Reading the data
What GDP per capita can and cannot tell you
Before comparing GDP per capita, decide whether your question concerns an economy's output or an individual's living conditions.
An average is not an individual's share
Dividing GDP by population makes economies of different sizes comparable on a per-person basis. It does not show how income is distributed. Do not read the result as company profits and household income divided equally among residents.
For a hypothetical economy, $200 billion divided by 10 million residents yields $20,000. The calculation illustrates an average, not a country observation or an average salary.
Dividing annual GDP per capita by 12 does not give a person's monthly salary. It does not describe taxes, transfers, household composition or income distribution. Nor does this indicator report costs such as rent or food.
Current dollars and purchasing power differ
This OrbisLens series is expressed in current US dollars. It is not a purchasing-power-parity measure or inflation-adjusted real GDP. Changes may reflect exchange rates and prices as well as production.
Comparing living conditions requires additional evidence such as housing costs, income distribution and public services. GDP per capita does not substitute for information the page does not provide.
A practical comparison workflow
Check source, unit and period first; then read the direction and size of the difference. Finally ask whether it answers your original question. Each country's latest value is not necessarily a same-period comparison.
Compare subtracts the right value from the left, before display rounding. This can differ slightly from subtracting the rounded numbers on screen. Rankings order values, not quality of life.
Evidence and official references
These examples read the published common-period values when this page is opened. Editorial dates are not data reference periods; values can change with source revisions.
Check the published data
The notes below use the currently published values. Years and sources may differ across indicators.
GDP per capita, current US$
Japan $35,951 / South Korea $36,227
Reference period: 2025 · World Bank · World Development Indicators
Raw difference, left minus right: -$276. The raw value for South Korea is higher than for Japan. This establishes neither superiority nor the cause of the difference. This is an economy-wide average, not a person's salary or a household's disposable income. The same average can coexist with different income distributions.