In 2026, Liechtenstein had the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world at just over U.S. dollars. The top five largest economies in terms of GDP per capita were all in Europe, with Singapore having the largest GDP per capita in the rest of the world.
Where GDP per capita correlates
Although not a perfect metric, economies with a high GDP per capita generally have some of the best living standards in the world. Life expectancy is often high, the population is usually better educated, and infant mortality tends to be low. In countries with high levels of income inequality, however, GDP per capita becomes much less effective at measuring overall affluence. Other indicators, such as the Human Development Index, attempt to compensate for this by taking a broader set of measurements into account to measure outcomes.
U.S. remains the world's largest economy in 2026
In 2026, the GDP of the United States amounted to approximately trillion U.S. dollars, by far the largest economy in the world. Despite China's rapid economic growth in recent decades, it remained the world's second-largest economy, at trillion dollars. When adjustments for purchasing power parity (PPP) are made, however, China has already overtaken the U.S. as the largest economy, with an adjusted GDP figure of trillion dollars.