per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈka-pə-tə 

1

: per unit of population : by or for each person

the highest income per capita of any state in the union

2

: equally to each individual

Synonyms of per capita

• a shot
• each
• per
• a pop

Examples of per capita in a Sentence

we expect the students to receive less funding per capita this year due to a marked increase in the school-age population

Recent Examples on the Web

But on a per capita basis, Colorado ranked first in the country for hail damage, while Texas ranked 8th. —Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026

With fewer judges per capita in the Eastern District than in any other district in the country, the federal government’s failure to authorize more judges for the district is the single greatest challenge facing the court, Nunley said. —Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026

For the World Bank, a global recession amounts to a contraction in global per capita GDP; while the IMF considers GDP growth below 2% sufficient to warrant the label of a recession. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026

However, water availability per capita has plummeted from 2,526 cubic meters per year in 1947 to less than 600 today. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈkap-ət-ə 

: by or for each person

per capita income

Legal Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta pər-ˈka-pə-tə 

1

: equally to each individual

all property to pass to the descendants per capita

—used of a method of distributing an especially intestate estate compare per stirpes

Note: Per capita distribution of an estate provides each descendant with an equal share of the estate's assets regardless of the degree of his or her kinship. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., all receive equal shares.

2

: per unit of population : by or for each individual

a high per capita tax burden

Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads