Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced in a period of time, often annually 
GDP (nominal) per capita does not, however, reflect differences in the cost of living and the inflation rates of the countries; therefore using a basis of GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP) is arguably more useful when comparing differences in living standards between nations.
Gross domestic product
Another thing that it may be desirable to account for is population growth. If a country's GDP doubled over a certain period, but its population tripled, the increase in GDP may not mean that the standard of living increased for the country's residents; the average person in the country is producing less than they were before. "Per-capita GDP" is a measure to account for population growth.