Education in States and Nations: 1991
(ESN) Indicator 4: GDP/GSP per capita
Gross domestic product (GDP) is an aggregate measure of the value
of goods and
services produced in a country. Gross state product (GSP) is the
analogous
measure for U.S. states. Gross product is a measure of a
country's or state's
productive capacity or wealth. Countries or states with equal
GDP/GSPs can
have very different numbers of inhabitants, however. GDP/GSP per
capita
provides a measure of the resources available to a country or
state relative
to the size of its population. Countries or states with large
gross products
per capita generally are better able to provide educational
services for their
residents.
- Among the G-7 nations, the United States had the highest
GDP per
capita in 1991, $21,826 - over $2,600 more than Germany,
about $3,000
more than Canada or Japan, and at least $4,000 more than
France,
Italy, or the United Kingdom.
- The U.S. states generally had higher gross products per
capita than
the OECD nations. Twelve of the other 21 OECD nations
reported GDPs
per capita below $17,000, whereas only four states - Mississippi, West
Virginia, Arkansas, and Montana - had per capita GSPs below
that
level.
- Ten U.S. states - Alaska, Delaware, Connecticut, Wyoming,
New Jersey,
New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, and California -
had GSPs per
capita of $25,000 or above. None of the other OECD nations
had GDPs
per capita higher than $22,000.
Table 3b 
Figure 4
