The World Bank plays a crucial role in global economic development, and one of its key functions is classifying economies based on their income levels. These classifications, updated annually, are essential for understanding the global economic landscape, guiding policy decisions, and informing research. For the fiscal year 2025, the World Bank has defined income categories based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method. This article will delve into these classifications, providing a comprehensive overview of how the World Bank categorizes economies and why it matters.
The World Bank’s income classifications are structured into four main groups, reflecting different stages of economic development:
- Low-income economies: These are defined as having a GNI per capita of $1,145 or less in 2023. These economies often face significant development challenges.
- Lower-middle-income economies: This category includes economies with a GNI per capita between $1,146 and $4,515. These countries are typically in a phase of growth and development.
- Upper-middle-income economies: Economies in this group have a GNI per capita ranging from $4,516 to $14,005. They are generally characterized by more advanced and diversified economies compared to lower-income groups.
- High-income economies: These are the most developed economies, with a GNI per capita of more than $14,005.
These thresholds are crucial for categorizing countries and understanding their relative economic standing in the global context. It’s important to note that the term “country” or “economy,” as used by the World Bank, refers to any territory for which authorities report separate social or economic statistics, and does not necessarily imply political independence.
Beyond income classifications, the World Bank also organizes economies geographically into regions. These regional classifications are broad and include economies at all income levels. The regions are:
- East Asia and Pacific
- Europe and Central Asia
- Latin America & the Caribbean
- Middle East and North Africa
- North America
- South Asia
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Furthermore, the World Bank classifies countries based on their lending eligibility, which is closely linked to their income level and creditworthiness. The main lending categories are:
- IDA (International Development Association): This provides concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest developing countries.
- Blend: This category includes countries that are eligible for both IDA and IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) lending.
- IBRD: This offers loans to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries.
Below are the detailed lists of economies categorized by region, income level, and lending group as defined by the World Bank for the fiscal year 2025. These lists provide a granular view of the global economic landscape according to World Bank classifications.
EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC [38]
| American Samoa | Korea, Rep. | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Lao PDR | Philippines |
| Brunei Darussalam | Macao SAR, China | Samoa |
| Cambodia | Malaysia | Singapore |
| China | Marshall Islands | Solomon Islands |
| Fiji | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | Taiwan, China |
| French Polynesia | Mongolia | Thailand |
| Guam | Myanmar | Timor-Leste |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | Nauru | Tonga |
| Indonesia | New Caledonia | Tuvalu |
| Japan | New Zealand | Vanuatu |
| Kiribati | Northern Mariana Islands | Vietnam |
| Korea, Dem. People’s Rep. | Palau |
EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA [58]
| Albania | Gibraltar | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Andorra | Greece | Poland |
| Armenia | Greenland | Portugal |
| Austria | Hungary | Romania |
| Azerbaijan | Iceland | Russian Federation |
| Belarus | Ireland | San Marino |
| Belgium | Isle of Man | Serbia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Italy | Slovak Republic |
| Bulgaria | Kazakhstan | Slovenia |
| Channel Islands | Kosovo | Spain |
| Croatia | Kyrgyz Republic | Sweden |
| Cyprus | Latvia | Switzerland |
| Czechia | Liechtenstein | Tajikistan |
| Denmark | Lithuania | Türkiye |
| Estonia | Luxembourg | Turkmenistan |
| Faroe Islands | Moldova | Ukraine |
| Finland | Monaco | United Kingdom |
| France | Montenegro | Uzbekistan |
| Georgia | Netherlands | |
| Germany | North Macedonia |
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN [42]
| Antigua and Barbuda | Curacao | Paraguay |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Dominica | Peru |
| Aruba | Dominican Republic | Puerto Rico |
| Bahamas, The | Ecuador | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) |
| Barbados | El Salvador | St. Kitts and Nevis |
| Belize | Grenada | St. Lucia |
| Bolivia | Guatemala | St. Martin (French part) |
| Brazil | Guyana | St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
| British Virgin Islands | Haiti | Suriname |
| Cayman Islands | Honduras | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Chile | Jamaica | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| Colombia | Mexico | Uruguay |
| Costa Rica | Nicaragua | Venezuela, RB |
| Cuba | Panama | Virgin Islands (U.S.) |
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA [21]
| Algeria | Jordan | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Kuwait | Saudi Arabia |
| Djibouti | Lebanon | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | Libya | Tunisia |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | Malta | United Arab Emirates |
| Iraq | Morocco | West Bank and Gaza |
| Israel | Oman | Yemen, Rep. |
NORTH AMERICA [3]
| Bermuda | Canada | United States |
|---|
SOUTH ASIA [8]
| Afghanistan | India | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Maldives | Sri Lanka |
| Bhutan | Nepal |
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA [48]
| Angola | Ethiopia | Niger |
|---|---|---|
| Benin | Gabon | Nigeria |
| Botswana | Gambia, The | Rwanda |
| Burkina Faso | Ghana | São Tomé and Principe |
| Burundi | Guinea | Senegal |
| Cabo Verde | Guinea-Bissau | Seychelles |
| Cameroon | Kenya | Sierra Leone |
| Central African Republic | Lesotho | Somalia |
| Chad | Liberia | South Africa |
| Comoros | Madagascar | South Sudan |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | Malawi | Sudan |
| Congo, Rep | Mali | Tanzania |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Mauritania | Togo |
| Equatorial Guinea | Mauritius | Uganda |
| Eritrea | Mozambique | Zambia |
| Eswatini | Namibia | Zimbabwe |
LOW-INCOME ECONOMIES ($1,145 OR LESS) [26]
| Afghanistan | Korea, Dem. People’s Rep | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| Burkina Faso | Liberia | Sudan |
| Burundi | Madagascar | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Central African Republic | Malawi | Togo |
| Chad | Mali | Uganda |
| Congo, Dem. Rep | Mozambique | Yemen, Rep. |
| Eritrea | Niger | |
| Ethiopia | Rwanda | |
| Gambia, The | Sierra Leone | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Somalia |
LOWER-MIDDLE INCOME ECONOMIES ($1,146 TO $4,515) [51]
| Angola | Honduras | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | India | Philippines |
| Benin | Jordan | Samoa |
| Bhutan | Kenya | São Tomé and Principe |
| Bolivia | Kiribati | Senegal |
| Cabo Verde | Kyrgyz Republic | Solomon Islands |
| Cambodia | Lao PDR | Sri Lanka |
| Cameroon | Lebanon | Tajikistan |
| Comoros | Lesotho | Tanzania |
| Congo, Rep. | Mauritania | Timor-Leste |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Morocco | Uzbekistan |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | Myanmar | Vanuatu |
| Eswatini | Nepal | Vietnam |
| Ghana | Nicaragua | West Bank and Gaza |
| Guinea | Nigeria | Zambia |
| Haiti | Pakistan | Zimbabwe |
UPPER-MIDDLE-INCOME ECONOMIES ($4,516 TO $14,005) [54]
| Albania | Equatorial Guinea | Moldova |
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Fiji | Mongolia |
| Argentina | Gabon | Montenegro |
| Armenia | Georgia | Namibia |
| Azerbaijan | Grenada | North Macedonia |
| Belarus | Guatemala | Paraguay |
| Belize | Indonesia | Peru |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Iran, Islamic Rep. | Serbia |
| Botswana | Iraq | South Africa |
| Brazil | Jamaica | St. Lucia |
| China | Kazakhstan | St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Colombia | Kosovo | Suriname |
| Costa Rica | Libya | Thailand |
| Cuba | Malaysia | Tonga |
| Dominica | Maldives | Türkiye |
| Dominican Republic | Marshall Islands | Turkmenistan |
| Ecuador | Mauritius | Tuvalu |
| El Salvador | Mexico | Ukraine |
HIGH-INCOME ECONOMIES ($14,006 OR MORE) [86]
| American Samoa | Gibraltar | Palau |
|---|---|---|
| Andorra | Greece | Panama |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Greenland | Poland |
| Aruba | Guam | Portugal |
| Australia | Guyana | Puerto Rico |
| Austria | Hong Kong SAR, China | Qatar |
| Bahamas, The | Hungary | Romania |
| Bahrain | Iceland | Russian Federation |
| Barbados | Ireland | San Marino |
| Belgium | Isle of Man | Saudi Arabia |
| Bermuda | Israel | Seychelles |
| British Virgin Islands | Italy | Singapore |
| Brunei Darussalam | Japan | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) |
| Bulgaria | Korea, Rep. | Slovak Republic |
| Canada | Kuwait | Slovenia |
| Cayman Islands | Latvia | Spain |
| Channel Islands | Liechtenstein | St. Kitts and Nevis |
| Chile | Lithuania | St. Martin (French part) |
| Croatia | Luxembourg | Sweden |
| Curaçao | Macao SAR, China | Switzerland |
| Cyprus | Malta | Taiwan, China |
| Czechia | Monaco | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Denmark | Nauru | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| Estonia | Netherlands | United Arab Emirates |
| Faroe Islands | New Caledonia | United Kingdom |
| Finland | New Zealand | United States |
| France | Northern Mariana Islands | Uruguay |
| French Polynesia | Norway | Virgin Islands (U.S.) |
| Germany | Oman |
IDA [60]
| Afghanistan | Haiti | Rwanda |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Honduras | Samoa |
| Benin | Kiribati | São Tomé and Principe |
| Bhutan | Kosovo | Senegal |
| Burkina Faso | Kyrgyz Republic | Sierra Leone |
| Burundi | Lao PDR | Solomon Islands |
| Cambodia | Lesotho | Somalia |
| Central African Republic | Liberia | South Sudan |
| Chad | Madagascar | Sri Lanka |
| Comoros | Malawi | Sudan |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | Maldives | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Mali | Tajikistan |
| Djibouti | Marshall Islands | Tanzania |
| Eritrea | Mauritania | Togo |
| Ethiopia | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | Tonga |
| Gambia, The | Mozambique | Tuvalu |
| Ghana | Myanmar | Uganda |
| Guinea | Nepal | Vanuatu |
| Guinea-Bissau | Nicaragua | Yemen, Rep. |
| Guyana | Niger | Zambia |
BLEND [17]
| Belize | Fiji | St. Lucia |
|---|---|---|
| Cabo Verde | Grenada | St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Cameroon | Kenya | Timor-Leste |
| Congo, Rep. | Nigeria | Uzbekistan |
| Dominica | Pakistan | Zimbabwe |
| Eswatini | Papua New Guinea |
IBRD [68]
| Albania | Equatorial Guinea | Palau |
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Gabon | Panama |
| Angola | Georgia | Paraguay |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Guatemala | Peru |
| Argentina | India | Philippines |
| Armenia | Indonesia | Poland |
| Azerbaijan | Iran, Islamic Rep. | Romania |
| Barbados | Iraq | Russian Federation |
| Belarus | Jamaica | Serbia |
| Bolivia | Jordan | Seychelles |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Kazakhstan | South Africa |
| Botswana | Lebanon | St. Kitts and Nevis |
| Brazil | Libya | Suriname |
| Bulgaria | Malaysia | Thailand |
| Chile | Mauritius | Trinidad and Tobago |
| China | Mexico | Tunisia |
| Colombia | Moldova | Türkiye |
| Costa Rica | Mongolia | Turkmenistan |
| Croatia | Montenegro | Ukraine |
| Dominican Republic | Morocco | Uruguay |
| Ecuador | Namibia | Venezuela, RB |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | Nauru | Vietnam |
| El Salvador | North Macedonia |
Note: Venezuela, RB classified as an upper-middle income country until FY21, has been unclassified since then due to the unavailability of data.
Understanding the World Bank’s income classifications is crucial for various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, and businesses. These classifications provide a standardized framework for analyzing global economic trends, assessing development progress, and making informed decisions related to international development and investment. For more in-depth exploration and interactive data, visit the World Development Indicators website, a valuable resource provided by the World Bank. You can also download the current classification by income in XLSX format and the historical classification by income in XLSX format for further analysis and historical comparisons.
