There are 195 countries in the world today, a few are very poor, some are rich, and most between, but which are the richest countries in the world? GDP also known as Gross Domestic Product (at purchasing power parity) per capita is a quite accurate meter what comes to nation wealth. Let´s take a look.
Top 20 Wealthiest Countries List
20 Denmark – $37,794 GDP
Officially the Kingdom of Denmark, is a Scandinavian country in Europe. The southernmost and smallest of the Nordic countries. Danish citizens enjoy a high standard of living. Denmark holds the 20th place at the richest countries in the world list. It has $37,794 GDP per capita.
Denmark ranks highly in including education, health care, protection of civil liberties, democratic governance, prosperity and human development, and has has a developed economy that is classed as a high-income economy by the World Bank.
19 Belgium – $38,826 GDP
Officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe. It is a small, densely populated country and has a population of about 11 million people.
Belgium is an industrialized economy with $38,826 GDP per capita. It holds 19th place thanks to it’s strongly globalized economy.
18 Kuwait – 39,861 (GDP per capita)
Kuwait is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia
Its has a population of 4.2 million people. It has a high income economy backed by the world’s sixth largest oil reserves. Kuwait has a petroleum-based economy. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world
Kuwait is a small, oil-rich Arab country located in Western Asia. Petroleum products and fertilizers are its main export commodities. Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world.
17 Iceland – $40,870 (GDP per capita)
Iceland is a Nordic nation, whose economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade. Tourism sector is also contributing to the economy. Ecotourism and whale watching are popular in Iceland.
16 Germany – $41,248 (GDP per capita)
Germany is the most populous member of the EU and a major economic power in the region. People of this developed country enjoy a very high standard of living. The nation has a social market economy with high level of innovation.
15 Taiwan – $41,581 (GDP per capita)
Taiwan is one of the four “Asian Tigers”, along with Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong.
14 Sweden – $42,037 (GDP per capita)
Sweden is one of the developed nations in the world. Its economy is doing well due to the engineering industry. Sweden is rich in hydropower, timber and iron.
13 Netherlands – $42,586 (GDP per capita)
Netherlands is an open economy, and a very rich country. It is an excellent country to bring up your children. Netherlands has been one of the key economies in Europe from the past four centuries.
12 Ireland – 42,806 (GDP per capita)
Ireland has a knowledge-based economy. In fact the nation’s economy has transformed since the 1980s from being predominantly agricultural to a modern knowledge economy focused on high technology industries and services. It has made huge strides forward in recent years.
11 Austria – $43,796 (GDP per capita)
Austria has a well-developed social market economy. It is responsible for the invention of PEZ. Citizens of Austria enjoy a high standard of living.
10 Australia – $44,346 (GDP per capita)
Australia is a rich country and its wealth is more evenly distributed across the population than the wealth of other rich nations. It is a developed country. It generates its income from various sources like telecommunications, banking, mining-related exports and manufacturing.
9 Canada – $44,656 (GDP per capita)
Canada is an energy-rich nation whose economy is dominated by the service industry. Logging and oil industries contribute significantly to the country’s economy.
8 Switzerland – $47,863 (GDP per capita)
Switzerland has a stable, high-tech and prosperous economy. It attracts many rich foreigners. As per Global Competitiveness Report, Switzerland’s economy is the most competitive in the world.
7 United States – $54,980 (GDP per capita)
The US has a capitalist mixed economy that is fueled by natural resources and high productivity. The nation’s economy has reached a postindustrial level of development and its service sector constitutes 67.8 percent of GDP. The US is an industrial power.
6 Brunei – $55,111 (GDP per capita)
Brunei is a small, wealthy economy. People in this oil-rich country enjoy a high standard of living. Crude oil and natural gas production account for about 90 percent of its GDP.
5 Hong Kong – $55,383 (GDP per capita)
Hong Kong is a leading international financial center. This special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China has a major capitalist service economy characterized by low taxation and free trade. It is one of the Four Asian Tigers.
4 Norway – $56,663 (GDP per capita)
Norway is a very expensive place to live; however, this does not matter to Norwegians. This is because they are all millionaires. Norway has embraced state capitalism and is sitting on a huge pile of oil money.
3 Singapore – $61,567 (GDP per capita)
This sovereign city state and island nation has a highly developed market economy. It is one of the Four Asian Tigers. Its economy is innovative, business-friendly and competitive. It is currently the only Asian country to receive AAA credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies.
2 Luxembourg – $79,785 (GDP per capita)
Luxembourg has a stable and high income market economy. Its iron and steel industry has contributed significantly to its economy.
1 Qatar – $96,993 (GDP per capita)
Qatar is the richest country in the world. This sovereign Arab nation relies heavily on foreign labor to grow its economy. The nation has proven oil reserves of 15 billion barrels.
