25 Richest Countries in the World

One of the richest countries in the world, Switzerland has a GNI per capita of $58,138. Though it has a fairly diverse economy, gold is a major source of the nation’s wealth. Refineries in Switzerland process an estimated 70% of the world’s unrefined gold each year. The country’s banking sector is also somewhat infamous for serving as a tax haven for the world’s wealthy elite, although the nation has taken steps to reform its banking secrecy laws to close some loopholes.

Hong Kong is a free market economy located on the southern coast of China. The former British colony and now special administrative region of China, has a major trade-based economy, and China is its largest partner by far. Hong Kong’s relationship with China has strained recently after demonstrations in Hong Kong erupted in response to China trying to tighten the region’s autonomy.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in the world, both in terms of landmass and population, with barely 600,000 people. With a GDP of $69.5 billion, Luxembourg’s GNI per capita is one of the highest in the world, at $65,101.

No country relies more heavily on trade than the small European country. The total value of goods and services imported and exported in Luxembourg is equal to more than four times the country’s GDP. The nation’s largest exports are cars, petroleum, and diamonds.

Nearly half of all exports from the United Arab Emirates are forms of petroleum — crude, refined, and petroleum gas. The country’s exports also include precious metals and minerals like gold and diamonds. These valuable exports have helped make the UAE one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a GNI per capita of $67,136. The UAE has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, at 2.6%.

Norway has the highest GNI per capita in Europe, at $68,059. The Scandinavian nation is rich in natural resources, including oil, which accounts for more than half of the nation’s total exports. Norway has one of the longest-lived population of any country worldwide, with a life expectancy of 82.5 years, which is four years longer than the U.S. life expectancy, and over a decade longer than the worldwide life expectancy.