Tiny European country that's twice as rich as the UK despite having 60mn fewer people

There's no doubt that the United Kingdom is a rich country. It has a decent economy and a population of nearly 70 million in 2025. But when it comes to individual wealth, there's one tiny European country that easily beats it. In fact, this country is more than twice as rich as the UK, despite having around 60 million fewer people.

A good way to measure how wealthy a country really is, especially for its residents, is by looking at GDP per capita. That means the total value of everything a country produces is divided by the number of people who live there. Based on that figure, Luxembourg comes out far ahead.

According to World Economics, Luxembourg's GDP per capita at the end of 2024 was $117,566 (£85,599.22).

The International Monetary Fund says the UK's figure for 2025 is projected to be $54,949 (£40,008.34), which is less than half.

Despite its size, Luxembourg has built a strong economy focused on banking, finance, and technology.

Many major companies have headquarters there, helped by low taxes and a stable government.

It's also home to parts of the European Union, including the European Court of Justice, which brings in more jobs and money.

Luxembourg's population is around 680,000 in 2025, according to Worldometer.

That's about 1% of the UK's population, which stands at 69.5 million. Yet the average person in Luxembourg is statistically far richer.

People who live there benefit from high wages, good public services, and one of the best healthcare systems in Europe.

Education is also free and multilingual with children learning Luxembourgish, French and German.

What's more, the country is clean, green, and considered very safe.

Its capital, Luxembourg City, is famous for old castles, hills and cliffside buildings, and regularly appears on lists of the world's best places to live.

Tourism, steel, and modern industries like data and logistics also contribute to the country's success.

But it's the banking and investment sector that remains the main source of wealth.