25 Richest Countries in the World

France is one of several countries in Western Europe to rank on this list. With a diverse and technologically advanced economy, France’s exports were worth over half a trillion dollars in 2017. Over 10% of exports were planes, helicopters, spacecraft, and aircraft parts.

Wealthier countries tend to have better health care systems and healthier populations. In France, life expectancy at birth is 82.5 years, about 10 years longer than the global average.

Japan’s $5 trillion economy is the third largest in the world, trailing only that of the United States and China. In the wake of WWII, Japan’s rapid economic expansion was fueled largely by its automotive and electronics industry. Japan is home to several multinational automakers, including Nissan, Honda, and Toyota, the largest car manufacturer in the world by total production. About 20% of the country’s $694 billion in exports in 2017 were cars and vehicle parts.

Bahrain is an island nation in the Middle East. It was among the first Gulf states to discover oil. Unlike many other oil-rich countries in the region, Bahrain has a relatively diverse economy. Still, oil accounts for over half of the country’s total merchandise exports.

Abuse of power for private gain is likely hindering potential prosperity in Bahrain. According to Transparency International, a nonprofit corruption watchdog, Bahrain is the most corrupt country on this list.

Based on GNI per capita, or the total amount of money earned by a nation’s people and businesses divided by the population, Finland is the 22nd wealthiest country in the world. Like many countries on this list, Finland has a highly diversified economy, exporting raw materials as well as manufactured electronics, vehicles, and other machines.

Like many of the wealthiest countries, corruption is not a major problem in Finland. According to Transparency International, Denmark and New Zealand are the only two countries with less corruption than Finland.

Belgium — which shares a border with four other countries on this list — is one of several Western European nations to rank among the wealthiest countries in the world. With a GDP of over half a trillion dollars, Belgium ranks among the world’s 25 largest economies. The country’s economy is diversified and heavily based on trade.

As is the case in most wealthy countries, Belgium has a relatively healthy population. Life expectancy at birth in Belgium is 81.4 years, nine years longer than the global average of 72.4 years.