Introduction..................................2

Charts.............................................3

Tables.............................................9

Technical Notes..........................18

 

 

 

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Comparisons 

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Related Info

Dashboard and data tables: 

www.bls.gov/ilc/intl_gdp_capita_gdp_hour.xls

HTML: 

www.bls.gov/ilc/intl_gdp_capita_gdp_hour.htm 

PDF: 

www.bls.gov/ilc/intl_gdp_capita_gdp_hour.pdf 

International Comparisons of 

GDP per Capita and per Hour, 1960–2011 

GDP per hour worked is 

a general measure of labor 

productivity for the entire economy. 

In 2011, Norway and Ireland 

had the highest GDP per hour 

worked followed by the United 

States. 

GDP per hour worked was lowest in the Republic of Korea 

and the Czech Republic. 

Singapore had one of the 

highest levels of GDP per 

capita, but one of the lower

levels of GDP per hour worked.

For more details, see page 5. 

Division of International Labor Comparisons November 7, 2012

GDP per capita, when 

converted to U.S. dollars using 

purchasing power parities, is 

the most widely used income 

measure for international comparisons of living standards. 

In 2011, Norway had the 

highest GDP per capita 

followed by Singapore and 

then the United States. 

GDP per capita was lowest in 

the Czech Republic and the 

Republic of Korea. 

For more details, see page 3. 

 26.2

30.3

32.1

32.5

34.3

35.1

35.7

37.6

38.8

39.2

40.5

40.9

41.3

41.3

41.5

42.1

42.8

48.3

60.7

61.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Czech Republic

Rep. of Korea

Italy

Spain

Japan

France

United Kingdom

Finland

Belgium

Germany

Canada

Denmark

Sweden

Australia

Ireland

Austria

Netherlands

United States

Singapore

Norway

Thousands of U.S. dollars

GDP per capita, 2011

27.1

30.6

39.7

41.3

44.4

46.6

46.8

46.8

48.1

48.1

51.4

51.6

53.2

55.3

57.7

59.5

60.2

60.6

66.7

81.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Rep. of Korea

Czech Republic

Japan

Singapore

Italy

Canada

United Kingdom

Australia

Finland

Spain

Austria

Sweden

Denmark

Germany

France

Netherlands

Belgium

United States

Ireland

Norway

U.S. dollars

GDP per hour worked, 2011
www.bls.gov/ilc | 2 

Introduction

This report updates international comparisons of GDP per capita and related measures produced 

annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Charts on current levels and recent trends of GDP per 

capita, GDP per hour worked, average annual hours worked, and employment are followed by tables 

with time series and growth rates of these and related indicators. The estimates shown in this report are 

based on data available as of September 2012. Data are available for all countries through 2011. 

Concepts and Definitions

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as the value of all market and some nonmarket goods and

services produced within a country's geographic borders. As such, it is the most comprehensive measure 

of a country's economic output that is estimated by statistical agencies. GDP per capita may therefore be 

viewed as a rough indicator of a nation's economic well being, while GDP per hour worked can provide a 

general picture of a country's productivity.

These indicators, however, are only approximations. The total production of a country consists of many 

things that are not included in its GDP, for example leisure, health, safety, and cultural resources. Due to 

these types of data limitations, small differences in rankings should not be considered economically 

significant. Nevertheless, these measures are commonly used to compare the economic performance of 

different countries.

For international comparisons of levels of GDP, GDP per capita, or GDP per hour worked, the output has 

to be measured in a common currency unit. BLS converts the output measures from national currency 

units to U.S. dollars through the use of purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs are currency conversion 

rates that allow output in different currency units to be expressed in a common unit of value - in this 

case, U.S. dollars. The PPP for a given country is a ratio, where the numerator is the number of national 

currency units needed to purchase a specific basket of goods and services in that country and the 

denominator is the number of U.S. dollars needed to purchase a similar basket of goods in the United 

States, the base country.

This report now uses 2011 PPPs instead of 2010 PPPs. In addition, since the previous update, the 

organizations that publish the PPPs have revised their earlier data. As a result, GDP for some countries 

may have changed. 

For further information on sources and methods see technical notes. Additional historical data on GDP 

per capita, GDP per hour worked, and related measures are available at www.bls.gov/ilc/#gdp. 
www.bls.gov/ilc | 3 

• GDP per capita is a basic indicator of a 

country’s economic well-being. GDP 

measures the value of all final goods 

and services produced within a country. 

• The country with the highest GDP per 

capita, Norway, had a GDP per capita 

value in 2011 that was more than twice 

that of the country with the lowest 

value, the Czech Republic. 

• In 2011, real GDP per capita grew in 18 

of the 20 countries compared. The 

greatest increases occurred in Sweden 

and Germany. The growth in 2011 by 

the 18 countries is in line with the 

average annual changes over the 1995–

2011 period, when real GDP per capita 

increased in all 20 countries compared, 

with the largest increases occurring in 

the Republic of Korea and Singapore. 

• The charts on page 4 show that

countries began experiencing declines

in real GDP per capita around 2007. 

Several countries, however, have 

increased GDP per capita since 2009. 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Czech Republic

Rep. of Korea

Italy

Spain

Japan

France

United Kingdom

Finland

Belgium

Germany

Canada

Denmark

Sweden

Australia

Ireland

Austria

Netherlands

United States

Singapore

Norway

Thousands of U.S. dollars

GDP per capita, 2011

Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs

-2 0 2 4 

Italy

Japan

Denmark

France

Germany

Norway

Belgium

United States

Canada

Spain

Netherlands

Austria

United Kingdom

Australia

Sweden

Finland

Czech Republic

Ireland

Singapore

Rep. of Korea

Percent

Real GDP per capita

Average annual growth rates

1995-2011

2010-2011
www.bls.gov/ilc | 4 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

Real GDP per capita, by country, 1995–2011

Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs 

Index: 1995 = 100

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

 Rep. of Korea Ireland Singapore Czech Republic

 Finland Sweden United Kingdom Australia

 Spain Netherlands Austria Norway

 Canada United States Belgium Germany

 Denmark France Italy Japan
www.bls.gov/ilc | 5 

• GDP per hour worked is an indicator of 

a country’s productivity. 

• In 2011, Norway had the highest level 

of GDP per hour among the countries 

covered; approximately 20 percent 

higher than the next highest ranked 

country, Ireland, and roughly three 

times the level of the Republic of Korea. 

• While Singapore had the second highest 

level of GDP per capita, it had a 

relatively low level of GDP per hour 

worked. The difference is related to 

Singapore having the highest average 

annual hours worked per employed 

person (see page 15) and the highest 

employment to population ratio (see 

page 16) of all countries covered. 

• In general, countries with low levels of 

GDP per hour worked, such as 

Singapore and the Republic of Korea, 

had a high number of annual average 

hours worked per employed person. For 

more details, see page 7. 

• Over the 1995–2011 period, all 

countries compared experienced 

increases in real GDP per hour worked. 

All countries also saw increases in real 

GDP per hour worked in 2011 except

Norway. 

• The charts on page 6 show how growth 

in GDP per hour differed across 

countries. Since 1995, GDP per hour in 

the Republic of Korea has doubled while 

remaining relatively flat in Italy. 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Rep. of Korea

Czech Republic

Japan

Singapore

Italy

Canada

United Kingdom

Australia

Finland

Spain

Austria

Sweden

Denmark

Germany

France

Netherlands

Belgium

United States

Ireland

Norway

U.S. dollars

GDP per hour worked, 2011

Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs

-2 0 2 4 

Italy

Denmark

Spain

Belgium

Norway

Netherlands

Canada

France

Germany

Australia

Austria

Japan

Finland

United Kingdom

Sweden

Singapore

United States

Czech Republic

Ireland

Rep. of Korea

Percent

Real GDP per hour worked

Average annual growth rates

1995-2011

2010-2011
www.bls.gov/ilc | 6 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

80 

100 

120 

140 

160 

180 

200 

95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11

Real GDP per hour, by country, 1995–2011

Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs 

Index: 1995 = 100

 Rep. of Korea Ireland Czech Republic United States

 Singapore Sweden Finland United Kingdom

 Japan Austria Australia Norway

 Germany France Canada Netherlands

 Belgium Spain Denmark Italy
www.bls.gov/ilc | 7 

• Average annual hours worked is total 

number of hours worked in an economy 

divided by the number of persons 

employed. 

• Of the countries covered, average 

annual hours worked were highest in

Singapore and the Republic of Korea, at 

well over 2000 hours. 

• In general, European countries had a

lower number of average annual hours 

worked than non-European countries. 

Average annual hours were lowest in

Germany and Norway. The European 

country with the highest level of 

average annual hours worked was the 

Czech Republic, followed by Italy. 

• With the exception of Spain, Sweden, 

and Denmark, average annual hours 

declined in all countries covered since 

1995. In the latest year, however, hours 

declined in less than half the countries. 

 

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Germany

Norway

Netherlands

France

Ireland

Denmark

Belgium

United Kingdom

Sweden

Austria

Finland

Spain

Australia

Canada

Japan

United States

Italy

Czech Republic

Rep. of Korea

Singapore

Hours 

Average annual hours worked, 2011

per employed person

-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 

Ireland

Rep. of Korea

Japan

Germany

France

Austria

Finland

United Kingdom

Netherlands

Australia

Canada

United States

Czech Republic

Italy

Norway

Singapore

Belgium

Denmark

Sweden

Spain

Percent

Average annual hours worked

Average annual growth rates

1995-2011

2010-2011
www.bls.gov/ilc | 8 

• Employment and average hours worked

combine to yield total hours worked, 

which is typically used as the labor input 

in productivity measures. 

• In 2011, most countries experienced 

increases of employment and comparatively small changes in average hours 

worked. 

• The 1995–2011 period saw growth in 

employment coupled with small declines 

in average annual hours worked for most 

of the countries covered. The only 

exceptions to this trend occurred in 

Japan and the Czech Republic, where 

both indicators declined, and Spain, 

where both indicators rose.

-4 -2 0 2 4 

Ireland

Spain

Denmark

Netherlands

Japan

Czech Republic

Italy

France

United Kingdom

United States

Finland

Germany

Norway

Belgium

Austria

Canada

Australia

Rep. of Korea

Sweden

Singapore

Percent

Employment

Hours worked

Employment and average hours worked, 2010- 2011

Annual growth rates

-2 0 2 4 

Japan

Czech Republic

Denmark

Germany

Sweden

United States

United Kingdom

Italy

France

Austria

Belgium

Rep. of Korea

Netherlands

Finland

Norway

Canada

Spain

Australia

Ireland

Singapore

Percent

Employment

Hours worked

Employment and average hours worked, 1995 - 2011 

Average annual growth rates 
www.bls.gov/ilc | 9 

Table 1a. Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs (2011 U.S. dollars)

Table 1b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States 1.6 1.9 2.2 1.4 -0.7 1.6 1.1

Canada 1.4 1.5 1.9 1.5 -.3 2.0 1.3

Australia 1.8 1.8 2.2 2.1 .6 1.1 1.1

Japan 1.8 3.9 .9 1.3 -.8 4.1 -.7

Republic of Korea 5.5 7.3 5.6 4.2 2.5 5.8 2.9

Singapore 4.3 5.6 4.2 4.0 1.8 12.7 2.7

Austria 1.8 2.0 2.2 1.7 .3 2.0 2.6

Belgium 1.6 2.1 1.9 1.4 -.2 1.3 1.3

Czech Republic NA NA NA 4.7 .2 2.5 1.9

Denmark 1.4 1.8 2.2 1.3 -1.7 .8 .4

Finland 2.0 2.8 1.7 2.9 -1.1 2.9 2.3

France 1.3 1.8 1.5 1.1 -.5 1.1 1.1

Germany NA 2.0 NA 1.4 .7 3.8 3.0

Ireland 2.9 2.5 6.0 3.0 -3.2 -.7 .4

Italy 1.3 2.4 1.6 .7 -1.6 1.6 .2

Netherlands 1.6 1.6 2.5 1.6 -.3 1.1 .5

Norway 2.0 2.3 3.1 1.6 -1.1 -.6 .1

Spain 1.8 2.4 2.4 1.8 -1.3 -.4 .6

Sweden 1.8 1.9 1.7 2.6 .2 5.3 3.1

United Kingdom 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 -1.3 1.2 .0

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States 17,747 29,467 36,378 45,026 49,571 48,951 47,041 47,772 48,282

Canada 14,733 26,027 30,668 36,903 40,973 40,773 39,161 39,951 40,489

Australia 15,320 23,085 27,967 34,910 40,357 40,644 40,447 40,910 41,340

Japan 6,109 19,551 29,679 32,322 35,392 35,040 33,144 34,519 34,294

Republic of Korea 1,537 5,517 11,985 20,575 27,406 27,834 27,791 29,411 30,254

Singapore 4,378 15,768 28,600 43,142 56,606 54,586 52,445 59,131 60,742

Austria 11,432 23,713 29,484 36,831 41,534 41,935 40,209 41,019 42,066

Belgium 11,741 23,279 29,276 35,427 39,108 39,177 37,775 38,269 38,767

Czech Republic NA NA NA 18,845 25,930 26,460 25,069 25,692 26,169

Denmark 14,926 26,423 32,188 40,049 43,774 43,177 40,441 40,782 40,930

Finland NA 19,979 27,201 32,128 39,378 39,310 35,782 36,802 37,636

France 11,272 23,547 28,546 33,207 35,882 35,656 34,351 34,734 35,133

Germany 12,352 22,589 27,971 34,508 38,036 38,515 36,649 38,057 39,186

Ireland NA 16,433 21,551 38,429 47,250 45,105 41,661 41,371 41,537

Italy 9,841 21,458 27,954 32,661 34,261 33,612 31,543 32,050 32,100

Netherlands 14,244 25,569 30,330 38,886 43,360 43,971 42,143 42,610 42,824

Norway 16,574 33,135 42,626 57,922 64,772 63,992 62,137 61,782 61,869

Spain NA 18,231 23,694 30,128 34,182 33,941 32,432 32,309 32,501

Sweden 13,936 23,628 28,936 34,356 41,003 40,420 38,057 40,071 41,316

United Kingdom 11,879 18,981 24,779 31,640 37,588 36,975 35,279 35,689 35,688

Real GDP per capita, by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

PPPs = purchasing power parities.

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 10

Table 2a. Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs (2011 U.S. dollars)

Table 2b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States 1.5 1.2 2.0 1.4 1.2 3.0 1.2

Canada 1.0 .9 1.7 .7 .1 1.8 .9

Australia 1.2 1.0 2.1 1.1 .2 -.2 .6

Japan 1.8 3.5 1.0 1.4 -.2 4.9 -.8

Republic of Korea 4.5 5.8 4.9 3.2 2.2 4.9 1.9

Singapore 3.5 4.7 4.2 2.8 .0 11.9 .9

Austria 1.5 1.9 2.0 1.3 -.2 1.4 1.5

Belgium 1.4 2.1 1.5 1.0 -.4 1.4 .5

Czech Republic NA NA NA 4.0 .8 4.5 1.4

Denmark 1.4 1.6 2.2 .8 -.4 3.7 1.1

Finland 2.1 2.5 2.9 2.1 -.9 3.4 1.6

France 1.3 1.9 1.2 1.0 .1 1.7 1.2

Germany NA 1.1 NA 1.2 -.2 3.2 1.6

Ireland 2.5 2.9 3.0 1.7 1.5 4.0 2.8

Italy 1.0 1.8 1.5 -.1 -.6 2.8 .3

Netherlands .9 .9 1.2 .9 .4 4.4 1.0

Norway 1.6 2.0 2.5 1.0 -.9 .8 .1

Spain 1.4 2.0 1.4 .0 2.4 2.6 2.8

Sweden 1.9 1.4 2.8 2.3 .6 5.1 1.6

United Kingdom 1.9 2.0 2.5 2.1 -.6 1.5 .3

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States 46,951 65,717 75,227 91,921 101,409 101,522 102,185 105,235 106,541

Canada 42,310 58,643 64,510 76,417 79,976 79,198 78,242 79,676 80,357

Australia 37,876 54,218 60,209 73,969 79,803 79,547 80,038 79,884 80,330

Japan 12,101 38,814 56,912 62,703 69,007 68,605 65,844 69,087 68,537

Republic of Korea NA 15,223 28,409 45,717 56,836 57,787 58,147 60,984 62,119

Singapore NA 32,792 54,565 82,090 99,391 92,962 88,036 98,489 99,415

Austria 23,919 52,614 64,644 78,934 86,467 85,978 83,369 84,558 85,816

Belgium 30,699 60,565 75,776 88,274 94,811 94,036 91,566 92,844 93,317

Czech Republic NA NA NA 39,888 52,625 53,032 51,157 53,459 54,226

Denmark 32,057 53,274 63,421 78,820 83,547 81,644 78,597 81,510 82,378

Finland NA 41,606 54,680 72,512 83,769 81,903 76,909 79,526 80,779

France 25,811 56,735 69,831 78,808 84,746 84,266 82,695 84,122 85,152

Germany 26,243 51,395 58,183 72,017 78,504 78,394 74,344 76,724 77,978

Ireland NA 46,902 64,348 86,202 97,050 95,172 96,352 100,162 102,983

Italy 23,608 57,359 70,128 81,107 80,764 79,629 76,438 78,606 78,813

Netherlands 34,524 63,295 69,816 78,668 83,928 84,159 81,039 84,583 85,437

Norway 38,808 70,918 87,816 112,140 120,490 116,751 115,316 116,190 116,251

Spain NA 51,579 64,160 73,916 74,052 74,844 77,209 79,220 81,417

Sweden 28,540 46,301 53,852 70,869 82,913 81,634 79,432 83,454 84,816

United Kingdom 26,064 42,368 52,781 67,791 78,430 77,112 75,275 76,431 76,638

Real GDP per employed person, by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

PPPs = purchasing power parities. 

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 11

Table 3a. Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs (2011 U.S. dollars)

Table 3b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States 1.6 1.3 1.8 2.1 1.5 2.4 0.3

Canada 1.2 1.0 1.7 1.0 .6 1.3 .9

Australia 1.5 1.3 2.0 1.9 -.1 .1 .1

Japan 2.4 3.8 2.0 1.6 1.3 3.7 2.4

Republic of Korea NA NA 5.5 4.2 4.1 6.7 4.6

Singapore 3.5 4.6 4.1 3.0 .1 11.4 .9

Austria NA NA NA 1.8 .8 2.1 1.2

Belgium 1.7 2.4 2.2 .9 -.3 1.3 .5

Czech Republic NA NA NA 4.9 1.0 2.7 2.6

Denmark 1.6 2.2 1.9 1.0 .0 3.6 .9

Finland 2.4 3.0 3.0 2.5 -.5 3.1 1.4

France 1.9 2.8 2.0 1.4 .3 1.4 1.4

Germany NA 2.2 NA 1.7 .0 1.4 1.4

Ireland NA NA 4.5 2.4 3.0 3.7 2.9

Italy NA NA 1.5 .3 .0 2.6 .3

Netherlands 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.6 .0 2.2 .2

Norway 1.9 2.4 2.8 1.3 -.9 -.1 -.2

Spain 1.7 2.9 1.1 .6 1.9 2.3 1.7

Sweden NA NA 2.4 2.5 .1 2.9 1.6

United Kingdom 2.2 2.4 2.9 2.3 -.1 1.3 .9

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States NA 35.94 41.57 49.50 57.08 57.51 59.00 60.41 60.59

Canada NA 31.97 35.70 42.40 45.54 45.35 45.62 46.20 46.61

Australia NA 29.16 33.59 41.11 46.97 45.46 46.77 46.79 46.84

Japan NA 18.30 27.56 33.71 37.73 37.89 37.37 38.76 39.70

Republic of Korea NA NA 10.13 17.33 23.14 24.09 24.30 25.93 27.14

Singapore NA 13.73 22.50 33.50 41.17 38.51 36.70 40.88 41.27

Austria NA NA NA 43.86 49.82 50.03 49.79 50.83 51.45

Belgium NA 35.24 45.77 57.14 60.78 59.98 59.07 59.86 60.17

Czech Republic NA NA NA 20.95 29.35 29.46 29.00 29.79 30.55

Denmark NA 32.34 41.03 49.71 53.23 51.92 50.90 52.72 53.20

Finland NA 22.26 30.91 41.42 49.09 48.51 45.98 47.42 48.08

France NA 31.45 42.48 51.74 57.08 56.49 56.17 56.93 57.70

Germany NA 29.03 36.88 48.97 55.20 55.13 53.76 54.50 55.26

Ireland NA NA 32.37 50.15 59.39 59.45 62.53 64.83 66.74

Italy NA NA 37.57 43.57 44.46 44.17 43.15 44.28 44.43

Netherlands NA 39.27 46.68 53.17 59.44 59.49 58.06 59.35 59.49

Norway NA 44.88 58.44 77.06 84.50 81.68 81.70 81.61 81.47

Spain NA 27.90 38.11 42.71 44.66 45.01 46.25 47.32 48.13

Sweden NA NA 34.18 43.17 51.45 50.49 49.37 50.80 51.61

United Kingdom NA 23.27 30.15 39.93 46.96 46.32 45.81 46.40 46.82

Real GDP per hour worked, by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

PPPs = purchasing power parities. 

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 12

Table 4a. Converted to U.S. dollars using 2011 PPPs (In millions of 2011 U.S. dollars)

Table 4b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States 2.6 2.9 3.4 2.4 0.2 2.4 1.8

Canada 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.5 .9 3.2 2.4

Australia 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 2.1 2.5 2.2

Japan 2.1 4.5 1.1 1.4 -.8 4.4 -.7

Republic of Korea 6.4 8.6 6.5 4.7 3.1 6.3 3.6

Singapore 6.9 7.9 7.1 5.9 4.9 14.8 4.9

Austria 2.2 2.2 2.7 2.2 .7 2.3 3.0

Belgium 1.9 2.2 2.2 1.9 .6 2.2 1.9

Czech Republic NA NA NA 4.7 .6 2.7 1.7

Denmark 1.6 1.9 2.6 1.6 -1.2 1.3 .8

Finland 2.4 3.3 2.1 3.3 -.7 3.3 2.7

France 1.8 2.3 2.0 1.8 .0 1.7 1.7

Germany NA 2.2 NA 1.4 .6 3.7 3.0

Ireland 3.9 2.9 6.8 5.0 -2.5 -.4 .7

Italy 1.5 2.5 1.6 1.3 -1.1 2.1 .6

Netherlands 2.2 2.1 3.2 2.0 .2 1.6 1.0

Norway 2.6 2.7 3.7 2.3 .1 .7 1.4

Spain 2.5 2.8 2.8 3.4 -.6 -.1 .7

Sweden 2.2 2.2 2.1 3.0 1.0 6.2 3.9

United Kingdom 2.3 2.6 2.8 3.0 -.6 1.8 .8

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States 3,206,354 6,631,603 9,099,424 12,714,776 14,970,616 14,920,172 14,462,202 14,808,060 15,075,700

Canada 263,862 629,903 849,218 1,132,385 1,349,232 1,358,525 1,320,897 1,363,363 1,396,160

Australia 157,411 335,103 477,263 668,641 848,145 869,146 880,883 902,684 922,870

Japan 574,859 2,266,209 3,665,580 4,100,386 4,522,116 4,475,012 4,227,680 4,415,672 4,383,325

Republic of Korea 38,433 207,070 513,774 967,196 1,331,845 1,362,455 1,366,808 1,453,194 1,506,004

Singapore 7,208 37,583 87,147 173,771 259,744 264,162 261,574 300,191 314,867

Austria 80,570 179,016 226,376 295,073 344,777 349,591 336,272 344,055 354,235

Belgium 107,474 229,262 291,810 363,160 415,559 419,588 407,836 416,962 424,966

Czech Republic NA NA NA 193,586 267,670 275,965 263,008 270,211 274,683

Denmark 68,117 135,225 165,457 213,800 239,008 237,135 223,301 226,194 227,935

Finland NA 95,194 135,634 166,299 208,258 208,869 191,034 197,384 202,795

France 525,384 1,290,762 1,659,596 2,016,489 2,288,602 2,286,756 2,214,790 2,251,623 2,289,849

Germany 684,721 1,386,009 1,769,286 2,836,161 3,128,922 3,162,815 3,000,657 3,111,392 3,204,596

Ireland NA 55,484 75,660 146,182 206,001 199,878 185,898 185,099 186,405

Italy 493,997 1,208,461 1,585,538 1,859,766 2,034,257 2,011,087 1,898,677 1,938,471 1,950,050

Netherlands 163,562 358,833 453,338 619,136 710,328 723,143 696,621 707,970 714,997

Norway 59,380 134,941 180,796 260,125 305,020 305,127 300,040 302,070 306,441

Spain NA 679,806 920,538 1,213,063 1,533,863 1,547,494 1,489,606 1,488,571 1,499,111

Sweden 104,309 195,971 247,661 304,809 375,097 372,661 353,871 375,792 390,407

United Kingdom 622,141 1,067,464 1,418,287 1,863,163 2,292,365 2,270,178 2,179,951 2,219,175 2,236,004

Real GDP, by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

PPPs = purchasing power parities.

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 13

Table 5a. Millions of persons

Table 5b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.7

Canada 1.1 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.0

Australia 1.4 1.5 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.2

Japan .3 .6 .3 .1 .0 .3 -.1

Republic of Korea .9 1.2 .9 .5 .6 .5 .7

Singapore 2.5 2.3 2.8 1.9 3.1 1.8 2.1

Austria .3 .2 .4 .5 .4 .3 .4

Belgium .3 .1 .3 .5 .8 .9 .6

Czech Republic NA NA NA .1 .4 .2 -.2

Denmark .3 .0 .4 .3 .5 .5 .4

Finland .4 .4 .4 .3 .5 .5 .5

France .5 .5 .4 .7 .5 .5 .5

Germany NA .3 NA .0 -.1 -.1 .0

Ireland .9 .4 .8 2.0 .7 .3 .3

Italy .2 .1 .0 .6 .6 .5 .4

Netherlands .5 .6 .6 .4 .5 .5 .5

Norway .6 .4 .6 .7 1.3 1.3 1.3

Spain .7 .4 .4 1.6 .7 .3 .1

Sweden .4 .3 .4 .4 .8 .9 .8

United Kingdom .3 .2 .3 .5 .7 .6 .8

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States 180.67 225.06 250.13 282.38 302.00 304.80 307.44 309.98 312.24

Canada 17.91 24.20 27.69 30.69 32.93 33.32 33.73 34.13 34.48

Australia 10.28 14.52 17.07 19.15 21.02 21.38 21.78 22.07 22.32

Japan 94.10 115.91 123.51 126.86 127.77 127.71 127.56 127.92 127.82

Republic of Korea 25.01 37.53 42.87 47.01 48.60 48.95 49.18 49.41 49.78

Singapore 1.65 2.38 3.05 4.03 4.59 4.84 4.99 5.08 5.18

Austria 7.05 7.55 7.68 8.01 8.30 8.34 8.36 8.39 8.42

Belgium 9.15 9.85 9.97 10.25 10.63 10.71 10.80 10.90 10.96

Czech Republic NA NA NA 10.27 10.32 10.43 10.49 10.52 10.50

Denmark 4.56 5.12 5.14 5.34 5.46 5.49 5.52 5.55 5.57

Finland 4.43 4.76 4.99 5.18 5.29 5.31 5.34 5.36 5.39

France 46.61 54.82 58.14 60.72 63.78 64.13 64.48 64.82 65.18

Germany 55.43 61.36 63.25 82.19 82.26 82.12 81.88 81.76 81.78

Ireland 2.83 3.38 3.51 3.80 4.36 4.43 4.46 4.47 4.49

Italy 50.20 56.32 56.72 56.94 59.38 59.83 60.19 60.48 60.75

Netherlands 11.48 14.03 14.95 15.92 16.38 16.45 16.53 16.62 16.70

Norway 3.58 4.07 4.24 4.49 4.71 4.77 4.83 4.89 4.95

Spain 30.26 37.29 38.85 40.26 44.87 45.59 45.93 46.07 46.13

Sweden 7.49 8.29 8.56 8.87 9.15 9.22 9.30 9.38 9.45

United Kingdom 52.37 56.24 57.24 58.89 60.99 61.40 61.79 62.18 62.65

Population, by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 14

Table 6a. Millions of persons

Table 6b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States 1.1 1.7 1.4 0.9 -1.1 -0.6 0.6

Canada 1.5 1.9 1.2 1.9 .7 1.4 1.5

Australia 2.0 2.3 1.3 2.3 2.0 2.7 1.7

Japan .3 .9 .2 .0 -.6 -.5 .1

Republic of Korea 1.8 2.6 1.6 1.5 .9 1.4 1.7

Singapore 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.1 4.9 2.6 3.9

Austria .6 .3 .7 .9 .9 .9 1.4

Belgium .6 .2 .7 .9 1.0 .8 1.4

Czech Republic NA NA NA .7 -.1 -1.7 .2

Denmark .3 .2 .4 .8 -.8 -2.3 -.3

Finland .3 .7 -.8 1.2 .2 -.1 1.1

France .5 .4 .7 .8 -.1 -.1 .5

Germany NA 1.1 NA .2 .8 .5 1.3

Ireland 1.3 -.1 3.7 3.3 -3.9 -4.2 -2.1

Italy .5 .6 .1 1.4 -.4 -.7 .3

Netherlands 1.2 1.2 1.9 1.0 -.3 -2.6 .0

Norway 1.0 .7 1.2 1.3 1.0 -.1 1.4

Spain 1.1 .8 1.4 3.4 -2.9 -2.6 -2.0

Sweden .3 .8 -.7 .7 .4 1.1 2.2

United Kingdom .5 .6 .2 .9 .0 .3 .5

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States 68.29 100.91 120.96 138.32 147.63 146.97 141.53 140.71 141.50

Canada 6.24 10.74 13.16 14.82 16.87 17.15 16.88 17.11 17.37

Australia 4.16 6.18 7.93 9.04 10.63 10.93 11.01 11.30 11.49

Japan 47.51 58.39 64.41 65.39 65.53 65.23 64.21 63.92 63.96

Republic of Korea NA 13.60 18.09 21.16 23.43 23.58 23.51 23.83 24.24

Singapore NA 1.15 1.60 2.12 2.61 2.84 2.97 3.05 3.17

Austria 3.37 3.40 3.50 3.74 3.99 4.07 4.03 4.07 4.13

Belgium 3.50 3.79 3.85 4.11 4.38 4.46 4.45 4.49 4.55

Czech Republic NA NA NA 4.85 5.09 5.20 5.14 5.05 5.07

Denmark 2.12 2.54 2.61 2.71 2.86 2.90 2.84 2.78 2.77

Finland NA 2.29 2.48 2.29 2.49 2.55 2.48 2.48 2.51

France 20.35 22.75 23.77 25.59 27.01 27.14 26.78 26.77 26.89

Germany 26.09 26.97 30.41 39.38 39.86 40.35 40.36 40.55 41.10

Ireland 1.07 1.18 1.18 1.70 2.12 2.10 1.93 1.85 1.81

Italy 20.92 21.07 22.61 22.93 25.19 25.26 24.84 24.66 24.74

Netherlands 4.74 5.67 6.49 7.87 8.46 8.59 8.60 8.37 8.37

Norway 1.53 1.90 2.06 2.32 2.53 2.61 2.60 2.60 2.64

Spain NA 13.18 14.35 16.41 20.71 20.68 19.29 18.79 18.41

Sweden 3.65 4.23 4.60 4.30 4.52 4.57 4.46 4.50 4.60

United Kingdom 23.87 25.20 26.87 27.48 29.23 29.44 28.96 29.04 29.18

Employment, by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 15

Table 7a. Hours

Table 7b. Average annual rates of change

Country 1979-2011 1979-1990 1990-2000 2000-2007 2007-2011 2009-2010 2010-2011

United States -0.1 -0.1 0.3 -0.6 -0.3 0.6 0.9

Canada -.2 -.1 .0 -.4 -.5 .5 .0

Australia -.3 -.3 .0 -.8 .2 -.2 .4

Japan -.6 -.2 -1.0 -.2 -1.4 1.2 -3.1

Republic of Korea NA NA -.6 -1.0 -1.7 -1.7 -2.7

Singapore .0 .1 .1 -.2 -.1 .4 .0

Austria NA NA NA -.5 -1.0 -.7 .3

Belgium -.3 -.3 -.7 .1 -.1 .1 .0

Czech Republic NA NA NA -.9 -.3 1.7 -1.1

Denmark -.2 -.6 .3 -.1 -.3 .1 .1

Finland -.3 -.5 -.1 -.4 -.4 .3 .2

France -.6 -.8 -.8 -.4 -.2 .4 -.1

Germany NA -1.0 NA -.5 -.2 1.8 .2

Ireland NA NA -1.4 -.7 -1.4 .3 -.1

Italy NA NA .0 -.3 -.6 .2 -.1

Netherlands -.4 -.7 -.1 -.7 .4 2.1 .8

Norway -.3 -.5 -.3 -.3 .0 .9 .2

Spain -.3 -.8 .3 -.6 .5 .3 1.0

Sweden NA NA .4 -.3 .5 2.1 .0

United Kingdom -.3 -.4 -.3 -.2 -.5 .2 -.6

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States NA 1,829 1,809 1,857 1,776 1,765 1,732 1,742 1,758

Canada NA 1,834 1,807 1,802 1,756 1,746 1,715 1,724 1,724

Australia NA 1,859 1,792 1,799 1,699 1,750 1,711 1,707 1,715

Japan NA 2,121 2,065 1,860 1,829 1,811 1,762 1,782 1,727

Republic of Korea NA NA 2,805 2,638 2,456 2,399 2,393 2,352 2,289

Singapore NA 2,388 2,425 2,451 2,414 2,414 2,399 2,409 2,409

Austria NA NA NA 1,800 1,736 1,718 1,674 1,663 1,668

Belgium NA 1,719 1,655 1,545 1,560 1,568 1,550 1,551 1,551

Czech Republic NA NA NA 1,904 1,793 1,800 1,764 1,795 1,775

Denmark NA 1,647 1,546 1,585 1,570 1,573 1,544 1,546 1,548

Finland NA 1,869 1,769 1,751 1,706 1,688 1,673 1,677 1,680

France NA 1,804 1,644 1,523 1,485 1,492 1,472 1,478 1,476

Germany NA 1,770 1,578 1,471 1,422 1,422 1,383 1,408 1,411

Ireland NA NA 1,988 1,719 1,634 1,601 1,541 1,545 1,543

Italy NA NA 1,867 1,861 1,816 1,803 1,771 1,775 1,774

Netherlands NA 1,612 1,496 1,480 1,412 1,415 1,396 1,425 1,436

Norway NA 1,580 1,503 1,455 1,426 1,429 1,411 1,424 1,427

Spain NA 1,849 1,684 1,731 1,658 1,663 1,669 1,674 1,692

Sweden NA NA 1,575 1,642 1,612 1,617 1,609 1,643 1,643

United Kingdom NA 1,820 1,751 1,698 1,670 1,665 1,643 1,647 1,637

Average annual hours worked per employed person, 

by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

Percent changes were calculated using the compound rate method.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 16

Table 8. 

Country 1960 1979 1990 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

United States 37.80 44.84 48.36 48.98 48.88 48.22 46.04 45.40 45.32

Canada 34.82 44.38 47.54 48.29 51.23 51.48 50.05 50.14 50.39

Australia 40.45 42.58 46.45 47.20 50.57 51.09 50.53 51.21 51.46

Japan 50.48 50.37 52.15 51.55 51.29 51.08 50.34 49.97 50.04

Republic of Korea NA 36.24 42.19 45.00 48.22 48.17 47.79 48.23 48.70

Singapore NA 48.09 52.42 52.55 56.95 58.72 59.57 60.04 61.10

Austria 47.80 45.07 45.61 46.66 48.04 48.77 48.23 48.51 49.02

Belgium 38.25 38.44 38.64 40.13 41.25 41.66 41.25 41.22 41.54

Czech Republic NA NA NA 47.24 49.27 49.89 49.00 48.06 48.26

Denmark 46.56 49.60 50.75 50.81 52.39 52.88 51.45 50.03 49.69

Finland NA 48.02 49.75 44.31 47.01 48.00 46.52 46.28 46.59

France 43.67 41.50 40.88 42.14 42.34 42.31 41.54 41.29 41.26

Germany 47.07 43.95 48.07 47.92 48.45 49.13 49.30 49.60 50.25

Ireland 37.82 35.04 33.49 44.58 48.69 47.39 43.24 41.30 40.33

Italy 41.68 37.41 39.86 40.27 42.42 42.21 41.27 40.77 40.73

Netherlands 41.26 40.40 43.44 49.43 51.66 52.25 52.00 50.38 50.12

Norway 42.71 46.72 48.54 51.65 53.76 54.81 53.88 53.17 53.22

Spain NA 35.35 36.93 40.76 46.16 45.35 42.01 40.78 39.92

Sweden 48.83 51.03 53.73 48.48 49.45 49.51 47.91 48.02 48.71

United Kingdom 45.58 44.80 46.95 46.67 47.93 47.95 46.87 46.69 46.57

Employment as percentage of population,

by country, 1960–2011

Note: Data for Germany for years before 1991 pertain to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 17

Table 9. U.S.=1.00

Country PPPs for GDP Exchange rates Relative prices1

United States 1.00 1.00 1.00

Canada 1.23 0.99 1.25

Australia 1.56 0.97 1.61

Japan 106.83 79.70 1.34

Republic of Korea 821.46 1106.94 0.74

Singapore 1.04 1.26 0.83

Austria 0.85 0.72 1.18

Belgium 0.87 0.72 1.21

Czech Republic 13.87 17.25 0.80

Denmark 7.82 5.35 1.46

Finland 0.93 0.72 1.30

France 0.87 0.72 1.21

Germany 0.80 0.72 1.12

Ireland 0.84 0.72 1.17

Italy 0.79 0.72 1.10

Netherlands 0.84 0.72 1.17

Norway 8.88 5.60 1.58

Spain 0.72 0.72 1.00

Sweden 8.95 6.49 1.38

United Kingdom 0.68 0.62 1.09 1 Relative prices are the ratio of PPPs to exchange rates. They are a measure of how expensive goods and services are in a country relative to the United 

States. A number greater than 1 indicates relatively higher prices while a number less than 1 indicates relatively lower prices. See technical notes.

Purchasing power parities (PPPs), exchange rates, 

and relative prices, by country, 2011 
www.bls.gov/ilc | 18

Technical Notes

This report updates international comparisons of GDP per capita and related measures produced 

annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The estimates shown in this report are based on data 

available as of September 2012. Data are available for all countries through 2011.

These technical notes provide definitions, sources, and methods for the basic time series and indicators 

included in this report. 

Gross domestic product 

Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value of goods and services produced by labor and capital in 

a country, regardless of nationality (see table 4). As such, it is the most comprehensive measure of a 

country's economic output that is generally estimated by statistical agencies.

The GDP measures in this report were obtained from the national accounts programs of their respective 

national statistical agencies. For all countries in this comparison, data for more recent years have been 

produced using chain linked real output measures as recommended in the 1993 United Nations System 

of National Accounts (SNA93). For several countries, however, older data were produced on the 1968 

United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA68). Data produced on an SNA68 basis used fixed baseyear deflators that were typically updated only every 5 years. In order to construct one continuous GDP 

series, BLS links several time series, each of which has its own set of base-year price weights.

The U.S. GDP series are produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and are based on the system 

of national income and product accounts (NIPAs), which are also prepared in accordance with SNA93.

GDP per capita 

GDP per capita is calculated as GDP divided by population and is a rough measure of a population's 

economic well being. (See table 1.) However, this measure may have the following limitations: The total 

production of a country consists of many things that are not included in its GDP, and some items 

included may not contribute to a country's well-being. In addition, some countries experience significant 

in- and out-flows of income because of foreign investment, which may affect a country's prosperity.

GDP per hour worked and GDP per employed person 

GDP per hour worked is one measure of labor productivity. (See table 3.) Although it relates output to 

labor hours involved in its production by all persons in a country, it does not measure the specific 

contribution of labor or any other factor of production. Rather, it reflects the joint effects of many 

influences, including changes in technology; capital investment; utilization of capacity, energy, and 

materials; the use of purchased services inputs, including contract employment services; the 

organization of production; and managerial skill; in addition to the characteristics and effort of the 

workforce. 

In addition to GDP per hour worked, this report also provides GDP per employed person. (See table 2.) 

GDP per employed person is a less precise measure of labor productivity in that it does not take into 
www.bls.gov/ilc | 19

account the often substantial differences in working hours among countries; however, data on GDP per 

employed person are available for longer time periods and are thus useful as a rough indicator of labor 

productivity for years in which GDP per hour data are not available. 

Comparative levels of time series with real output using purchasing power parities (PPPs) 

In order to make international comparisons of levels of GDP, GDP per capita, GDP per hour worked, and 

GDP per employed person, it is necessary to express output in a common currency unit. In this report, 

BLS converted the output measures from national currency units to U.S. dollars through the use of 

purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs are currency conversion rates that allow output in different 

currency units to be expressed in a common unit of value - in this case, U.S. dollars.

There are two primary reasons for using PPPs rather than market exchange rates to convert GDP into a 

common currency. First, PPPs reflect the relative purchasing powers of different currencies. By contrast, 

market exchange rates represent at best relative prices of goods and services that are traded 

internationally, not the relative value of total domestic output, which also consists of goods, and 

particularly services, that are not traded internationally. Second, PPPs are more stable than market 

exchange rates, which can vary frequently and abruptly. Often these changes in market exchange rates 

are due to currency speculation or interest rate changes. Thus, if GDP is converted into a common 

currency using exchange rates, the output of a country's economy could appear to vary for reasons that 

are unrelated to the country's economic activity.

The levels of GDP in this report were derived as follows. First, the real GDP series from each country was 

expressed in constant prices of the national currency in 2011. Next, each country's constant GDP series 

was divided by the country's PPP for 2011 as calculated by the OECD-Eurostat PPP Program1 or the 

International Monetary Fund2 (IMF), thereby converting the series into constant 2011 U.S. dollars. 

Finally, the time series of GDP per capita, per employed person, and per hour were estimated by dividing 

each country's GDP in 2011 dollars by its population, employment, and hours, respectively.

PPPs are an effective tool for international comparisons of output levels, but they should be used and 

interpreted with caution, as the accuracy of PPPs may be limited by several factors; for example, goods 

and services included in the calculation of PPPs may not be representative of the entire economy or 

comparable across countries, countries may use different price aggregation methods, and the statistical 

capabilities among countries may differ. Although comparative estimates like GDP per capita are useful 

for grouping countries, changes in country rankings can occur as a result of relatively minor adjustments 

to PPP estimates. Thus, small differences between countries are not, in general, economically significant, 

and a strict ranking order interpretation should be avoided.

Currency exchange rates and relative prices 

The currency exchange rate is the rate at which one currency may be converted into the currency of 

another country for commercial purposes, such as international trade. The market exchange rates in this 

 

1 OECD and Eurostat, Purchasing Power Parities and Real Expenditures. 2008 Benchmark Year.

2 International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, April 2012
www.bls.gov/ilc | 20

report are based on reports by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and the International Monetary Fund. 

(See table 9.)

The relationship between PPPs and market exchange rates can be used to estimate comparative prices in 

different countries. This report calculates relative prices in 2011 by dividing a country's PPP by its market 

exchange rate. (See table 9.) The resulting values indicate the domestic price, expressed in U.S. dollars, 

of a basket of goods that would cost exactly one dollar in the United States. Consequently, values less 

than 1.00 indicate that prices in that country are relatively low compared with the United States. Values 

greater than 1.00 indicate that prices in a particular country are relatively high compared with the 

United States.

Population and employment 

The population data in this report represent the total average resident population, which refers to the 

civilian population and the armed forces residing within a country. (See table 5.) The data are derived 

from national statistical agencies and international organizations.

The employment data in this report represent the number of persons employed, which consists of the 

sum of civilian employment and armed forces. (See table 6.) Most of the data are obtained from the 

countries' national accounts, where the data series have been developed from various surveys, including 

labor force (household) and establishment surveys, and other sources. In some cases, national accounts

data have been supplemented with data obtained from other series published by national statistical or 

international organizations.

The employment-population ratio measures the participation of the population in the production 

process. (See table 8.) In this report, the population and employment figures include the Armed Forces. 

This inclusion is a conceptual difference to the population and employment figures published in the BLS 

report International comparisons of annual labor force statistics, 16 countries3

, which exclude the Armed 

Forces.

Hours worked 

The hours worked data in this report represent hours actually worked, including regular work time, 

overtime, preparing the work place, waiting for supplies, and short rests. Hours worked exclude 

vacation, sick leave, lunch breaks, and commuting to and from work.

Hours worked may not be fully comparable across countries because national statistical offices may use 

different concepts, data sources, and estimation techniques to calculate total hours worked; for 

example, the employment series may refer to the number of persons or the number of jobs, hours 

worked may be estimated from hours paid, and different establishment and household surveys may be 

used to cover all employees, self-employed, and Armed Forces. These differences may affect the 

comparability of hours worked data among different countries.4

 

 

3 This report is available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/ilc/. 4 Some of these differences are addressed by Susan Fleck in "International comparisons of hours worked: an assessment of the statistics," Monthly Labor 

Review, May 2009, pp. 3-31.
www.bls.gov/ilc | 21

For most countries, the hours data used in this report are obtained from the countries' national 

accounts, in which the data series have been developed from various surveys and other sources. For 

some countries, the data are based on other series published by national statistical or international 

organizations.

Data limitations 

BLS prepares the data in this report with the utmost attention to comparability across countries. 

However, there are several issues that limit comparability, including the following:

• Different national methodologies: The measures in this report were calculated from data that 

were obtained from national statistical agencies and international organizations. While these 

data are generally comparable, some differences remain in the statistical methodologies used by 

these organizations.

• Different historical methodologies: National statistical agencies change their methodology 

periodically. As a result, continuous time series from 1960 forward are generally not available. In 

order to construct longer time series, BLS often links several shorter series that may have used 

different methodologies.

• PPP choice: To provide the most accurate level comparisons for the latest year, BLS converts 

output from foreign currency units to U.S. dollars with PPPs for the latest year. However, PPPs for 

the latest year may not be representative of purchasing powers of earlier years and may 

misrepresent earlier levels. 

• Missing data for recent years: In some cases, when data for the most recent year(s) are not 

available, BLS may estimate the missing data using alternative data series.