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
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
New York City spends more money per capita than any other major city in the country, but there’s no way to save money.
—
Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Pickleheads was shot in Austin, which was previously named America’s pickleball capital, having more courts per capita than any other city.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
Madagascar and Malawi are two of the world’s 10 poorest countries on the basis of GDP per capita, while Nigeria has the largest number of poor people globally.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Indeed, one remarkable fact is that today, before the recent hiring surge comes fully online, customs officers and Border Patrol agents have committed crimes at a per capita rate that is greater than the crime rate for people who immigrated here illegally.
—Paul Rosenzweig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for per capita
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Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Pickleheads was shot in Austin, which was previously named America’s pickleball capital, having more courts per capita than any other city.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
Madagascar and Malawi are two of the world’s 10 poorest countries on the basis of GDP per capita, while Nigeria has the largest number of poor people globally.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Indeed, one remarkable fact is that today, before the recent hiring surge comes fully online, customs officers and Border Patrol agents have committed crimes at a per capita rate that is greater than the crime rate for people who immigrated here illegally.
—Paul Rosenzweig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for per capita
Cite this Entry
“Per capita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per%20capita. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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