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Economy, investment and finance

Data insights

Economic, investment and financial data provide vital measurements of economies' health, overall development and capacity for growth. This collection of thematic insights explores critical dimensions of national accounts, economic potential and price signals.

Most developed economies have per capita gross domestic product more than ten times that of poorest countries

Gross domestic product per capita, current prices, United States dollars, 2023

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

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Large differences in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita persist throughout the world. In 2023, the majority of developed economies produced an output per person greater than $30 000, with economies in Eastern and Southern Europe as the main exception. By contrast, two in five developing economies in Africa recorded a per capita output of less than $1 000. Most developing economies in the Americas, Asia and Oceania reached an output higher than $3 000 per person.

Data updated on 30 Oct 2024

In 2023, economic growth slowed to 2.7 per cent, with 2024 nowcast to be 2.8 per cent

World real gross domestic product, annual growth rate, percentage

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

In constant 2015 United States dollars. The dotted line indicates UNCTAD nowcasts (as of 22 October 2024). Nowcasts are constantly revised as new source data become available. For the weekly update of the nowcast and its methodology, see the Nowcasts page.

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After the 2020-2021 COVID-19 slump and subsequent recovery, the global economy’s growth has been hovering at about 3 per cent: growth was 3.1 per cent in 2022 and 2.7 per cent in 2023, while the nowcast also predicts 2.8 per cent for 2024.

Data updated on 30 Oct 2024

Gross domestic product growth in developing economies more than double that of developed economies

Growth of real gross domestic product by group of economies, percentage, 2023

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

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Economic growth was uneven in 2023. Gross domestic product growth in developed economies slowed to 1.7 per cent, down from 2.4 per cent in 2022, while developing economies’ growth remained almost stable at 4.1 per cent. Economic growth in developing Africa weakened to 2.7 per cent in 2023 from 3.5 per cent in 2022. In Developing Americas growth also slowed down to 2.2 per cent in 2023 after 4 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, economic growth in developing Asia and Oceania increased from 4.1 per cent 4.6 per cent over the same period.

Growth in least developed countries was 3.4 per cent in 2023, remaining well below the 7 per cent target set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Their growth rate per capita was 1.0 per cent.

Data updated on 30 Oct 2024

Metadata

Gross domestic product (GDP) is an aggregate measure of production, income and expenditure of an economy. The GDP figures presented in this section are usually calculated from the expenditure side. As an expenditure measure, it depicts the sum of expenditure on final consumption, gross capital formation (i.e., investment, changes in inventories, and acquisitions less disposals of valuables) and exports after deduction of imports.

All GDP growth is expressed in real terms.

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