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
Many of those who stayed were LGBTQ+ people, who have made this town of 2,100 people one of the queerest in the entire country per capita.
—
Nico Lang, Them., 21 Apr. 2025
Illinois residents evidently are juicy targets, reporting more fraud per capita than residents of 40 other states, according to the FTC.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Who wants to go Image In recent years, Denver has absorbed 40,000 migrants — the most per capita of any city.
—Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This looming problem is farther away for Cambodia, which will near $3,000 per capita in 2025.
—Suwanna Gauntlett, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
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Nico Lang, Them., 21 Apr. 2025
Illinois residents evidently are juicy targets, reporting more fraud per capita than residents of 40 other states, according to the FTC.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Who wants to go Image In recent years, Denver has absorbed 40,000 migrants — the most per capita of any city.
—Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This looming problem is farther away for Cambodia, which will near $3,000 per capita in 2025.
—Suwanna Gauntlett, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
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 2 May. 2025.
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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