Which are the richest countries in Asia by GDP per capita?
Singapore is the richest country in Asia by GDP per person, at $107,800. Israel is second at $69,800 and Qatar third at $68,140. The average for Asia, total GDP divided by total population, is $9,219.
Singapore is a city of 734 km² with no natural resources and the busiest transshipment port in the world. Israel's figure has risen fast in dollar terms since 2020 because of its technology sector and a strong currency. Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Brunei and Saudi Arabia are all in the top twelve because of oil and gas. Qatar has about 3.0 million people and most of them are foreign workers, so its GDP per resident is high even though the country's economy is smaller than Singapore's.
Taiwan, South Korea and Japan are the three industrial economies in the top ten. Japan was well ahead of the other two ten years ago; a weak yen has pulled its dollar figure down to $35,700, below both. China is 17th at $14,870, and India 38th at $2,813. Turkey, Kazakhstan and Malaysia sit between them.
| # | Country | GDP per capita | Population | Total GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | $107,800 | 6.1 million | $659.6 billion |
| 2 | Israel | $69,800 | 10.1 million | $719.8 billion |
| 3 | Qatar | $68,140 | 3.0 million | $217.4 billion |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | $54,210 | 11.5 million | $621.5 billion |
| 5 | Taiwan | $42,100 | 23.3 million | $976.7 billion |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | $37,810 | 37.0 million | $1.39 trillion |
| 7 | South Korea | $37,410 | 51.7 million | $1.93 trillion |
| 8 | Brunei | $36,290 | 466,300 | $16.9 billion |
| 9 | Japan | $35,700 | 123.4 million | $4.38 trillion |
| 10 | Kuwait | $33,160 | 4.9 million | $172.9 billion |
| 11 | Bahrain | $29,570 | 1.6 million | $48.9 billion |
| 12 | Oman | $21,640 | 5.5 million | $117.2 billion |
| 13 | Maldives | $19,460 | 529,700 | $8.1 billion |
| 14 | Turkey | $19,020 | 85.9 million | $1.64 trillion |
| 15 | Kazakhstan | $17,500 | 20.8 million | $360.5 billion |
| 16 | Malaysia | $15,090 | 36.0 million | $516.4 billion |
| 17 | China | $14,870 | 1.41 billion | $20.85 trillion |
| 18 | Turkmenistan | $12,300 | 7.6 million | $83.1 billion |
| 19 | Georgia | $11,570 | 3.9 million | $42.7 billion |
| 20 | Armenia | $10,410 | 3.1 million | $31.9 billion |
10 of the 20 countries in this table have fewer than 10 million people. GDP per capita rewards small places with one strong industry: banking, oil, a port, or a low-tax regime that attracts company profits.
Which are the richest countries in Asia by total GDP?
By the size of the whole economy the answer is China, at $20.85 trillion. This is the list people usually mean by "biggest economies", and it favours countries with many people.
China's economy is 47 percent of Asia's and 4.8 times Japan's. Japan and India are second and third. Singapore, first per person, is 10th in total with $659.6 billion, a little larger than Thailand's economy. See Asia ranked by area, population and GDP.
| # | Country | Total GDP | Share of Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $20.85 trillion | 46.9% |
| 2 | Japan | $4.38 trillion | 9.9% |
| 3 | India | $4.15 trillion | 9.4% |
| 4 | South Korea | $1.93 trillion | 4.3% |
| 5 | Turkey | $1.64 trillion | 3.7% |
| 6 | Indonesia | $1.54 trillion | 3.5% |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | $1.39 trillion | 3.1% |
| 8 | Taiwan | $976.7 billion | 2.2% |
| 9 | Israel | $719.8 billion | 1.6% |
| 10 | Singapore | $659.6 billion | 1.5% |
Rich per person or rich in total? The top five both ways
| # | By GDP per capita | By total GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore $107,800 | China $20.85 trillion |
| 2 | Israel $69,800 | Japan $4.38 trillion |
| 3 | Qatar $68,140 | India $4.15 trillion |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates $54,210 | South Korea $1.93 trillion |
| 5 | Taiwan $42,100 | Turkey $1.64 trillion |
Only Singapore, Israel, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan are in the top ten on both lists. The rest of the per-person list is small countries, and the rest of the total list is large ones.
Why is GDP per capita not the same as being rich?
GDP per capita is the value of everything a country produces in a year, divided by its population. It is a measure of income, not of wealth, and it is an average, so it says nothing about how the income is shared. Three things push it up without making ordinary people richer.
- Oil and gas. Six of the top twelve countries are Gulf states. Qatar is one of the three largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, with the United States and Australia. Their GDP per resident also depends on how many foreign workers they count: in Qatar and the UAE, citizens are a small minority of residents.
- Trade and finance hubs. Singapore's GDP includes the output of a huge port, refineries and banks that serve the whole region as well as its 6 million people.
- Exchange rates. These are dollar figures. Japan's GDP per person in yen has grown slowly since 2012, but in dollars it fell from about $49,000 to $35,700 as the yen weakened. Israel moved the other way.
At purchasing power parity, which adjusts for local prices, Singapore and Qatar stay at the top, Japan and South Korea rise, and India and China roughly double.
Which are the poorest countries in Asia?
Yemen has the lowest GDP per person in Asia, and in the world, at $384. Afghanistan and Syria are next; all three have been at war for most of the last decade and the figures are rough estimates. North Korea's $1,240 is a Bank of Korea estimate because the country publishes no figures. Singapore's GDP per person is 280 times Yemen's, the widest gap on any continent.
| From the bottom | Country | GDP per capita | Population | Total GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yemen | $384 | 41.8 million | $7.4 billion |
| 2 | Afghanistan | $448 | 43.8 million | $19.7 billion |
| 3 | Syria | $780 | 25.6 million | $20.0 billion |
| 4 | North Korea | $1,240 | 26.6 million | $32.0 billion |
| 5 | Myanmar | $1,519 | 54.9 million | $83.8 billion |
How do we count?
Asia follows the UN's regional grouping: it includes the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and counts Turkey as Asian. Russia is counted as European and Egypt as African. Taiwan and Palestine are included; Hong Kong and Macao are territories and are not, though Macao's $76,446 per person would put it first if it were. Syria's figure is a World Bank estimate for 2025, and Sri Lanka's and Palestine's are the IMF's 2024 figures.
GDP per capita and total GDP are the IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026) projections for 2026, in current US dollars at market exchange rates. Population is the UN's 2025 estimate. The same figures draw the map, where you can switch between GDP per capita and total GDP with one click. More on the data.
Questions people ask
What is the richest country in Asia?
Singapore, at $107,800 per person in the IMF's 2026 projection. Israel ($69,800) and Qatar ($68,140) are second and third. By total GDP, China, at $20.85 trillion.
Is Qatar the richest country in the world?
Not by nominal GDP per person, where it is 16th in the world at $68,140. At purchasing power parity, which adjusts for prices, Qatar is usually in the top five. Its economy in total is $217.4 billion, smaller than Singapore's or Israel's.
Is Japan still a rich country?
Yes. Japan's GDP per person is $35,700, 9th in Asia and 40th in the world. The dollar figure has fallen since 2012 because the yen weakened, not because the economy shrank in yen. Its total GDP, $4.38 trillion, is the second largest in Asia.
Where does China rank?
First by total GDP at $20.85 trillion, and 17th of 48 in Asia by GDP per person at $14,870, close to Malaysia.
Where does India rank?
Third by total GDP at $4.15 trillion, and 38th of 48 by GDP per person at $2,813, between Laos and Bangladesh.
Which is the richest country in the Middle East?
Israel, at $69,800 per person, then Qatar ($68,140) and the United Arab Emirates ($54,210). By total GDP, Saudi Arabia, at $1.39 trillion. On the map, choose Middle East under Show to see the group by itself.
Which is the richest country in Southeast Asia?
Singapore, then Brunei ($36,290) and Malaysia ($15,090). By total GDP, Indonesia, at $1.54 trillion. The Southeast Asia group is available under Show on the map.
What is the poorest country in Asia?
Yemen, at $384 per person. Afghanistan ($448) and Syria ($780) are next.