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

Without that foundational context, a question about which region has the highest per capita Muslim population may feel obscure, even to people who follow international news more closely than average. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

In the future, having the same number of employees on the payroll as the company grows means Walmart will be, on a per capita level, more productive. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

The strategy includes limiting per capita housing area, adopting lightweight designs, and extending building lifespans. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025

At 63 cents a head, this per capita expenditure amounts to roughly the cost of a bottle of water and a throat lozenge for every Greek citizen. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

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