TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Forbes magazine ranked Taiwan as the 14th richest country on Monday (Oct. 7).
In its top 10 “Richest Countries in the World by GDP per Capita,” Forbes listed five countries and regions from Asia, four from Europe, and one from North America. Forbes based the rankings on estimates of each country’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) according to local price levels.
Luxembourg topped the global list with a per capita GDP of US$143,740 (NT$4.62 million). Ireland ranked third with US$133,900.
Switzerland placed seventh with US$91,930. San Marino came in eighth with US$86,990 and Norway ranked 10th with US$82,830.
In Asia, the four countries or regions that made the top 10 were Macau, ranked second with a US$134,140 per capita GDP. Singapore was fourth with US$133,740, Qatar fifth with US$112,280, and the United Arab Emirates sixth with US$96,850.
In North America, the US was the only country to break into the top 10, ranking ninth with a US$85,370 per capita GDP.
Taiwan ranked 14th with a US$76,860 per capita GDP, just behind Brunei, which ranked 13th with US$77,530, but ahead of Hong Kong, which ranked 15th with US$75,130. Taiwan placed sixth in Asia.
Taiwan had an annual GDP growth rate of 3.1%, ranking it fourth-highest among countries in the top 20.
According to the 2024 rankings, South Sudan, a landlocked country in northeastern Africa, was the poorest, with a per capita GDP of US$455.16.