per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈka-pə-tə How to pronounce per capita (audio)
Synonyms of per capitanext
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

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Campbell had the highest per capita crime rate with 4,980 per 100,000 people. — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 The Party adopted the goal of reaching annual incomes of eight hundred to a thousand dollars per capita. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Thanks to China’s policy of allowing in travelers visa free from a growing number of countries, including in Europe, visitors from economies with far higher per capita income than China’s are coming. — Matthew Tan,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 That is more than twice the rate of fatal overdoses per capita in New York City the same year. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for per capita

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of per capita was in 1682

Browse Nearby Words

percaline
per capita
per caput
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Per capita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per%20capita. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective
per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈkap-ət-ə How to pronounce per capita (audio)
: by or for each person
per capita income

Legal Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective
per cap·​i·​ta pər-ˈka-pə-tə How to pronounce per capita (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on per capita

Nglish: Translation of per capita for Spanish Speakers

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