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Richest Island Countries

Among the countries that are located entirely on islands, which ones have the highest GDP per capita?
On islands = not on a continent. Islands can be shared by multiple countries.
Includes countries that have small overseas territories on continents.
2023 figures. Read about data and methodology here.
Quiz by interopia
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Last updated: April 23, 2023
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First submittedMarch 15, 2017
Times taken65,640
Average score81.8%
Rating4.77
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GDP per capita
Country
$145,000
Ireland
$134,000
Singapore
$75,600
Brunei
$73,300
Taiwan
$69,800
Iceland
$65,400
Australia
GDP per capita
Country
$61,900
Malta
$60,600
Bahrain
$56,500
United Kingdom
$54,600
Cyprus
$54,000
New Zealand
$51,800
Japan
+47
Level ∞
Feb 16, 2019
Ireland's high GDP is a little misleading. Apparently, a lot of big companies use Ireland as a tax shelter. This means that revenue is booked in Ireland, but doesn't actually filter through to the Irish economy. Google's tax avoidance arrangement is known as a "Double Irish With A Dutch Sandwich".
+1
Level 57
Feb 16, 2019
That must be true with Ireland. Had a talk about this with an Irishman a few months ago (in Helsinki) and he strongly supported the same view.
+8
Level 82
Feb 16, 2019
Yes, it's one of big topics of EU how to tax them properly, while the US cares a bit less, here's an amazing explanation:

U.S. congressional investigations into the tax practices of U.S. multinationals were aware of such BEPS tools for many years. However, the U.S. did not try to force the closure of the Double Irish BEPS tool [EU did] /.../ This approach by successive U.S. administrations is explained by an early insight that "low foreign tax rates [from tax havens] ultimately enhance U.S. tax collections"

Follow the links in Wikipedia article to find out more.

+6
Level ∞
Feb 17, 2019
I'm a little skeptical. It's not like Google and Amazon are paying massive U.S. taxes either. But I can see how it's possible based on the information in the Wikipedia article.
+1
Level 71
Apr 23, 2023
This also explains why Cyprus is ahead of New Zealand and Japan and on par with UK. The same applies to Malta.
+2
Level 79
Feb 16, 2019
There is a typo instead of "methodology" in the explanatory text under the quiz title.
+1
Level ∞
Feb 17, 2019
Fixed
+4
Level 52
Feb 16, 2019
I can't believe I forgot my country of birth. Dishonor on my cow...
+1
Level 85
Feb 17, 2019
+7
Level 57
Feb 17, 2019
Brunei is not an Island Country---It is not the majority piece of land on an isolated mass.
+28
Level ∞
Feb 18, 2019
The description and caveats are written in a way to indicate what we mean by island countries.
+6
Level 70
Mar 24, 2019
Who doesn't love technically true caveats and methodology? I think that's why we all come here. The world needs far more legalese in its mental diversions.
+27
Level ∞
May 6, 2019
Brunei is an island country, small print or no. The point of the small print is to discourage whining. It obviously failed here.
+2
Level 76
Jun 14, 2021
Well, technically, it's not an island country but a country on an island, which is not the same.
+1
Level 49
Jul 3, 2023
It is an island country, straight and simple: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_island_countries
+9
Level 63
Dec 12, 2022
That literally is the same. Country island, island country, same thing.
+11
Level 58
Feb 18, 2019
Actually, we are all island countries because america, eurasia and africa are giant islands.
+26
Level 75
Feb 20, 2019
Nah, Afro-Eurasia is not an island - the oceans are just 1 big lake
+2
Level 66
Oct 12, 2019
That one broke my mind ( it started to warp the globe..)
+3
Level 68
Apr 20, 2020
On a globe, one island in an otherwise endless sea and one lake in an otherwise endless landmass are topologically equivalent
+1
Level 78
Oct 6, 2020
Ha ha, nice one bob.
+1
Level 45
Mar 24, 2019
Why do some sources put Brunei at a GDP per capita at around $28,000 and others put it as one of the richest countries? Do they use different methods?
+1
Level 82
Mar 24, 2019
GDP per capita is 28-30k USD. If you adjust for PPP it's 70 or 80k. One of the most absurd cases of PPP being a poor way to measure GDP that I've seen... though for SE Asia's standards Brunei is definitely doing alright. $28k is a lot there. They're a tiny country with a lot of oil.
+1
Level 85
Mar 26, 2019
kalbahamut, I made this quiz based on your comment: Richest Island Countries (PPP and Nominal).
+1
Level 62
Aug 7, 2019
Homosexuality is also illegal though 🤷‍♂️
+1
Level 29
Apr 4, 2020
Now it’s death penalty
+1
Level 85
Mar 26, 2019
You might be interested in Countries Outside Europe with Highest GDP Per Capita. I use both PPP and nominal figures.
+1
Level 57
Mar 24, 2019
Great Quiz! Take a look at this one, too: "15 Richest Island Nation Economies"
+1
Level 85
Mar 24, 2019
+1
Level 35
Mar 25, 2019
only missed Malta
+1
Level 63
Mar 25, 2019
I am very surprised to see how low the GDP per capital of the UK, NZ, and Japan is.
+5
Level 66
Oct 12, 2019
It is not low at all, they are all around 50.k it is explained in a comment at the top why ireland unexpectedly is above those, so really only brunei and singapore are above average, the rest are doing about the same
+1
Level 45
Mar 31, 2020
Brunei is not an Island country, it borders Malaysia
+3
Level 85
Apr 1, 2020
Did you read the fine print? Islands can be shared by multiple countries!
+2
Level 59
Jun 12, 2021
"haiti isn't on an island, it borders the dominican republic!!"
+3
Level 78
Jun 13, 2021
The UK and Ireland share a land border as well.
+4
Level 52
Jan 10, 2022
borneo isnt a island?
+2
Level 44
Jun 1, 2020
i live in Singapore
+1
Level 43
Jun 12, 2021
I didn't know Bahrain and Singapore were islands. Nice quiz!
+2
Level 20
Jun 12, 2021
Does Brunei count as an island?

it does share an island with malaysia and indonesia

But so does ireland with the uk i guess so it kinda makes sense

+1
Level 82
Apr 23, 2023
It doesn’t border Indonesia.
+1
Level 72
Feb 15, 2024
It does share Borneo with them though.
+1
Level 39
Jun 14, 2021
Argh gave up cos I forgot Bahrain was an island,always forgot about that...BTW took me some time to remember that Brunei was on the island of Borneo lol~
+1
Level 36
Jun 15, 2021
Missed Brunei
+1
Level 47
Nov 3, 2021
Wow I didn't even get my own country
+6
Level 53
Dec 24, 2022
CYPRUS IS IN EURO... oh wait, wrong quiz!
+3
Level 77
Apr 23, 2023
Ah yes, and with this quiz… I reach level 74… again. It’s kinda funny that every quiz reset is bouncing me back to Level 73 right now.
+1
Level 75
Apr 27, 2023
:{
+1
Level 63
Jun 18, 2023
I'm British and I forgot the UK...
+1
Level 42
Jun 18, 2023
I almost forgot Bahrain.
+1
Level 48
Jun 20, 2023
Richest island countries? More like island countries in Europe and Asia with the exception of New Zealand.
+1
Level 31
Jun 20, 2023
ireland has never had a gdp per capita over 100,000 usd let alone 150k
+1
Level 67
Jun 20, 2023
Just missed Bahrain