Qatar is typically in the top three in per capita GDP rankings, depending on the list. However, it has an enormous caveat noted by any serious economist: the ranking only considers citizens, and considering the wealth a Qatari citizen as 'average' in this country is hardly a reasonable assessment. In fact, some tables will not even include Qatar because such a figure is meaningless when it does not apply to a substantial portion of the overall population. Qataris, after all, only make up less than 4 per cent of the private workforce according to state figures.
My quick estimate based on population, workforce percentage and national output is that if all residents were included (including the vast majority of the residents who are unlikely to clear much more than about $300 a month), the true GDP per capita would be brought fantastically below the 33 countries on the list. For example, only including citizens, Qatar'd gdp per capita was $75,000 in 2009 according to the IMF (which is one of the tables that still lists Qatar). The US, a country in which at least 90% of residents are citizens, it is about $47,000 (typically around 10th on most lists). Rough calculations would probably see a more realistic per capita GDP of Qatar's entire resident population at somewhere closer to about $15,000, which is similar to Saudi Arabia and South Korea (interestingly, as I understand it, countries that offer visas on arrival to Qataris).
Norway and Luxembourg are both small nations in which the vast majority of the workforce is made up of citizens. Both have higher GDPs per capita than Qatar (even with Qatar's grossly inflated figure that only includes citizens). And both refuse to give Qataris visas on arrival.
Good point, Deepb
Qatar is typically in the top three in per capita GDP rankings, depending on the list. However, it has an enormous caveat noted by any serious economist: the ranking only considers citizens, and considering the wealth a Qatari citizen as 'average' in this country is hardly a reasonable assessment. In fact, some tables will not even include Qatar because such a figure is meaningless when it does not apply to a substantial portion of the overall population. Qataris, after all, only make up less than 4 per cent of the private workforce according to state figures.
My quick estimate based on population, workforce percentage and national output is that if all residents were included (including the vast majority of the residents who are unlikely to clear much more than about $300 a month), the true GDP per capita would be brought fantastically below the 33 countries on the list. For example, only including citizens, Qatar'd gdp per capita was $75,000 in 2009 according to the IMF (which is one of the tables that still lists Qatar). The US, a country in which at least 90% of residents are citizens, it is about $47,000 (typically around 10th on most lists). Rough calculations would probably see a more realistic per capita GDP of Qatar's entire resident population at somewhere closer to about $15,000, which is similar to Saudi Arabia and South Korea (interestingly, as I understand it, countries that offer visas on arrival to Qataris).
Norway and Luxembourg are both small nations in which the vast majority of the workforce is made up of citizens. Both have higher GDPs per capita than Qatar (even with Qatar's grossly inflated figure that only includes citizens). And both refuse to give Qataris visas on arrival.