Source: Independent Institute
by Scott Beyer
“For most of modern history, the perception of whether a country is ‘rich’ or ‘poor’ has centered on the wealth of its citizens. We look at median incomes and GDP per capita to divide the world into prosperous nations — usually Western democracies with median household incomes above $30,000 — and poorer ones in the developing world, where typical earnings are a fraction of that. This citizen-level view of wealth makes intuitive sense, because income dictates living standards. But there’s another, increasingly-important way of understanding national wealth: by examining the financial health of the state itself.” (12/12/25)
https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/12/how-to-spot-rich-and-poor-countries/