per capita

American  

[per kap-i-tuh] / pər ˈkæp ɪ tə /

adjective

1. by or for each individual person.

   income per capita.

2. Law. noting or pertaining to a method of dividing an estate by which all those equally related to the decedent take equal shares individually without regard to the number of lines of descent.

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per capita British  

/ pə ˈkæpɪtə /

adjective

1. of or for each person

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per capita Cultural  

1. A Latin phrase literally meaning “by heads,” and translated as “for each person.” It is a common unit for expressing data in statistics. A country's per capita personal income, for example, is the average personal income per person.

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Etymology

Origin of per capita

1675–85; < Latin: literally, by heads

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

per capita

Several studies suggest that GDP per capita has declined by at least 6%, a serious recession in a period when most other major nations have seen modest economic growth.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

The designation would require a gross annual income per capita above $4,000 dollars, compared with present $2,700.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

But Brazil and Argentina, whose average income per capita is well below this threshold, have won eight World Cup titles combined.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Annual per capita beef consumption hit 59.3 pounds in 2025, the highest in 15 years.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Paul’s and Jim’s work to lower the per capita the way the world viewed health care; what had once seemed impossible was now possible.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French