Per capita disposable income is the amount of income received by an individual or family, either from public sources or net of taxes, in a given year or other specified period. It is a measure of the material welfare of a person or family and of the economic level of a country. Per capita disposable income is derived from gross national income (GNI) minus taxes and social security contributions, three of the major components of a person’s total income.
Per capita disposable income measures the material welfare of a population relative to its size. In developing countries, per capita disposable income is an important indicator of the economic development of a nation, as higher income correlates with a larger population, better education, greater access to health care, and other economic and social improvements. In developed countries, per capita income typically reflects the average economic level of a society as whole.
Per capita disposable income can be adjusted to represent purchasing power parity (PPP), which takes into account the differences in the cost of living between countries. The PPP calculation is often used to make international comparisons of the standard of living in different countries. For example, the United States and China might both have a per capita disposable income of $15,000, but the value of $15,000 in the U.S. (in terms of local purchases) might not necessarily be equivalent to the value of $15,000 in China. In other words, a person earning $15,000 in China may be able to afford more local goods and services than a person earning $15,000 in the U.S.
In addition, per capita disposable income can serve as a tool to measure economic progress within a country over time. For example, if the current per capita income of a country is 10 percent higher than it was five years ago, then this could indicate that the country as a whole is becoming wealthier. Alternatively, if per capita disposable income is lower than it was five years ago, this could be indicative of an economic slowdown.
Overall, per capita disposable income is an important economic indicator that can be used to measure the economic health of a country and make international comparisons. By understanding its definition and implications, it can help policymakers, economists, and citizens alike to better understand the economic standing of a given nation and how it may be changing over time.