What does gdp per capita mean?

Measurement contract

Metric key

metric.gdp-per-capita

Unit

constant 2015 US$ per person (USD_2015/person)

Reference period

Annual; country-level measurement; observation year preserved from source

Source indicator

NY.GDP.PCAP.KD

Alternative terms

gdp, gdp per capita, output, economy, economic growth

Cross-country comparison

Allowed with same-year alignment and the documented caveats

Method

WDI combines official national accounts, OECD files, and World Bank estimates. GDP is adjusted for price changes relative to 2015 and divided by total population.

Interpretation limits

• GDP per capita measures average economic output, not wages, disposable income, or household wealth.
• Constant 2015 US dollars are not purchasing-power-parity dollars. Cross-country levels do not measure the cost of living or what residents can buy.
• National accounts methods and revisions may differ across countries.