The
gross domestic product (GDP)
per capita figures on this page are derived from PPP calculations. Such calculations are prepared by various organizations, including the
IMF and the
World Bank. As estimates and assumptions have to be made, the results produced by different organizations for the same country are not hard facts and tend to differ, sometimes substantially, so they should be used with caution. Comparisons of national wealth are frequently made based on
nominal GDP and
savings (not just income), which do not reflect differences in the
cost of living in different countries (
see List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita); hence, using a PPP basis is arguably more useful when comparing differences in
living standards between economies because PPP takes into account the relative cost of living and the
inflation rates of the countries, rather than using only
exchange rates, which may distort the real differences in income. This is why GDP (PPP) per capita is considered one of the indicators of a country's standard of living, The relation between
GDP per capita and standard of living has been criticized. Alternative measures of standard of living include
list of countries by average wage,
median income and
disposable household and per capita income. GDP (PPP) and GDP (PPP) per capita are usually measured by
international dollar, which is a hypothetical
currency that has the same purchasing power in every economy as the
U.S. dollar in the
United States. The share of the shadow economy is significant in many European countries, ranging from less than 10 to over 40% of GDP. Since 2014, EU member states have been encouraged by Eurostat, the official statistics body, to include some illegal activities. == Table ==