I have checked the forecasts for GDP per capita (PPP) for the next five years. Slavic and Baltic countries in the EU are starting to overtake older member states from southern Europe. The Czechs are already richer than the Greeks and Portuguese, and will have caught up with the Italians by 2018. Meanwhile the Estonians, Lithuanians, Slovaks and Slovenes will also overtake the Greeks and Portuguese and get much closer to the Italians. The Russians will become almost as rich as the Portuguese and catch up with the Poles.
Worldwide, the South Koreans, who are now as rich as the Spaniards, will become richer than the French, Belgians, Brits, Danes, Finns and Japanese in five years. The Taiwanese, who now have the same GDP per capita as Germany, will become richer than any Europeans except the Norwegians and Luxembourgers, and on a par with the Swiss. People in Hong Kong, the United Emirates and Qatar are already richer than all Europeans bar Luxembourg and the gap will become even wider.
The Chinese will become slightly richer than the Brazilians and South Africans and over three times richer than the Indians.
Here is a categorisation of Western countries by wealth in 2018.
Category 1 : the super-rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $60,000 in 2018)
Luxembourg, Norway, USA
Category 2 : the rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $50,000 in 2018)
Austria, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland
Category 3 : the fairly rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $40,000 in 2018)
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, United Kingdom
Category 4 : the moderately rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $30,000 in 2018)
Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, New Zealand, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
Category 4 : the slightly poor (GDP per capita at PPP over $20,000 in 2018)
Belarus, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Turkey
Category 5 : the relatively poor (GDP per capita at PPP between $10,000 and $20,000 in 2018)
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine
Worldwide, the South Koreans, who are now as rich as the Spaniards, will become richer than the French, Belgians, Brits, Danes, Finns and Japanese in five years. The Taiwanese, who now have the same GDP per capita as Germany, will become richer than any Europeans except the Norwegians and Luxembourgers, and on a par with the Swiss. People in Hong Kong, the United Emirates and Qatar are already richer than all Europeans bar Luxembourg and the gap will become even wider.
The Chinese will become slightly richer than the Brazilians and South Africans and over three times richer than the Indians.
Here is a categorisation of Western countries by wealth in 2018.
Category 1 : the super-rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $60,000 in 2018)
Luxembourg, Norway, USA
Category 2 : the rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $50,000 in 2018)
Austria, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland
Category 3 : the fairly rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $40,000 in 2018)
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, United Kingdom
Category 4 : the moderately rich (GDP per capita at PPP over $30,000 in 2018)
Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, New Zealand, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
Category 4 : the slightly poor (GDP per capita at PPP over $20,000 in 2018)
Belarus, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Turkey
Category 5 : the relatively poor (GDP per capita at PPP between $10,000 and $20,000 in 2018)
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine