Special Report
The Most Productive Countries in the World
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The United States has been experiencing one of its longest periods of economic prosperity in ages. The country has had its longest ever period of uninterrupted monthly employment growth, adding jobs every month since October 2010. Since the end of 2009, GDP has expanded without interruption. It is the largest highly-affluent nation on earth, but adjusting for population, it is barely among the 10 most productive nations.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed World Bank data on the 50 countries with the highest GDP per person employed in 2018. These nations, some of which represent the economic powerhouses of the world, range in population from major countries like the United States, to small but influential nations and special administrative regions like Qatar and Hong Kong with populations smaller than many U.S. states.
Many of the most productive nations on the planet benefit from a wealth of natural resources. In Middle Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, petroleum activity accounts for a large share of GDP. However, in many of the world’s most oil-rich countries, petroleum reserves and factors of production are almost entirely owned by national oil companies — and not all citizens benefit equally. Indeed, GDP per person employed is not the same as average personal wealth.
Some countries, lacking natural resources or other major economic advantages, have successfully adopted targeted development plans that focus on strengthening specific aspects of their economies. Macao, for example, legalized gambling in the 19th century and has since developed into a tourism hub for much of Asia.
45. Poland
> GDP per person employed: $61,557
> Gross domestic product: $549.5 billion
> Unemployment rate: 4.1%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 2,039
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44. Gabon
> GDP per person employed: $62,111
> Gross domestic product: $17.2 billion
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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43. Lithuania
> GDP per person employed: $62,442
> Gross domestic product: $52.5 billion
> Unemployment rate: 6.5%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,834
42. Iran
> GDP per person employed: $64,136
> Gross domestic product: $430.1 billion
> Unemployment rate: 12.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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41. Trinidad and Tobago
> GDP per person employed: $65,813
> Gross domestic product: $23.3 billion
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,583
40. Slovakia
> GDP per person employed: $66,446
> Gross domestic product: $106.9 billion
> Unemployment rate: 7.5%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,763
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39. Greece
> GDP per person employed: $67,610
> Gross domestic product: $218.1 billion
> Unemployment rate: 19.9%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 2,042
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38. Czech Republic
> GDP per person employed: $67,696
> Gross domestic product: $244.5 billion
> Unemployment rate: 2.5%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,771
37. New Zealand
> GDP per person employed: $69,956
> Gross domestic product: $206.0 billion
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,762
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36. South Korea
> GDP per person employed: $71,077
> Gross domestic product: $1.7 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 3.7%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 2,124
35. Oman
> GDP per person employed: $71,186
> Gross domestic product: $81.7 billion
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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34. Slovenia
> GDP per person employed: $73,199
> Gross domestic product: $55.0 billion
> Unemployment rate: 5.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,561
33. Bahrain
> GDP per person employed: $73,208
> Gross domestic product: $39.3 billion
> Unemployment rate: 3.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
32. Turkey
> GDP per person employed: $73,665
> Gross domestic product: $713.5 billion
> Unemployment rate: 11.0%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,832
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31. Japan
> GDP per person employed: $77,262
> Gross domestic product: $5.1 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 2.9%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,729
30. Israel
> GDP per person employed: $79,182
> Gross domestic product: $365.6 billion
> Unemployment rate: 3.9%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,880
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29. Iceland
> GDP per person employed: $80,508
> Gross domestic product: $26.7 billion
> Unemployment rate: 3.2%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,864
28. United Kingdom
> GDP per person employed: $80,545
> Gross domestic product: $2.8 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 4.1%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,675
27. Spain
> GDP per person employed: $84,155
> Gross domestic product: $1.4 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 15.6%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,689
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26. Canada
> GDP per person employed: $86,418
> Gross domestic product: $1.7 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 6.1%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,688
25. Malta
> GDP per person employed: $90,841
> Gross domestic product: $14.3 billion
> Unemployment rate: 4.1%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,962
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24. Germany
> GDP per person employed: $91,770
> Gross domestic product: $4.0 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 3.5%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,371
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23. Australia
> GDP per person employed: $91,885
> Gross domestic product: $1.4 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 5.3%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,803
22. Finland
> GDP per person employed: $92,576
> Gross domestic product: $276.6 billion
> Unemployment rate: 7.7%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,643
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21. Denmark
> GDP per person employed: $95,225
> Gross domestic product: $354.7 billion
> Unemployment rate: 5.4%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,438
20. Austria
> GDP per person employed: $95,292
> Gross domestic product: $459.4 billion
> Unemployment rate: 5.2%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,629
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19. France
> GDP per person employed: $95,712
> Gross domestic product: $2.8 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 8.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,473
18. Italy
> GDP per person employed: $97,318
> Gross domestic product: $2.1 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 10.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,734
17. Netherlands
> GDP per person employed: $97,349
> Gross domestic product: $909.9 billion
> Unemployment rate: 3.9%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,420
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16. Sweden
> GDP per person employed: $98,396
> Gross domestic product: $554.7 billion
> Unemployment rate: 6.2%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,609
15. United Arab Emirates
> GDP per person employed: $101,641
> Gross domestic product: $432.6 billion
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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14. Switzerland
> GDP per person employed: $103,810
> Gross domestic product: $709.1 billion
> Unemployment rate: 2.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,568
13. Belgium
> GDP per person employed: $104,033
> Gross domestic product: $536.1 billion
> Unemployment rate: 6.4%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,575
12. French Polynesia
> GDP per person employed: $111,572
> Gross domestic product: N/A
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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11. Hong Kong SAR
> GDP per person employed: $111,637
> Gross domestic product: $360.3 billion
> Unemployment rate: 2.0%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 2,234
10. United States
> GDP per person employed: $115,484
> Gross domestic product: $20.5 trillion
> Unemployment rate: 3.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,765
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9. Saudi Arabia
> GDP per person employed: $123,254
> Gross domestic product: $769.9 billion
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
8. Kuwait
> GDP per person employed: $128,031
> Gross domestic product: $144.5 billion
> Unemployment rate: 1.1%
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
7. Norway
> GDP per person employed: $128,152
> Gross domestic product: $441.4 billion
> Unemployment rate: 3.8%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,427
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6. Singapore
> GDP per person employed: $150,843
> Gross domestic product: $346.6 billion
> Unemployment rate: 2.0%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 2,263
5. Brunei Darussalam
> GDP per person employed: $154,946
> Gross domestic product: $14.7 billion
> Unemployment rate: 6.9%
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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4. Qatar
> GDP per person employed: $158,032
> Gross domestic product: $188.3 billion
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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3. Ireland
> GDP per person employed: $160,809
> Gross domestic product: $366.4 billion
> Unemployment rate: 5.3%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,821
2. Macao SAR
> GDP per person employed: $179,392
> Gross domestic product: $54.0 billion
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual hours worked: N/A
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1. Luxembourg
> GDP per person employed: $224,334
> Gross domestic product: $69.0 billion
> Unemployment rate: 5.4%
> Avg. annual hours worked: 1,502
Methodology
To identify the most productive countries in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the countries with the highest GDP per person employed in 2018 from the World Bank. Population statistics were obtained from the World Bank and are as of 2018.
GDP per person employed is gross domestic product (GDP) divided by total employment in the economy. Purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP is GDP converted to 2011 constant international dollars using PPP rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP that a U.S. dollar has in the United States.
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