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How Has per Capita Wealth of Britons Changed over Time?

Per capita income for Britons more than doubled between 1985 and 2005, but the trend was not expected to continue. Real mean earnings are expected to start growing again normally in 2014, and Britons' real median net household income in 2015 is expected to be lower than it was in 2002. Despite this, the United Kingdom's nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is the 20th highest in the world and 17th highest when measured in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).

More facts about Britons' wealth:

  • In 1900, the U.K. was the first country in the world in terms of GDP measured by PPP. By 1960, the U.K. wasn't even in the top 10.

  • In 2010, Britons had about $35,000 US Dollars (USD) per capita in terms of GDP measured by PPP.

  • Britain's economic well-being was good enough in the Middle Ages that, when the value of medieval money is converted to 1990 standards, medieval Britons were richer than those in some modern third-world countries, including Ghana, Ethiopia and Cambodia.

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