per capita
adverb or adjective
per cap·i·ta
(ˌ)pər-ˈka-pə-tə 
1
: per unit of population : by or for each person
the highest income per capita of any state in the union
2
: equally to each individual
Examples of per capita in a Sentence
we expect the students to receive less funding per capita this year due to a marked increase in the school-age population
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite growing up in Bermuda, an island that has more golf courses per capita than any other country in the world, attending my first golf tournament was a total reality check.
—
Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
Two non-partisan economic research institutes, the Growth Commission and the Tax Foundation, found that the 2017 tax cuts had raised per capita GDP, boosted capital investment, and lowered average individual tax burdens.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Hyundai’s wages run to almost $60,000 yearly, compared with the $42,000 per capita income surrounding Bryan County.
—Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
Lesotho, with an annual per capita GDP of $3,000, has one of the world's highest HIV/AIDS infection rates and is already contending with the loss of health care assistance from Trump's cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for per capita
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Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
Two non-partisan economic research institutes, the Growth Commission and the Tax Foundation, found that the 2017 tax cuts had raised per capita GDP, boosted capital investment, and lowered average individual tax burdens.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Hyundai’s wages run to almost $60,000 yearly, compared with the $42,000 per capita income surrounding Bryan County.
—Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
Lesotho, with an annual per capita GDP of $3,000, has one of the world's highest HIV/AIDS infection rates and is already contending with the loss of health care assistance from Trump's cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for per capita
Cite this Entry
“Per capita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per%20capita. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
per capita
adverb or adjective
per cap·i·ta
(ˌ)pər-ˈkap-ət-ə
: by or for each person
per capita income
Legal Definition
per capita
adverb or adjective
per cap·i·ta
pər-ˈka-pə-tə
1
: equally to each individual
all property to pass to the descendants per capita
—used of a method of distributing an especially intestate estate
compare per stirpes
Note: Per capita distribution of an estate provides each descendant with an equal share of the estate's assets regardless of the degree of his or her kinship. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., all receive equal shares.
2
: per unit of population : by or for each individual
a high per capita tax burden
Etymology
Medieval Latin, by heads
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