Which are the richest countries in North America by GDP per capita?
United States is the richest country in North America by GDP per person, at $94,430. Canada is second at $60,300 and Bahamas third at $40,890. The average for North America, total GDP divided by total population, is $62,157.
The United States is the richest large country in the world per person, and it is the only country in the top ten worldwide with more than 10 million people. Canada is second in North America at $60,300, about two thirds of the US figure. In 2011 and 2012 Canada was briefly ahead, when the Canadian dollar was at parity with the US dollar; the gap has widened every year since 2013.
Places three to nine are Caribbean islands and Panama and Costa Rica. The Bahamas and Barbados earn from tourism and offshore finance; Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis from tourism and citizenship-by-investment programmes. Panama's figure reflects the canal and its banks. Mexico is 10th at $15,780, a sixth of the US figure. Cuba's $9,600 is a World Bank estimate for 2020 because the IMF does not cover it.
| # | Country | GDP per capita | Population | Total GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $94,430 | 341.8 million | $32.38 trillion |
| 2 | Canada | $60,300 | 41.6 million | $2.51 trillion |
| 3 | Bahamas | $40,890 | 403,000 | $17.0 billion |
| 4 | Barbados | $29,020 | 282,600 | $8.5 billion |
| 5 | Antigua and Barbuda | $22,450 | 94,210 | $2.4 billion |
| 6 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | $22,150 | 46,920 | $1.1 billion |
| 7 | Panama | $20,560 | 4.6 million | $95.0 billion |
| 8 | Costa Rica | $20,300 | 5.2 million | $109.9 billion |
| 9 | Trinidad and Tobago | $18,620 | 1.4 million | $26.8 billion |
| 10 | Mexico | $15,780 | 131.9 million | $2.12 trillion |
| 11 | Saint Lucia | $15,140 | 180,100 | $2.8 billion |
| 12 | Grenada | $12,690 | 117,300 | $1.5 billion |
| 13 | Dominican Republic | $12,410 | 11.5 million | $136.1 billion |
| 14 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $11,100 | 99,920 | $1.2 billion |
| 15 | Dominica | $10,460 | 65,870 | $791 million |
| 16 | Cuba | $9,600 | 10.9 million | $107.4 billion |
| 17 | Jamaica | $8,356 | 2.8 million | $23.0 billion |
| 18 | Belize | $8,134 | 422,900 | $3.5 billion |
| 19 | Guatemala | $6,810 | 18.7 million | $128.9 billion |
| 20 | El Salvador | $6,196 | 6.4 million | $39.8 billion |
14 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 North America by total GDP?
By the size of the whole economy the answer is United States, at $32.38 trillion. This is the list people usually mean by "biggest economies", and it favours countries with many people.
The United States is 86 percent of the continent's GDP. Canada and Mexico are close together in second and third. The Dominican Republic, fourth, has been one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America since 2000 and is now $136.1 billion. See North America ranked by area, population and GDP.
| # | Country | Total GDP | Share of North America |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $32.38 trillion | 85.6% |
| 2 | Canada | $2.51 trillion | 6.6% |
| 3 | Mexico | $2.12 trillion | 5.6% |
| 4 | Dominican Republic | $136.1 billion | 0.4% |
| 5 | Guatemala | $128.9 billion | 0.3% |
| 6 | Costa Rica | $109.9 billion | 0.3% |
| 7 | Cuba | $107.4 billion | 0.3% |
| 8 | Panama | $95.0 billion | 0.3% |
| 9 | Honduras | $41.5 billion | 0.1% |
| 10 | El Salvador | $39.8 billion | 0.1% |
Rich per person or rich in total? The top five both ways
| # | By GDP per capita | By total GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States $94,430 | United States $32.38 trillion |
| 2 | Canada $60,300 | Canada $2.51 trillion |
| 3 | Bahamas $40,890 | Mexico $2.12 trillion |
| 4 | Barbados $29,020 | Dominican Republic $136.1 billion |
| 5 | Antigua and Barbuda $22,450 | Guatemala $128.9 billion |
Only United States, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico 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.
- Tourism and offshore finance. The Bahamas has about 403,000 residents and several million visitors a year, most of them from cruise ships. Its GDP per resident is high, but a large share of it is earned by foreign-owned hotels and banks.
- Exchange rates. Mexico's dollar figure rose from about $11,000 in 2022 to $15,780 in the 2026 projection mostly because the peso strengthened, not because output grew that much.
- Averages hide distribution. The US figure of $94,430 is an average across 342 million people. The median household income, which the Census Bureau reports separately, tells a different story about how it is shared.
Which are the poorest countries in North America?
Haiti has the lowest GDP per person in North America at $3,079, and the lowest in the Americas. Nicaragua and Honduras are next. The US figure is 30 times Haiti's, and the two countries are about 1,100 km apart.
| From the bottom | Country | GDP per capita | Population | Total GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haiti | $3,079 | 11.9 million | $39.2 billion |
| 2 | Nicaragua | $3,559 | 7.0 million | $24.2 billion |
| 3 | Honduras | $3,711 | 11.0 million | $41.5 billion |
| 4 | El Salvador | $6,196 | 6.4 million | $39.8 billion |
| 5 | Guatemala | $6,810 | 18.7 million | $128.9 billion |
How do we count?
North America here is the UN's grouping: Canada, the United States, Mexico, the seven countries of Central America and 13 Caribbean states, 23 countries in all. Greenland, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands are territories and are not counted; Bermuda and the Caymans would top the per-person list if they were. Cuba's figure is a World Bank estimate for 2020.
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 North America?
The United States, both by GDP per person ($94,430) and by total GDP ($32.38 trillion). Canada is second on both lists.
Is Canada richer than the United States?
No. Canada's GDP per person is $60,300, about 64 percent of the US figure of $94,430. Canada's total economy is $2.51 trillion, about 8 percent of the US economy.
What is the richest country in the Caribbean?
The Bahamas, at $40,890 per person, then Barbados ($29,020), Antigua and Barbuda ($22,450) and Saint Kitts and Nevis ($22,150). By total GDP, the Dominican Republic, at $136.1 billion.
What is the richest country in Central America?
Panama, at $20,560 per person, then Costa Rica ($20,300). By total GDP, Guatemala, at $128.9 billion, then Costa Rica.
Where does Mexico rank?
Third by total GDP at $2.12 trillion, and 10th of 23 by GDP per person at $15,780, just above Saint Lucia and below Trinidad and Tobago.
What is the poorest country in North America?
Haiti, at $3,079 per person in the IMF's 2026 projection. Nicaragua ($3,559) and Honduras ($3,711) are next.
Is Cuba a poor country?
By GDP per person Cuba is 16th of 23 in North America, at about $9,600. That is a World Bank estimate for 2020; Cuba is not an IMF member and its official exchange rate makes dollar figures hard to compare.