per capita

[per kap-i-tuh]

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.

per capita

/ pə ˈkæpɪtə /

adjective

1. of or for each person

per capita

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of per capita¹

1675–85; < Latin: literally, by heads

Word History and Origins

Origin of per capita¹

Latin, literally: according to heads

Example Sentences

Australia, one of the world's biggest polluters per capita, will aim to cut its carbon emissions by at least 62% compared to 2005 levels over the next decade.

From BBC

Nepal's GDP per capita remained under $1,500, making it the second-poorest country in South Asia, behind only Afghanistan.

From BBC

"Remittances from India go to the poorest households in Nepal although per capita remittance is much lower than what migrants going to the Gulf or Southeast Asia sent," says Prof Sharma.

From BBC

Indeed, the country has one of South Asia's highest user rates per capita.

From BBC

If sense of reason were part of his crime-fighting quotient, his troops would be invading the metro areas with the highest number of murders per capita — New Orleans first, then Memphis, Tenn., and St. Louis.

From Los Angeles Times