the wealth of nations

the world's 38 most wealthy countries:

source: CIA estimates, 2000

measured in GDP per capita

over $30,000
1. Luxembourg
2. United States

over $25,000
3. Switzerland
4. Norway
5. Monaco
6. Singapore (Tiger)
7. Denmark
8. Hong Kong (Tiger)
9. Belgium
10. Austria

over $20,000
11. Japan
12. Canada
13. Iceland
14. France
15. Netherlands
16. Germany
17. Australia
18. Liechtenstein
19. Finland
20. United Arab Emirates (Oil)
21. United Kingdom
22. Sweden
23. Italy
24. Ireland
25. Qatar (Oil)

over $15,000
26. Israel
27. Andorra
28. Spain
29. New Zealand
30. Brunei (Oil)
31. Taiwan (Tiger)
32. Greece
33. South Korea (Tiger)
34. Cyprus (part of Greece)
35. Bahrain (Oil)
36. Portugal
37. Bahamas (Tourism/Banking)
38. Kuwait (Oil)

Singapore, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Brunei, Taiwan, South Korea, Bahamas, and Kuwait are all countries that have come to be on the list relatively recently. In parentheses are how they became more wealthy. "Tiger" does not refer to the animal but to a group of Asian nations that have experienced astounding economic growth in the last several decades. Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan were the original East Asian Tigers (also called Asia's Four Little Dragons), but "...the term Tiger has become synonymous with nations that achieve high growth by pursuing an export-driven trade strategy." (Wikipedia.org)