Ranked: U.S. States vs. G7 Countries by GDP per Capita
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This graphic charts the GDP per capita of G7 countries against select U.S. states.
Why compare states vs G7? By going down to the state level we account for differences in population and aggregate demand which can mask output inequalities between the U.S. and its peer economies.
Data for this graphic is sourced from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Census Bureau, as of 2023.
โน๏ธ G7 per capita GDP figures were accessed in October, a few weeks before a semi-annual IMF update. Thus, data in this article and chart may be slightly different from current estimates.
The American Economic Dream is Only Gathering Steam
The United States is outpacing the rest of the G7 in terms of productivity. And this is true at a state level as well.
Mississippi, the state with the lowest GDP per capita, is still wealthier than four G7 countries.
Rank | U.S. State / G7 Member | GDP per Capita |
---|---|---|
1 | ๐บ๐ธ Washington D.C (Richest State*) |
$259,954 |
2 | ๐บ๐ธ New York (Second-Richest State) |
$110,980 |
3 | ๐บ๐ธ Massachusetts (Third-Richest State) |
$105,164 |
4 | ๐บ๐ธ U.S. Average | $81,600 |
5 | ๐บ๐ธ Arkansas (Third-poorest State) |
$58,220 |
6 | ๐บ๐ธ West Virginia (Second-poorest State) |
$57,710 |
7 | ๐จ๐ฆ Canada | $54,900 |
8 | ๐ฉ๐ช Germany | $52,730 |
9 | ๐บ๐ธ Mississippi (Poorest State) |
$51,420 |
10 | ๐ฌ๐ง UK | $49,100 |
11 | ๐ซ๐ท France | $46,000 |
12 | ๐ฎ๐น Italy | $38,330 |
13 | ๐ฏ๐ต Japan | $33,810 |
Note: *U.S. territory in this case
Meanwhile, West Virginia, with the second-lowest per capita GDP, surpasses all six of the other G7 nations.
These massive gaps in output could be surprising for those not paying attention. The U.S. economy has surged since the pandemic, with its GDP per capita increasing by $20,000 between 2020 and 2024โa growth none of the other G7 countries have matched, even when going all the way back to 2010.
Of course these last four years have also seen record inflation, and a strengthening U.S. dollar, affecting these numbers.
G7 Country | GDP per Capita in 2010 |
GDP per Capita in 2024 |
% Change |
---|---|---|---|
๐บ๐ธ U.S. | $48,590 | $86,600 | +78% |
๐จ๐ฆ Canada | $47,630 | $53,830 | +13% |
๐ฏ๐ต Japan | $45,140 | $32,860 | -27% |
๐ฉ๐ช Germany | $43,230 | $55,520 | +28% |
๐ซ๐ท France | $42,200 | $48,010 | +14% |
๐ฌ๐ง UK | $39,640 | $52,420 | +32% |
๐ฎ๐น Italy | $35,960 | $49,290 | +37% |
Nevertheless, thereโs no denying America is staying ahead of its rivals.
And thereโs a lot of factors to its success story in the last two decades, as this article from The Economist covers well. A combination of the shale oil revolution in the 2000s, tech sector boom in the 2010s, and pandemic stimulus in 2020 have kept growth steady, even while Europe, Canada, and Japan have struggled.
Adding to this: a vast consumer and capital market, integrated labor pool, and hegemony on the worldโs best universities is keeping the flywheel of growth spinning.
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Americaโs productivity gains versus the rest of the G7 are only set to grow. Check out Projections for the G7โs GDP per Capita by 2029 to see how the other countries rank.