook. (1) I included countries according to the following criteria. The country must:
The first clause excludes dependent territories, such as some islands in the Atlantic, where a few retired millionaires create a biased view of the area's GDP per capita. The second clause(2) excludes the least populated countries.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not blame me for the accuracy(3) of the data. All I did was that I took some numbers from the above source and arranged them in a table!(4)
If you are interested in past years, (5) here are the tables for 2001, 2000, 1999 and 1998.
The table below is sorted first by GDP per capita (descending), and then by GDP growth rate (also descending).
Sorting countries according to GDP per capita does not provide the best indication of each nation's living standards. The latter is a multi-dimensional concept that cannot be captured by a single number. Other important factors regarding living standards are:
| 2 0 0 2 |
Country |
GDP per |
GDP |
GDP |
Distr. of |
Inflation |
Population |
Popul. |
Infant |
2 0 0 1 |
2 0 0 0 |
1 9 9 9 |
| 1 | United States | $36,300 | 0.3% | $10,082.00 | 40.8 | 2.8% | 280,562,489 | 0.89% | 6.69 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Switzerland | $31,100 | 1.6% | $226.00 | 33.1 | 1.0% | 7,301,994 | 0.24% | 4.42 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Norway | $30,800 | 1.3% | $138.70 | 25.8 | 3.1% | 4,525,116 | 0.47% | 3.90 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | Denmark | $28,000 | 1.1% | $149.80 | 24.7 | 2.4% | 5,368,854 | 0.29% | 4.97 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Canada | $27,700 | 1.9% | $875.00 | 31.5 | 2.8% | 31,902,268 | 0.96% | 4.95 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| 6 | Ireland | $27,300 | 5.6% | $104.70 | 35.9 | 4.9% | 3,883,159 | 1.07% | 5.43 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| 7 | Japan | $27,200 | -0.3% | $3,450.00 | 24.9 | -0.6% | 126,974,628 | 0.15% | 3.84 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | Austria | $27,000 | 1.2% | $220.00 | 23.1 | 2.6% | 8,169,929 | 0.23% | 4.39 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | Germany | $26,200 | 0.6% | $2,174.00 | 30.0 | 2.4% | 83,251,851 | 0.26% | 4.65 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| 10 | Belgium | $26,100 | 1.1% | $267.70 | 25.0 | 2.4% | 10,274,595 | 0.15% | 4.64 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| 11 | Netherlands | $25,800 | 1.1% | $413.00 | 32.6 | 4.5% | 16,067,754 | 0.53% | 4.31 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 12 | Finland | $25,800 | 0.6% | $133.50 | 25.6 | 2.6% | 5,183,545 | 0.14% | 3.76 | 14 | 17 | 17 |
| 13 | France | $25,400 | 2.1% | $1,510.00 | 32.7 | 1.7% | 59,765,983 | 0.35% | 4.41 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| 14 | United Kingdom | $24,700 | 2.4% | $1,470.00 | 36.1 | 1.8% | 59,778,002 | 0.21% | 5.45 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
| 15 | Sweden | $24,700 | 1.6% | $219.00 | 25.0 | 2.7% | 8,876,744 | 0.02% | 3.44 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
| 16 | Singapore | $24,700 | -2.2% | $106.30 | NA | 1.5% | 4,452,732 | 3.46% | 3.60 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Italy | $24,300 | 1.8% | $1,402.00 | 27.3 | 2.7% | 57,715,625 | 0.05% | 5.76 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
| 18 | Australia | $24,000 | 2.3% | $465.90 | 35.2 | 4.3% | 19,546,792 | 0.96% | 4.90 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| 19 | Qatar | $21,200 | 5.6% | $16.30 | NA | 2.0% | 793,341 | 3.02% | 20.73 | 20 | 24 | 22 |
| 20 | U.A.E.(6) | $21,100 | 5.6% | $51.00 | NA | 4.5% | 2,445,989 | 1.58% | 16.12 | 15 | 21 | 21 |
| 21 | Israel | $20,000 | -0.6% | $119.00 | 35.5 | 1.1% | 6,029,529 | 1.48% | 7.55 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| 22 | New Zealand | $19,500 | 3.1% | $75.40 | NA | 2.6% | 3,908,037 | 1.12% | 6.18 | 23 | 22 | 23 |
| 23 | Spain | $18,900 | 2.8% | $757.00 | 32.5 | 3.8% | 40,077,100 | 0.09% | 4.85 | 22 | 23 | 25 |
| 24 | Korea, South | $18,000 | 3.3% | $865.00 | 31.6 | 4.3% | 48,324,000 | 0.85% | 7.58 | 26 | 30 | 30 |
| 25 | Greece | $17,900 | 3.7% | $189.70 | 32.7 | 3.4% | 10,645,343 | 0.20% | 6.25 | 25 | 27 | 27 |
| 26 | Portugal | $17,300 | 1.7% | $174.10 | 35.6 | 4.4% | 10,084,245 | 0.18% | 5.84 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| 27 | Taiwan | $17,200 | -2.2% | $386.00 | 32.6 | 0.5% | 22,548,009 | 0.78% | 6.80 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
| 28 | Slovenia | $16,000 | 4.0% | $31.00 | 28.4 | 8.4% | 1,932,917 | 0.14% | 4.47 | 33 | 33 | 34 |
| 29 | Kuwait | $15,100 | 4.0% | $30.90 | NA | 2.7% | 2,111,561 | 3.33% | 10.87 | 29 | 13 | 9 |
| 30 | Czech Republic | $14,400 | 3.4% | $147.90 | 26.0 | 4.7% | 10,256,760 | -0.07% | 5.46 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
| 31 | Cyprus(7) | $13,944 = $15,000 & $7,000 | 2.6% & 0.8% | $9.10 & $1.10 | NA | 1.9% & 53.2% | 767,314 | 0.57% | 7.71 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| 32 | Bahrain | $13,000 | 4.0% | $8.40 | NA | 1.5% | 656,397 | 1.67% | 19.18 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| 33 | Hungary | $12,000 | 3.9% | $120.90 | 25.3 | 9.2% | 10,075,034 | -0.30% | 8.77 | 34 | 46 | 45 |
| 34 | Argentina | $12,000 | -4.6% | $453.00 | NA | 4.0% | 37,812,817 | 1.13% | 17.20 | 32 | 36 | 33 |
| 35 | Slovakia | $11,500 | 3.0% | $62.00 | 26.3 | 7.4% | 5,422,366 | 0.14% | 8.76 | 38 | 41 | 41 |
| 36 | Mauritius | $10,800 | 5.2% | $12.90 | 0.4 | 4.2% | 1,200,206 | 0.86% | 16.65 | 36 | 35 | 36 |
| 37 | Saudi Arabia | $10,600 | 1.6% | $241.00 | NA | 1.7% | 23,513,330 | 3.27% | 49.59 | 35 | 38 | 38 |
| 38 | Estonia | $10,000 | 4.7% | $14.30 | 37.0 | 5.8% | 1,415,681 | -0.52% | 12.32 | 40 | 58 | 57 |
| 39 | Chile | $10,000 | 3.1% | $153.00 | 57.5 | 3.5% | 15,498,930 | 1.09% | 9.12 | 39 | 31 | 31 |
| 40 | South Africa | $9,400 | 2.6% | $412.00 | 59.3 | 5.8% | 43,647,658 | 0.02% | 61.78 | 46 | 51 | 48 |
| 41 | Uruguay | $9,200 | -1.5% | $31.00 | 42.3 | 3.6% | 3,386,575 | 0.79% | 14.25 | 42 | 42 | 39 |
| 42 | Trinidad & Tobago | $9,000 | 4.0% | $10.60 | NA | 5.6% | 1,163,724 | -0.52% | 24.20 | 41 | 39 | 43 |
| 43 | Malaysia | $9,000 | 0.3% | $200.00 | 49.2 | 1.5% | 22,662,365 | 1.91% | 19.66 | 37 | 34 | 35 |
| 44 | Mexico | $9,000 | -0.3% | $920.00 | 51.9 | 6.5% | 103,400,165 | 1.47% | 24.52 | 43 | 40 | 42 |
| 45 | Poland | $8,800 | 1.5% | $339.60 | 32.7 | 5.3% | 38,625,478 | -0.02% | 9.17 | 45 | 49 | 47 |
| 46 | Costa Rica | $8,500 | 0.3% | $31.90 | 45.9 | 12.1% | 3,834,934 | 1.61% | 10.87 | 56 | 50 | 49 |
| 47 | Russia | $8,300 | 5.2% | $1,200.00 | 39.9 | 21.9% | 144,978,573 | -0.33% | 19.78 | 47 | 72 | 73 |
| 48 | Croatia | $8,300 | 4.0% | $36.10 | 29.0 | 5.0% | 4,390,751 | 1.12% | 7.06 | 67 | 63 | 60 |
| 49 | Oman | $8,200 | 7.4% | $21.50 | NA | 1.0% | 2,713,462 | 3.41% | 21.77 | 48 | 43 | 44 |
| 50 | Belarus | $8,200 | 4.1% | $84.80 | 21.7 | 46.1% | 10,335,382 | -0.14% | 14.12 | 49 | 61 | 58 |
| 51 | Latvia | $7,800 | 6.3% | $18.60 | 32.0 | 2.5% | 2,366,515 | -0.77% | 14.96 | 52 | 74 | 70 |
| 52 | Botswana | $7,800 | 4.7% | $12.40 | NA | 6.6% | 1,591,232 | 0.18% | 64.72 | 57 | 75 | |
| 53 | Lithuania | $7,600 | 4.8% | $27.40 | 34.0 | 1.3% | 3,601,138 | -0.25% | 14.34 | 50 | 65 | 63 |
| 54 | Libya | $7,600 | 3.0% | $40.00 | NA | 13.6% | 5,368,585 | 2.41% | 27.90 | 44 | 45 | 51 |
| 55 | World | $7,600 | 2.2% | $47,000.00 | NA | NA | 6,233,821,945 | 1.23% | 51.55 | 53 | 52 | 53 |
| 56 | Brazil | $7,400 | 1.9% | $1,340.00 | 59.1 | 7.7% | 176,029,560 | 0.87% | 35.87 | 59 | 57 | 55 |
| 57 | Romania | $6,800 | 4.8% | $152.70 | 30.5 | 34.5% | 22,317,730 | -0.21% | 18.88 | 66 | 77 | 72 |
| 58 | Turkey | $6,700 | -6.5% | $443.00 | 41.5 | 69.0% | 67,308,928 | 1.20% | 45.77 | 54 | 56 | 52 |
| 59 | Tunisia | $6,600 | 4.8% | $64.50 | 41.7 | 2.7% | 9,815,644 | 1.12% | 27.97 | 58 | 59 | 59 |
| 60 | Thailand | $6,600 | 1.4% | $410.00 | 41.4 | 1.6% | 62,354,402 | 0.88% | 29.50 | 55 | 54 | 56 |
| 61 | Iran | $6,400 | 5.0% | $426.00 | NA | 13.0% | 66,622,704 | 0.77% | 28.07 | 60 | 62 | 62 |
| 62 | Colombia | $6,300 | 1.5% | $255.00 | 57.1 | 7.6% | 41,008,227 | 1.60% | 23.21 | 64 | 55 | 54 |
| 63 | Bulgaria | $6,200 | 4.0% | $48.00 | 34.1 | 7.5% | 7,621,337 | -1.11% | 14.18 | 62 | 70 | 69 |
| 64 | Venezuela | $6,100 | 2.7% | $146.20 | 48.8 | 12.3% | 24,287,670 | 1.52% | 24.58 | 63 | 44 | 40 |
| 65 | Kazakhstan | $5,900 | 12.2% | $98.10 | 35.4 | 8.5% | 16,741,519 | 0.10% | 58.95 | 70 | 85 | |
| 66 | Panama | $5,900 | 1.4% | $16.90 | 48.5 | 1.0% | 2,882,329 | 1.26% | 19.57 | 65 | 47 | 46 |
| 67 | Dominican Rep. | $5,800 | 1.5% | $50.00 | 47.4 | 5.0% | 8,721,594 | 1.61% | 33.41 | 68 | 60 | 61 |
| 68 | Algeria | $5,600 | 3.8% | $177.00 | 35.3 | 3.0% | 32,277,942 | 1.68% | 39.15 | 69 | 66 | 65 |
| 69 | Gabon | $5,500 | 2.5% | $6.70 | NA | 1.5% | 1,233,353 | 0.97% | 93.50 | 61 | 53 | |
| 70 | Fiji | $5,200 | 1.0% | $4.40 | NA | 3.0% | 856,346 | 1.41% | 13.72 | 51 | 48 | 50 |
| 71 | Lebanon | $5,200 | 1.0% | $18.80 | NA | 0.5% | 3,677,780 | 1.36% | 27.39 | 71 | 67 | 66 |
| 72 | Peru | $4,800 | -0.3% | $132.00 | 46.2 | 1.5% | 27,949,639 | 1.66% | 38.18 | 75 | 68 | 67 |
| 73 | Turkmenistan | $4,700 | 10.0% | $21.50 | 40.8 | 10.0% | 4,688,963 | 1.84% | 73.21 | 77 | 111 | |
| 74 | El Salvador | $4,600 | 1.4% | $28.40 | 50.8 | 3.8% | 6,353,681 | 1.83% | 27.58 | 79 | 86 | |
| 75 | Paraguay | $4,600 | 0.0% | $26.20 | 57.7 | 7.2% | 5,884,491 | 2.57% | 28.75 | 73 | 80 | 75 |
| 76 | Namibia | $4,500 | 4.0% | $8.10 | NA | 8.8% | 1,820,916 | 1.19% | 72.43 | 78 | 69 | 71 |
| 77 | F.Y.R.O.M.(8) | $4,400 | -4.0% | $9.00 | NA | 5.3% | 2,054,800 | 0.41% | 12.54 | 76 | 79 | 88 |
| 78 | China | $4,300 | 7.3% | $5,560.00 | 40.0 | 0.8% | 1,284,303,705 | 0.87% | 27.25 | 85 | 78 | 76 |
| 79 | Ukraine | $4,200 | 9.0% | $205.00 | 30.0 | 12.0% | 48,396,470 | -0.72% | 21.14 | 81 | 103 | 82 |
| 80 | Jordan | $4,200 | 2.8% | $21.60 | 36.4 | 1.5% | 5,307,470 | 2.89% | 19.61 | 87 | 83 | 77 |
| 81 | Swaziland | $4,200 | 2.5% | $4.60 | NA | 7.5% | 1,123,605 | 1.63% | 109.43 | 80 | 73 | 68 |
| 82 | Philippines | $4,000 | 2.8% | $335.00 | 46.2 | 6.0% | 84,525,639 | 1.99% | 27.87 | 82 | 81 | 78 |
| 83 | Albania | $3,800 | 7.3% | $13.20 | NA | 3.0% | 3,544,841 | 1.06% | 38.64 | 92 | 119 | 87 |
| 84 | Morocco | $3,700 | 5.0% | $112.00 | 39.5 | 1.0% | 31,167,783 | 1.68% | 46.49 | 88 | 82 | |
| 85 | Egypt | $3,700 | 2.5% | $258.00 | 28.9 | 2.3% | 70,712,345 | 1.66% | 58.60 | 86 | 87 | |
| 86 | Guatemala | $3,700 | 2.3% | $48.30 | 55.8 | 7.6% | 13,314,079 | 2.57% | 44.55 | 83 | 76 | 74 |
| 87 | Jamaica | $3,700 | 1.1% | $9.80 | 36.4 | 6.9% | 2,680,029 | 0.56% | 13.71 | 84 | 84 | |
| 88 | Guyana | $3,600 | 2.8% | $2.50 | NA | 6.0% | 698,209 | 0.23% | 38.37 | 72 | 95 | |
| 89 | Armenia | $3,350 | 9.6% | $11.20 | 44.4 | 3.1% | 3,330,099 | -0.15% | 41.07 | 93 | 89 | 79 |
| 90 | Sri Lanka | $3,250 | -1.0% | $62.70 | 34.4 | 14.2% | 19,576,783 | 0.85% | 15.65 | 89 | 93 | |
| 91 | Syria | $3,200 | 2.0% | $54.20 | NA | 0.3% | 17,155,814 | 2.50% | 32.73 | 90 | 96 | |
| 92 | Azerbaijan | $3,100 | 9.9% | $24.30 | 36.0 | 1.6% | 7,798,497 | 0.38% | 82.74 | 91 | 114 | 86 |
| 93 | Georgia | $3,100 | 8.4% | $15.50 | 37.1 | 4.6% | 4,960,951 | -0.55% | 51.81 | 74 | 100 | 81 |
| 94 | Ecuador | $3,000 | 4.3% | $39.60 | 43.7 | 22.0% | 13,447,494 | 1.96% | 33.02 | 95 | 71 | 64 |
| 95 | Indonesia | $3,000 | 3.3% | $687.00 | 31.7 | 11.5% | 231,328,092 | 1.54% | 39.40 | 94 | 90 | |
| 96 | Kyrgyzstan | $2,800 | 5.0% | $13.50 | 40.5 | 7.0% | 4,822,166 | 1.45% | 75.92 | 96 | 101 | |
| 97 | Honduras | $2,600 | 2.1% | $17.00 | 59.0 | 9.7% | 6,560,608 | 2.34% | 30.48 | 97 | 105 | |
| 98 | Bolivia | $2,600 | 0.0% | $21.40 | 58.9 | 2.0% | 8,445,134 | 1.69% | 57.52 | 99 | 88 | |
| 99 | Moldova | $2,550 | 6.1% | $11.30 | 40.6 | 9.6% | 4,434,547 | 0.09% | 42.16 | 102 | 104 | 83 |
| 100 | India | $2,500 | 5.0% | $2,500.00 | 37.8 | 3.5% | 1,045,845,226 | 1.51% | 61.47 | 107 | 112 | 85 |
| 101 | Uzbekistan | $2,500 | 3.0% | $62.00 | 33.3 | 23.0% | 25,563,441 | 1.62% | 71.72 | 105 | 97 | |
| 102 | Nicaragua | $2,500 | 2.5% | $12.30 | 60.3 | 7.4% | 5,023,818 | 2.09% | 32.52 | 98 | 92 | |
| 103 | Iraq | $2,500 | -5.7% | $59.00 | NA | 60.0% | 24,001,816 | 2.82% | 57.61 | 100 | 91 | |
| 104 | Lesotho | $2,450 | 2.6% | $5.30 | 56.0 | 6.9% | 2,207,954 | 1.33% | 82.57 | 104 | 102 | |
| 105 | Zimbabwe | $2,450 | -6.5% | $28.00 | 56.8 | 100.0% | 11,376,676 | 0.05% | 62.97 | 103 | 98 | |
| 106 | Papua New Guinea | $2,400 | -2.5% | $12.20 | 50.9 | 10.3% | 5,172,033 | 2.39% | 56.53 | 101 | 94 | |
| 107 | Cuba | $2,300 | 3.0% | $25.50 | NA | 0.5% | 11,224,321 | 0.35% | 7.27 | 115 | 116 | |
| 108 | Yugoslavia | $2,250 | 5.0% | $24.00 | NA | 40.0% | 10,656,929 | -0.12% | 17.36 | 106 | 113 | 80 |
| 109 | Vietnam | $2,100 | 4.7% | $168.10 | 36.1 | -0.3% | 81,098,416 | 1.43% | 29.34 | 110 | 110 | |
| 110 | Pakistan | $2,100 | 3.3% | $299.00 | 31.2 | 4.0% | 147,663,429 | 2.06% | 78.52 | 109 | 107 | |
| 111 | Ghana | $1,980 | 3.0% | $39.40 | 39.6 | 25.0% | 20,244,154 | 1.70% | 55.64 | 111 | 109 | |
| 112 | Guinea | $1,970 | 3.3% | $15.00 | 40.3 | 6.0% | 7,775,065 | 2.23% | 127.08 | 126 | 130 | |
| 113 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | $1,800 | 6.0% | $7.00 | NA | 5.0% | 3,964,388 | 0.76% | 23.53 | 114 | 115 | 84 |
| 114 | Mauritania | $1,800 | 4.0% | $5.00 | 37.3 | 4.4% | 2,828,858 | 2.92% | 75.25 | 108 | 108 | |
| 115 | Gambia, The | $1,770 | 5.7% | $2.50 | NA | 4.0% | 1,455,842 | 3.09% | 76.39 | 132 | 135 | |
| 116 | Mongolia | $1,770 | 2.4% | $4.70 | 33.2 | 11.8% | 2,694,432 | 1.48% | 51.97 | 113 | 99 | |
| 117 | Bangladesh | $1,750 | 5.6% | $230.00 | 33.6 | 5.8% | 133,376,684 | 1.59% | 68.05 | 121 | 124 | |
| 118 | Cameroon | $1,700 | 4.9% | $26.40 | NA | 2.0% | 16,184,748 | 2.36% | 68.79 | 116 | 106 | |
| 119 | Haiti | $1,700 | -1.2% | $12.00 | NA | 14.0% | 7,063,722 | 1.42% | 93.35 | 112 | 125 | |
| 120 | Laos | $1,630 | 5.0% | $9.20 | 37.0 | 10.0% | 5,777,180 | 2.47% | 90.98 | 117 | 127 | |
| 121 | Senegal | $1,580 | 5.7% | $16.20 | 41.3 | 3.3% | 10,589,571 | 2.91% | 55.41 | 119 | 120 | |
| 122 | Cote d'Ivoire(9) | $1,550 | -1.0% | $25.50 | 36.7 | 2.5% | 16,804,784 | 2.45% | 92.23 | 120 | 121 | |
| 123 | Cambodia | $1,500 | 5.3% | $18.70 | 40.4 | 1.6% | 12,775,324 | 2.24% | 64.00 | 127 | 156 | |
| 124 | Burma | $1,500 | 2.3% | $63.00 | NA | 20.0% | 42,238,224 | 0.56% | 72.11 | 122 | 129 | |
| 125 | Togo | $1,500 | 2.2% | $7.60 | NA | 2.3% | 5,285,501 | 2.48% | 69.32 | 123 | 118 | |
| 126 | Nepal | $1,400 | 2.6% | $35.60 | 36.7 | 2.1% | 25,873,917 | 2.29% | 72.36 | 125 | 132 | |
| 127 | Sudan | $1,360 | 5.5% | $49.30 | NA | 10.0% | 37,090,298 | 2.73% | 67.14 | 135 | 145 | |
| 128 | Angola | $1,330 | 5.4% | $13.30 | NA | 110.0% | 10,593,171 | 2.18% | 191.66 | 137 | 136 | |
| 129 | Central African Rep. | $1,300 | 1.8% | $4.60 | 61.3 | 3.6% | 3,642,739 | 1.80% | 103.81 | 118 | 117 | |
| 130 | Bhutan | $1,200 | 6.0% | $2.50 | NA | 7.0% | 2,094,176 | 2.15% | 106.79 | 130 | 133 | |
| 131 | Uganda | $1,200 | 5.1% | $29.00 | 37.4 | 3.5% | 24,699,073 | 2.94% | 89.35 | 131 | 134 | |
| 132 | Tajikistan | $1,140 | 8.3% | $7.50 | NA | 33.0% | 6,719,567 | 2.12% | 114.77 | 128 | 137 | |
| 133 | Liberia | $1,100 | 5.0% | $3.60 | NA | 8.0% | 3,288,198 | 1.91% | 130.21 | 129 | 142 | |
| 134 | Benin | $1,040 | 5.4% | $6.80 | NA | 3.0% | 6,787,625 | 2.91% | 88.52 | 134 | 128 | |
| 135 | Burkina Faso | $1,040 | 4.7% | $12.80 | 48.2 | 3.5% | 12,603,185 | 2.64% | 105.30 | 136 | 131 | |
| 136 | Chad | $1,030 | 8.0% | $8.90 | NA | 3.0% | 8,997,237 | 3.27% | 93.46 | 138 | 141 | |
| 137 | Rwanda | $1,000 | 5.0% | $7.20 | 28.9 | 5.0% | 7,398,074 | 1.16% | 117.79 | 143 | 155 | |
| 138 | Kenya | $1,000 | 1.0% | $31.00 | 44.5 | 3.3% | 31,138,735 | 1.15% | 67.24 | 124 | 122 | |
| 139 | Korea, North | $1,000 | -3.0% | $21.80 | NA | NA | 22,224,195 | 1.10% | 22.80 | 141 | 140 | |
| 140 | Mozambique | $900 | 9.2% | $17.50 | 39.6 | 10.0% | 19,607,519 | 1.13% | 138.55 | 139 | 138 | |
| 141 | Guinea-Bissau | $900 | 7.2% | $1.20 | NA | 5.0% | 1,345,479 | 2.23% | 108.54 | 146 | 146 | |
| 142 | Congo, Republic | $900 | 4.2% | $2.50 | NA | 3.0% | 2,958,448 | 2.18% | 97.91 | 133 | 123 | |
| 143 | Madagascar | $870 | 5.0% | $14.00 | 46.0 | 7.0% | 16,473,477 | 3.03% | 81.90 | 150 | 150 | |
| 144 | Zambia | $870 | 3.9% | $8.50 | 52.6 | 21.5% | 9,959,037 | 1.90% | 89.39 | 145 | 147 | |
| 145 | Nigeria | $840 | 3.5% | $105.90 | 50.6 | 14.9% | 129,934,911 | 2.54% | 72.49 | 142 | 143 | |
| 146 | Mali | $840 | -1.2% | $9.20 | 50.5 | 4.5% | 11,340,480 | 2.97% | 119.63 | 147 | 148 | |
| 147 | Yemen | $820 | 4.0% | $14.80 | 33.4 | 10.0% | 18,701,257 | 3.40% | 66.78 | 148 | 151 | |
| 148 | Niger | $820 | 3.1% | $8.40 | 50.5 | 4.2% | 10,639,744 | 2.70% | 122.23 | 140 | 139 | |
| 149 | Afghanistan | $800 | NA | $21.00 | NA | NA | 27,755,775 | 3.43% | 144.76 | 149 | 149 | |
| 150 | Eritrea | $740 | 7.0% | $3.20 | NA | 15.0% | 4,465,651 | 3.80% | 73.62 | 154 | 152 | |
| 151 | Comoros | $710 | 1.0% | $0.42 | NA | 3.5% | 614,382 | 2.99% | 81.79 | 152 | 154 | |
| 152 | Ethiopia | $700 | 7.3% | $46.00 | 40.0 | 6.8% | 67,673,031 | 2.64% | 98.63 | 156 | 159 | |
| 153 | Malawi | $660 | 1.7% | $7.00 | NA | 28.6% | 10,701,824 | 1.39% | 119.96 | 144 | 144 | |
| 154 | Tanzania | $610 | 5.0% | $22.10 | 38.2 | 5.0% | 37,187,939 | 2.60% | 77.85 | 153 | 160 | |
| 155 | Burundi | $600 | 1.4% | $3.70 | 33.3 | 14.0% | 6,373,002 | 2.36% | 69.97 | 151 | 153 | |
| 156 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | $590 | -4.0% | $32.00 | NA | 358.0% | 55,225,478 | 2.79% | 98.05 | 157 | 157 | |
| 157 | Somalia | $550 | 3.0% | $4.10 | NA | > 100% | 7,753,310 | 3.46% | 122.15 | 155 | 158 | |
| 158 | East Timor | $500 | 18.0% | $0.42 | 38.0 | NA | 952,618 | 7.26% | 51.99 | |||
| 159 | Sierra Leone | $500 | 3.0% | $2.70 | 62.9 | 15.0% | 5,614,743 | 3.21% | 144.38 | 158 | 161 | |
Footnotes: (Clicking on the footnote number brings to the corresponding place in the text).
(1) Notice that most of the financial data are compiled in 2002, but refer to the fiscal year 2001. Most population data are estimates for July 2002.
(2) The justification for this second clause is -- besides pruning the table to manageable length -- that communities consisting of a few tens of thousands of people should not be put on a par with nations of multi-million populations, if this table is supposed to highlight the living standards of most people on earth. For example, if all independent nations are entered, Luxembourg should be placed at the top with $43,400 GDP per capita, followed by the U.S.A., followed by Bermuda with $34,800. Also, the GDP per capita of nations of a few tens of thousands of people may vary widely from year to year.
(3) The construction of this table was fully automated: no numbers were typed in by hand. However, there is still a non-zero possibility for error. Please report errors (incompatibilities with the CIA data) to the email address given at the end of this page.
(4) People have complained that I do not include certain financial indices that seem important to them. This is a consequence both of my limited time, and also of the limited horizontal space on computer screens. Others complained (to me!) that the data do not reflect the reality in their country. Although this complaint should be directed to the CIA publications, it is unreasonable, nevertheless: numbers do reflect some part of the truth, if compiled with accuracy. In such cases it is probably the truth that hurts, not the numbers.
(5) But note that it is wrong to chain financial indices for any given country across years. The reason is that the methods of calculation may vary from year to year. (For a full explanation, go to the source data, ald locate the entry "GDP methodology".) For this reason I only compare relative positions of countries within my tables across years (always acc. to GDP per capita) in the right-most three columns. Note that my tables for 1999 and 1998 were shorter, so, positions after around the 60th for those years cannot be meaningfully compared with positions from the subsequent years.
(6) U.A.E. = United Arab Emirates.
(7) The island of Cyprus is divided into the southern part, where people are of Greek ethnicity, and the northern part, with people of Turkish ethnicity. Although only one nation is recognized officially by the international community, financial indices differ substancially between the two ethnicities, and the differences are shown by the first and second numbers in pairs, for the Greek and Turkish sides, respectively. The percentages that I used in order to calculate the weighted GDP per capita and population are: Gk: 86.8%, Tk: 13.2% (same source, check "Ethnic groups").
(8) F.Y.R.O.M. = Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Not simply "Macedonia" as erroneously referred to in many texts -- probably for brevity. ( Macedonia is a geographical region that overlaps with F.Y.R.O.M., but the two areas do not coincide; for example, the author was born in Macedonia, but not in F.Y.R.O.M.!)
(9) Otherwise known as Ivory Coast.
Last Updated on 10/23/2002
By Harry
Foundalis
Email: hfoundal@indiana.edu