The Economist’s slope chart reveals how dramatically country wealth rankings shift depending on measurement methodology. The US drops from near the top on raw GDP per capita to 6th place when adjusted for prices and hours worked, while Norway rises to first.
Raw GDP per capita measures total economic output divided by population. But this ignores:
Price levels: A dollar buys more in some countries than others
Hours worked: Americans work significantly more hours than Europeans
When adjusted, the rankings reveal productivity per hour of labor at local purchasing power—a more accurate measure of living standards.
The US Work Intensity Premium
America’s high GDP per capita is partly achieved through longer working hours. When normalized for time invested, the efficiency advantage shrinks. Workers are producing more total output but not necessarily more output per hour of their lives.
Norway’s Efficiency Model
Norway rises to first by combining high productivity per hour with shorter working weeks and high local purchasing power. The economic model prioritizes efficiency over intensity.
The chart challenges assumptions about which economies are “winning” and what winning actually means.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
