There is an opinion that happiness is not at all in money, but still they can provide quite comfortable living conditions.
Today, there are many ratings that reflect the standard of living in a particular country, in particular, the IMF has a rating that represents the richest countries on the planet.
How is the standard of living determined? First of all, the GDP indicator is considered, which reflects the standard of living of citizens. Of great importance are the reserves of natural resources, microeconomic indicators - and the higher they are, the better the local residents live. This ranking is as of 2017, based on GDP based on PPP (purchasing power parity gross domestic product).
Qatar
The first position in the ranking of the richest countries in the world is occupied by a country on the Arabian Peninsula (Middle East) - Qatar. About 2.6 million people live here.
Almost the entire territory is represented by a desert with very poor flora and fauna, where the air temperature in summercan reach +50 degrees. Nevertheless, the country boasts huge reserves of natural gas, it is in the top three of all countries on the planet. The situation with oil is no worse. All these factors make Qatar the richest country.
The country's GDP per capita, as of October 2017, is $124,529. An absolute monarchy reigns in the state and quite loyal taxation, for example, the corporate tax for enterprises is only 10%.
There are a number of privileges for the local population: no payment for electricity and telephone. There are no problems with unemployment either, the entrepreneurs of the world who open their representative offices here are obliged to employ the local population.
Luxembourg
This is the richest state in Europe and the second in the world ranking. It is also one of the smallest countries on the European continent with a total area of only 2.5 thousand square kilometers. And only 602 thousand people live in Luxembourg. But per capita GDP is 106,374 US dollars.
It would seem, due to what is the development of the country's economy, where there are no natural reserves and heavy industry? It's simple: the secret is only in the powerful financial sector. The state hosts many investment funds (more than 4 thousand) and banks, of which there are about 141. Also, more than 95 insurance companies are registered in Luxembourg. It all started back in the 70s of the last century, when the metallurgical industry was replaced bybegan to develop the banking and financial sector. The form of government is a constitutional monarchy.
Singapore
A small island nation in Asia, ranked third in the ranking of the richest countries in the world. 5.88 million people live here.
This is a parliamentary republic, where the main focus is on maximum openness in relation to investors from other countries, on medicine, high technology and tourism. The state is famous for the almost complete absence of corruption and unemployment. GDP per capita is $93,905.
Brunei
Another of the richest countries in the world, located in Asia, is Brunei. It is a miniature country with no more than 442,000 people.
Despite its compact size, the subsoil of the state is full of natural gas and oil. In addition, Brunei is very beautiful, so a huge number of tourists come here.
The local population has many benefits: free he althcare and no personal income taxes, where GDP per capita is $78,196.
Ireland
Which is the richest country in Europe and in the world? Ireland is also included in the ranking. Here, GDP per capita is $76,538 (data as of October 2017).
This is a small state with an area of just over 70 thousand square kilometers. The form of government is a parliamentary republic. The main areas of the economy are pharmaceuticals and components for computers, software developmentsecurity.
Norway
Another European and richest state in the world is Norway. The region boasts deposits of gas and oil, but in addition, there is an emphasis on seafood, which is exported to many parts of the world. There are many mountains and glaciers on the territory, a rather harsh climate.
The country is ruled by King Harald V, as it is a constitutional monarchy. Number of inhabitants at 5.2 million, with a GDP per capita of $71,831.
United Arab Emirates
This is the most beautiful and richest country in the Middle East. Along with Qatar, it boasts large oil reserves. The banking sector and tourism are well developed.
More than 5 million people live in the country. The form of government is a federation of absolute monarchies. Simply put, the union includes 7 emirates, which are actually dwarf states.
GDP per capita is $67,741 thousand. The local population enjoys huge benefits; there are almost no taxes in the country. For this reason, there are no problems with investments in the country.
Kuwait
Which is the richest country in the world? Kuwait closes the top eight - a country in which one of the largest reserves of all oil on Earth. Accordingly, about 90% of all state income is generated by the export of "black gold".
GDP per capita is 66,163 thousand dollars. Anotheran indicator of the well-being of the state - the most expensive local currency in the world. One Kuwaiti Dinar can be purchased for $3.31.
Switzerland
A confederate state with a federal parliamentary form of government. The country is known for its beautiful nature and reliable banking system. About 8.5 million people live here. The state is famous for its neutral position to all military and political differences in the world.
In the European part of the planet, Switzerland is considered the richest state, although the GDP is only 61,422 dollars.
San Marino
The last in the top ten richest countries in the world is San Marino. It is a parliamentary republic in Southern Europe with an area of just over 60,000 square kilometers. Here the total length of all roads is 220 kilometers.
GDP per capita is $59,466. The basis of the country's economy is banking and insurance services. Good performance in the industrial sector and tourism. Once it was an agricultural country, now this area is represented mainly by sheep breeding and grape growing.
The richest African states
The concept of gross domestic product on the "black continent" does not always objectively reflect the real level of income of the local population. This indicator more demonstrates the growth of the economy and how the country is developing. It is no secret that the main resources in African countries are concentrated with the rulers.
But there are also leaders in the ranking of the richest countries:
| name | population, mln | GDP per capita, dollars | leading sectors of the economy |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1, 260 | 36017 | oil, gold, gas and diamonds |
| Seychelles | 95k | 28779 | tourism, offshore zone |
| Mauritius | 1, 267 | 21640 | tourism, sugar supplies, offshore zone |
| Gabon | 2, 025 | 19254 | minerals: manganese, oil, gas and uranium |
| Botswana | 2, 292 | 17828 | minerals: coal, silver, platinum, sulfur |
| Algeria | 41, 318 | 15237 | liquefied gas, oil |
| South Africa | 56, 639 | 13545 | chemical industry, mining: diamonds, oil and gold |
| Egypt | 97, 553 | 12671 | tourism and agriculture |
| Tunisia | 11, 532 | 11755 | tourism, oil and agriculture |
| Namibia | 2, 534 | 11312 | uranium and diamonds |
In closing
It is regrettable to admit, but all the countries of the post-Soviet space are not even among the top thirty leaders in terms of GDP per capita. In the Russian Federation, this figure is 27 thousand 834 dollars. In Ukraine, the situation is even worse - 8713 dollars. In Belarus, the situation is somewhat better - $18,931.
Currently, the Central African Republic is in last place with over 4 million people and a GDP of $677. Due to the military conflict, Syria “dropped out” of the rating, for which there is no data, although the country has huge oil reserves.
