Special Report

25 Richest Countries in the World

John Harrington

Published: November 7, 2018 9:25 am

Last Updated: January 11, 2020 3:16 pm

The world is getting richer. The global economy expanded by more than 3% to $80.68 trillion in 2017. The world’s wealth is not distributed equally. North America, home to less than than 5% of the global population, accounts for about one-fourth of global economic output. Meanwhile, in South Asia, where nearly 25% of the world’s population resides, the region’s economic activity accounts for less than 4% of global gross domestic product.

GDP may be the standard method for gauging the size of a particular country or region’s economy, but it does not account for all of the wealth generated by that nation. A more accurate indicator of a country’s economic output is its gross national income, or GNI. This measure captures all economic activity within a nation’s borders in addition to wealth created by nationally owned entities operating in other countries.

Using data from the World Bank, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the GNI per capita of about 180 nations to identify the 25 richest countries. We also included life expectancy at birth from the World Bank, as well as GDP from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The wealthiest 25 countries in the world have complex and diverse economies. They export goods and services that originate in a variety of industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and aerospace. Another common characteristic among the richest countries is the relative lack of corruption. According to corruption watchdog Transparency International, the least corrupt countries feature a free press, open access to public information, and judicial systems free from undue influence. Another common characteristic of the wealthiest nations is all of the 25 richest countries have life expectancies at birth above the world average of 72.0 years.

Click here to see the wealthiest countries in the world.

25. Bahrain
> GNI per capita: $42,930
> 2017 GDP: $70.94 billion (97th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 1.45 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 76.9 years

[in-text-ad]

24. France
> GNI per capita: $43,790
> 2017 GDP: $2,876.06 billion (9th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 64.80 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.3 years

24/7 Wall St.
40 Places Young People Are Moving

23. Japan
> GNI per capita: $44,850
> 2017 GDP: $5,487.16 billion (4th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 126.75 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 84.0 years

22. Finland
> GNI per capita: $45,400
> 2017 GDP: $247.27 billion (60th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 5.50 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 81.8 years

[in-text-ad-2]

21. Canada
> GNI per capita: $46,070
> 2017 GDP: $1,714.45 billion (17th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 36.66 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.3 years

20. Australia
> GNI per capita: $47,160
> 2017 GDP: $1,192.07 billion (20th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 24.77 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.5 years

[in-text-ad]

19. Belgium
> GNI per capita: $48,240
> 2017 GDP: $544.04 billion (37th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 11.35 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 81.0 years

24/7 Wall St.
Most Dangerous Countries for Women

18. Sweden
> GNI per capita: $50,980
> 2017 GDP: $505.48 billion (40th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 10.12 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.2 years

17. Germany
> GNI per capita: $51,680
> 2017 GDP: $4,187.58 billion (5th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 82.66 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 80.6 years

[in-text-ad-2]

16. Netherlands
> GNI per capita: $52,200
> 2017 GDP: $899.53 billion (27th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 17.14 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 81.5 years

15. Denmark
> GNI per capita: $52,390
> 2017 GDP: $296.35 billion (57th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 5.75 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 80.7 years

[in-text-ad]

14. Austria
> GNI per capita: $52,500
> 2017 GDP: $461.58 billion (42nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 8.82 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 80.9 years

13. Iceland
> GNI per capita: $53,280
> 2017 GDP: $18.14 billion (145th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 0.35 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.5 years

12. Saudi Arabia
> GNI per capita: $54,770
> 2017 GDP: $1,773.55 billion (15th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 32.55 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 74.6 years

[in-text-ad-2]

11. United States
> GNI per capita: $60,200
> 2017 GDP: $19,390.60 billion (2nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 325.89 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 78.7 years

10. Ireland
> GNI per capita: $61,910
> 2017 GDP: $364.14 billion (48th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 4.83 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 81.6 years

[in-text-ad]

9. Norway
> GNI per capita: $63,980
> 2017 GDP: $324.40 billion (53rd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 5.29 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.5 years

8. Hong Kong SAR
> GNI per capita: $64,100
> 2017 GDP: $454.89 billion (43rd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 7.41 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 84.2 years

7. Switzerland
> GNI per capita: $65,610
> 2017 GDP: $547.85 billion (36th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 8.42 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.9 years

[in-text-ad-2]

6. Luxembourg
> GNI per capita: $72,690
> 2017 GDP: $62.19 billion (102nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 0.59 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.3 years

5. United Arab Emirates
> GNI per capita: $74,410
> 2017 GDP: $694.47 billion (31st out of 185 countries)
> Population (2005): 10.14 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 77.3 years

[in-text-ad]

4. Kuwait
> GNI per capita: $83,310
> 2017 GDP: $297.59 billion (55th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 4.41 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 74.7 years

24/7 Wall St.
25 Companies With Over 40 Consecutive Years of Dividend Hikes

3. Brunei Darussalam
> GNI per capita: $83,760
> 2017 GDP: $33.80 billion (123rd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 430,000
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 77.2 years

2. Singapore
> GNI per capita: $90,570
> 2017 GDP: $527.02 billion (38th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 5.61 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 82.8 years

[in-text-ad-2]

1. Qatar
> GNI per capita: $128,060
> 2017 GDP: $338.82 billion (49th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 2.74 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 78.2 years