How are countries classified based on income?

A high-income economy is defined by the World Bank as a nation with a gross national income per capita of US$12,696 or more in 2020, calculated using the Atlas method.[1] While the term "high-income" is often used interchangeably with "First World" and "developed country," the technical definitions of these terms differ. The term "first world" commonly refers to countries that aligned themselves with the U.S. and NATO during the Cold War. Several institutions, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or International Monetary Fund (IMF), take factors other than high per capita income into account when classifying countries as "developed" or "advanced economies." According to the United Nations, for example, some high-income countries may also be developing countries. The GCC countries, for example, are classified as developing high-income countries. Thus, a high-income country may be classified as either developed or developing.[2] Although the Vatican City is a sovereign state, it is not classified by the World Bank under this definition.

A map of World Bank high-income economies in 2019; high-income economies are indicated in blue, while former high-income economies are shown in teal.

List of high-income economies (as of 2023 fiscal year)[edit]

According to the World Bank the following 82 countries (including territories) are classified as "high-income economies."[1] In brackets are the year(s) during which they held such classification; classifying began in 1987. As of the 2023 fiscal year, high-income economies are those that had a GNI per capita of $13,205 or more in 2021.[1]

High income UN members[edit]

High income non-UN members[edit]

Former high-income economies[edit]

The year(s) during which they held such classification is/are shown in parenthesis.[3]

a Between 1994 and 2009, as a part of the Netherlands Antilles. b Dissolved on 10 October 2010. Succeeded by Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

Historical thresholds[edit]

The high-income threshold was originally set in 1989 at US$6,000 in 1987 prices. Thresholds for subsequent years were adjusted taking into account the average inflation in the G-5 countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and France), and from 2001, that of Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the eurozone.[4] Thus, the thresholds remain constant in real terms over time.[3] To ensure no country falls right on the threshold, country data are rounded to the nearest 10 and income thresholds are rounded to the nearest 5.[5]

The following table shows the high-income threshold from 1987 onwards. Countries with a GNI per capita (calculated using the Atlas method) above this threshold are classified by the World Bank as "high-income economies."[3]

Rank 2015 Country Ctry Code GNI per capita PPP 2007 GNI per capita PPP 2015 Notes
economy based on 170 Afghanistan AFG 1,000 1,925 98 Albania ALB 6,580 11,479 83 Algeria DZA 5,490 14,717 31 Andorra* AND 38,800 39,896 123 Angola AGO 4,400 7,386 oil and diamonds, agriculture production 57 Antigua and Barbuda ATG 12,610 23,062 63 Argentina ARG 12,990 20,364 rich natural resources, manufacturing, agriculture, food processing 116 Armenia ARM 6,000 8,418 22 Australia AUS 33,340 46,270 mining, commodities export, service sector including tourism 16 Austria AUT 38,090 49,429 social market economy, tourism 69 Azerbaijan AZE 6,370 17,779 oil 58 Bahamas BHS 25,000 23,001 tourism, off shore banking and construction 21 Bahrain BHR 34,310 46,586 petroleum production and processing, aluminum production 152 Bangladesh BGD 1,340 3,339 fertile land, agriculture, natural gas, fishing, jute trade, garment industry 74 Barbados BRB 10,880 16,405 tourism, offshore banking 70 Belarus BLR 10,740 17,740 state-run industries 40%, trade 23 Belgium BEL 35,110 45,757 services 80%, industry 19%, 115 Belize BLZ 5,100 8,483 tourism, exports of marine products, cane sugar, citrus 167 Benin BEN 1,310 2,056 underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture 4 Bermuda* BMU 69,900 85,700 close tied to the US, offshore financial center and and tourism,
2013 est. 117 Bhutan BTN 4,980 8,369 sale of hydroelectric power to India, agriculture, forestry, tourism 125 Bolivia BOL 4,140 6,953 natural gas, more than 50% 107 Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH 7,280 10,851 services 65%, industry 26%, agriculture: 8% 77 Botswana BWA 12,420 15,839 has one of the fastest growth rates in per capita income in the world 80 Brazil BRA 9,370 15,390 6 Brunei Darussalam BRN 49,900 78,369 crude oil and natural gas production (90% of GDP) 67 Bulgaria BGR 11,180 18,248 176 Burkina Faso BFA 1,120 1,696 124 Burundi BDI 330 7,272 150 Cambodia KHM 1,690 3,490 lack of basic infrastructure and education, official currency is Riel, but US$ is de facto currency,
garment industry, tourism 154 Cameroon CMR 2,120 3,115 24 Canada CAN 35,310 44,197 service industry, forestry, petroleum industry, manufacturing, mining 126 Cape Verde CPV 2,940 6,556 191 Central African Republic CAF 740 618 166 Chad TCD 1,280 2,175 56 Chile CHL 12,590 23,366 84 China CHN 5,370 14,450 manufacturing and exports and the world's fastest growing consumer market 90 Colombia COL 6,640 13,829 petroleum, a variety of crops, coffee 180 Comoros COM 1,150 1,483 190 Congo (Kinshasa) COD 290 784 127 Congo, Rep. (Brazzaville) COG 2,750 6,381 78 Costa Rica CRI 8,340 15,594 146 Côte d'Ivoire CIV 1,590 3,513 59 Croatia HRV 15,050 22,514 97 Cuba* CUB 4,500 11,600 state-run industries, petroleum, medical products, sugar, tobacco 42 Cyprus CYP 26,370 31,768 financial services, shipping, tourism 39 Czech Republic CZE 21,820 33,770 18 Denmark DNK 36,740 48,009 industry, machinery and instruments, oil, natural gas and chemicals 149 Djibouti DJI 2,260 3,491 106 Dominica DMA 5,650 10,864 85 Dominican Republic DOM 5,050 14,237 tourism, variety of services, exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco 99 Ecuador ECU 7,040 11,474 104 Egypt, Arab Republic EGY 5,400 10,913 oil production, tourism 114 El Salvador SLV 4,840 8,619 29 Equatorial Guinea GNQ 21,230 40,718 oil and gas deposits, oil and gas production 184 Eritrea ERI 400 1,300 2016 est. 45 Estonia EST 19,680 28,987 IT sector and e-services, oil shale energy, banking, textiles 178 Ethiopia ETH 780 1,628 light manufacturing, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile river will become Africa's largest hydroelectric power plant 110 Fiji FJI 4,370 9,323 25 Finland FIN 35,270 42,236 services, manufacturing, refining, electronics 27 France FRA 33,470 41,016 aerospace industry, automotive, manufactured goods, transportation, agricultural products. 65 Gabon GAB 13,080 20,081 Oil revenues 177 Gambia, The GMB 1,140 1,679 subsistence agriculture, wood, entrepot trade, clothing, tourism 109 Georgia GEO 4,770 9,599 17 Germany DEU 33,820 48,041 world's third largest exporter of goods, service sector, automotive industry 143 Ghana GHA 1,330 4,210 51 Greece GRC 32,520 26,379 32 Greenland* GRL 20,000 37,900 2008 est. 91 Grenada GRD 6,010 13,558 120 Guatemala GTM 4,120 7,722 agriculture, especially coffee 185 Guinea GIN 1,120 1,209 183 Guinea-Bissau GNB 470 1,455 121 Guyana GUY 2,600 7,521 mining of gold and bauxite, agriculture, rice and sugar 175 Haiti HTI 1,050 1,757 137 Honduras HND 3,160 5,095 12 Hong Kong, China HKG 44,050 56,923 leading international financial center 50 Hungary HUN 17,430 26,457 20 Iceland ISL 34,060 47,202 tourism, geothermal energy, fishing 128 India IND 2,740 6,100 telecommunication and automotive industry 102 Indonesia IDN 3,580 11,057 largest economy in Southeast Asia, based on services, manufacturing, and agriculture 79 Iraq* IRQ 3,600 15,394 68 Iran, Islamic Rep. IRN 10,800 18,100 2016 est. 9 Ireland IRL 37,040 68,514 export sector, dominated by foreign multinationals, tourism 35 Israel ISR 25,930 36,575 high tech and IT, agriculture and industry 34 Italy ITA 29,900 37,217 third-largest economy in the Eurozone and one of the world's most industrialized nations 112 Jamaica JAM 5,050 8,872 28 Japan JPN 34,600 40,763 fourth largest national economy in the world but with a public debt of more than 200 percent of its GDP 105 Jordan JOR 5,160 10,902 53 Kazakhstan KAZ 9,700 25,044 petroleum-based economy 155 Kenya KEN 1,540 3,088 services in banking, communication and transportation, tourism 169 Kiribati KIR 2,190 1,994 172 Korea (North)* PRK 1,900 1,800 trade (with China and South Korea), coal, minerals, some industries, military products, tourism (South Koreans visit Mount Kŭmgang) 37 Korea, Rep. (South) KOR 24,750 34,647 fourth largest economy in Asia, its economy is based on huge (private) industrial conglomerates called chaebols, high-tech industry 7 Kuwait KWT 49,970 74,645 petroleum-based economy 151 Kyrgyz Republic KGZ 1,950 3,433 133 Lao PDR LAO 1,940 5,691 trade with neighboring Thailand, Vietnam, and China, subsistence agriculture, rice, woven silk, tourism 54 Latvia LVA 16,890 24,899 consumption-driven growth, transportation, hydroelectric power, underground gas storage, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers 89 Lebanon LBN 10,050 13,936 157 Lesotho LSO 1,890 2,949 189 Liberia LBR 290 835 86 Libya* LBY 11,500 14,200 2016 est.
oil production,
3 Liechtenstein* LIE 25,000 89,400 industry and banking 2009 est. 46 Lithuania LTU 17,180 28,775 2 Luxembourg LUX 64,400 103,837 financial center and industry 88 Macedonia, Rep. of MKD 8,510 14,076 181 Madagascar MDG 920 1,465 agricultural and mineral resources, fishing and forestry, world's principal supplier of vanilla 187 Malawi MWI 750 1,183 48 Malaysia MYS 13,570 26,950 newly industrialized, electronic equipment, petroleum, and liquefied natural gas, rubber and palm oil, international trade, automotive 93 Maldives MDV 5,040 12,770 low-lying island country, tourism, agriculture, and government tax revenues 168 Mali MLI 1,040 2,028 38 Malta MLT 20,990 33,995 dependent on foreign trade (trans-shipment point), manufacturing, and tourism 144 Marshall Islands MHL 8,040 3,910 141 Mauritania* MRT 2,010 4,400 rich in natural resources, has a low GDP and a corrupt government - 2016 est. 64 Mauritius MUS 11,390 20,085 tourism, textiles, sugar, and financial services 71 Mexico MEX 12,580 16,988 second highest degree of economic disparity between the extremely poor and the extremely rich among OECD countries 148 Micronesia, Fed. Sts. FSM 3,710 3,496 138 Moldova MDA 2,930 5,049 95 Mongolia MNG 3,160 12,220 extensive deposits of copper, coal, gold, tin, molybdenum, and tungsten; herding and agriculture 76 Montenegro MNE 10,290 16,050 119 Morocco MAR 3,990 7,841 186 Mozambique MOZ 690 1,192 135 Myanmar* MMR 1,900 5,249 lack of adequate infrastructure, precious stones, jade, agriculture, wood and wood products, tourism, rubber 108 Namibia NAM 5,120 10,411 tied closely with South Africa, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism 162 Nepal NPL 1,040 2,462 15 Netherlands NLD 39,500 49,587 petroleum, chemicals, financial services, agriculture, transportation 33 New Zealand NZL 26,340 37,575 manufacturing and service sectors, exports of goods and services 136 Nicaragua NIC 2,080 5,200 188 Niger NER 630 955 131 Nigeria NGA 1,770 6,003 11 Norway NOR 53,690 62,083 petroleum-based economy, aluminum, nickel 30 Oman OMN 19,740 39,971 production of crude oil and liquefied natural gas 140 Pakistan PAK 2,570 5,010 81 Palau PLW 14,340 15,317 economy based primarily on tourism 60 Panama PAN 8,340 22,237 services sector, Panama Canal, banking, Colón Free Trade Zone 147 Papua New Guinea PNG 1,500 3,500 2016 est. 111 Paraguay PRY 4,380 9,198 94 Peru PER 8,340 12,529 services, manufacturing, and extractive industries
copper ore, gold, refined petroleum, coffee 122 Philippines PHL 3,730 7,387 'newly industrialized country' shifting from agriculture to services and manufacturing 49 Poland POL 15,590 26,862 steel, coal mining, chemicals, and shipbuilding 44 Portugal PRT 20,640 29,689 manufacturing and construction, textiles, wine, and tourism 1 Qatar QAT 141,542 petroleum and liquefied natural gas, transportation, fishing and pearl hunting 61 Romania ROU 10,980 22,124 auto assembly, mining and metallurgy, 55 Russian Federation RUS 14,400 24,451 oil and petroleum, steel, timber, machinery and armaments 174 Rwanda RWA 860 1,762 132 Samoa WSM 3,570 5,934 153 Sao Tome and Principe STP 1,630 3,218 14 Saudi Arabia SAU 22,910 53,538 petroleum-based economy 163 Senegal SEN 1,640 2,420 refining imported petroleum, food processing, gold powder, tourism 87 Serbia SRB 10,220 14,111 47 Seychelles SYC 8,670 27,177 tourism, fishing, and coconuts 179 Sierra Leone SLE 660 1,569 5 Singapore SGP 48,520 85,382 transshipment port, financial center, one of the world's most expensive cities 43 Slovakia SVK 19,330 29,931 machinery, chemicals, fuels, steel, weapons systems 41 Slovenia SVN 26,640 31,990 services, food production, tourism 165 Solomon Islands SLB 1,400 2,200 92 South Africa ZAF 9,560 13,195 second largest economy in Africa, gold, diamonds, platinum, coal, wine, tourism 36 Spain ESP 30,110 34,906 automotive, refined petroleum, packaged medicaments, agriculture 96 Sri Lanka LKA 4,210 11,762 rural-based agriculture, services 52 St. Kitts and Nevis KNA 10,430 25,088 sugar cane, tourism, offshore banking 103 St. Lucia LCA 7,090 10,944 tourism, offshore banking 101 St. Vincent and Grenadines VCT 5,720 11,139 142 Sudan SDN 1,880 4,387 oil, agriculture; very low Human Development Index (HDI) 72 Suriname SUR 6,000 16,702 113 Swaziland SWZ 4,930 8,647 19 Sweden SWE 35,840 47,855 timber, hydropower, iron ore, motor vehicles, engineering 10 Switzerland CHE 43,080 62,557 banking, watches, multinational corporations like Nestlé 158 Syria* SYR 4,370 2,900 159 Tajikistan TJK 1,710 2,833 161 Tanzania TZA 1,200 2,672 75 Thailand THA 7,880 16,340 'newly industrialized country', electrical and electronics equipment, agriculture, gold, tourism 164 Timor-Leste TMP 3,190 2,399 182 Togo TGO 800 1,460 134 Tonga TON 3,430 5,534 40 Trinidad and Tobago TTO 14,580 33,308 100 Tunisia TUN 7,130 11,467 agriculture, mining, tourism 66 Turkey TUR 12,090 20,008 newly industrialized country, exports of food, textiles, clothing, iron 73 Turkmenistan TKM 7,090 16,532 gas and oil, agriculture 171 Uganda UGA 920 1,851 coffee, oil re-exports, base metals, fish, maize, tobacco 118 Ukraine UKR 6,810 7,939 emerging free market, metals, chemicals, machinery, fuel 8 United Arab Emirates* ARE 37,300 69,970 economy is extremely reliant on oil 26 United Kingdom GBR 34,370 41,755 financial services, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, gas turbines, food 13 United States USA 45,850 56,115 consumer spending, wholesale, retail trade, chemicals industry, cars, oil, abundant natural resources 62 Uruguay URY 11,040 21,243 129 Uzbekistan UZB 1,680 6,086 agriculture and manufacturing, gas, gold, copper and cotton 156 Vanuatu VUT 2,890 2,987 82 Venezuela VEN 11,920 15,100 petroleum and manufacturing but on the brink of a complete economic collapse 130 Vietnam VNM 2,550 6,034 a socialist-oriented market mixed economy; agriculture, gold, anthracite coal, tourism 139 West Bank and Gaza PSE 3,720 5,020 160 Yemen, Republic YEM 2,200 2,820 145 Zambia ZMB 1,220 3,835 173 Zimbabwe* ZWE 1,632 1,786

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