North America vs South America: country comparison
A UN member state, or a continent's average.
The page updates.
$
In US dollars, spent in each country.
$100 spent in North America buys about what
$48.60
buys in South America, at purchasing power parity
And $100 in South America buys what $206 buys in North America. Prices across North America's economy average 206% of South America's, so a dollar goes 2.1 times as far in South America.
World Bank figures for 2025 unless another year is shown
Measure
North America
South America
Economy
Population
608.5 million23 of 23 countries
437.8 million12 of 12 countries
GDPUS dollars, market exchange rates
$35.6 trillion21 of 23 countries
$4.57 trillion12 of 12 countries
GDP per personUS dollars
$59,56421 of 23 countries
$10,44712 of 12 countries
GDP per person at PPPInternational dollars
$64,22621 of 23 countries
$24,25611 of 12 countries
Prices
Price levelUS prices = 100%
93%21 of 23 countries
45%11 of 12 countries
A US dollar goes as far as
$1.08 in the US21 of 23 countries
$2.22 in the US11 of 12 countries
Income
Median income or consumptionPer person, international dollars
Medians don't add up
Medians don't add up
More figures: GDP at PPP, conversion factor and GNI▾
Gross national income is what residents earn, at home and abroad
Measure
North America
South America
GDP at PPPInternational dollars
$38.4 trillion21 of 23 countries
$9.93 trillion11 of 12 countries
PPP conversion factorLocal currency per international dollar
Many currencies
Many currencies
GNI per person, Atlas methodUS dollars
$58,81321 of 23 countries
$10,08612 of 12 countries
GNI per person at PPPInternational dollars
$63,63321 of 23 countries
$23,42711 of 12 countries
North America adds up its countries with 2025 figures (UN M49 regions); its per-person figures are the total over their population. South America adds up its countries with 2025 figures (UN M49 regions); its per-person figures are the total over their population.
GDP per person at PPP· 2000 to 2025, in constant 2021 international dollarsAdjusted for inflation, so recent years read lower than the current-dollar figures above. North America covers the 21 of its 23 countries with figures for every year, weighted by population. South America covers the 11 of its 12 countries with figures for every year, weighted by population.