Key Takeaways
Liechtenstein is the richest country worldwide, with a GDP per capita of $213,713.
Average earnings exceed $100,000 in Luxembourg, Ireland, and Switzerland.
Today, seven of the top 10 wealthiest nations per capita are in Europe, characterized by their small populations and strong social welfare systems.
While examining wealth is difficult to truly measure, one common measure is GDP per capita, which divides an economy’s total output by the number of its citizens. By this metric, America ranks eighth globally, with average earnings of $89,599 per person.
Here are the richest countries, based on average earnings in U.S. dollars:
1. Liechtenstein
2. Luxembourg
3. Ireland
4. Switzerland
5. Iceland
6. Singapore
7. Norway
8. U.S.
9. Denmark
10. Macao
With a GDP per capita of $213,713, Liechtenstein ranks highest globally.
Nearly 60% of Liechtenstein’s workforce are commuters, which significantly inflates the country’s average earnings. Similarly, second-ranking Luxembourg has a large share of its workforce that live in neighboring countries.
Ireland comes in third, with average earnings of $129,132. Many big tech companies—from Google to Meta—have their European headquarters in the country thanks to its favorable tax regime, further boosting GDP per capita.
Switzerland, Iceland, and Singapore follow next in line, each with average earnings less impacted by generous tax policies or commuters. In particular, average earnings in Singapore have ballooned 19-fold since 1980 driven by the nation’s transformation into a global hub for finance and trade.
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