Gross National Product and How It Is Calculated

Find out how GNP compares with GDP

By Kimberly Amadeo

Updated on July 21, 2022

Reviewed by

Erika Rasure

Key Takeaways

Gross national product (GNP) offers a way to measure all of the goods and services produced by a country's residents and businesses.
To calculate GNP, add national consumption to investment, net exports, and net income earned by domestic residents from overseas investment (minus net income earned by foreign residents from domestic investments).
GNP is similar to gross domestic product (GDP), but GDP is more geographically restricted because it doesn't account for income from overseas investments.

GNP Formula

The formula to calculate the components of GNP is Y = C + I + G + X + Z.

That stands for GNP = Consumption + Investment + Government + X (net exports) + Z (net income earned by domestic residents from overseas investments minus net income earned by foreign residents from domestic investments).

Examples of GNP

Any domestic business or industry provides an example of GNP. These categories include retail stores, real estate transactions, food services, and more. For example, when you buy dinner at a local restaurant, that helps the restaurant generate profits that contribute to the food service industry's total impact on GNP. When you attend a music concert or go see a movie at the theaters, you contribute to the category arts, entertainment, and recreation.

GNP vs. GDP

U.S. GNP says a lot about the financial well-being of Americans and U.S.-based multinational corporations, but it doesn't give much insight into the health of the U.S. economy. For that, you should use gross domestic product (real or nominal)—which measures production inside of a country, no matter who makes it.

Note

GNP is the same as GDP + Z. That means GNP is a more accurate measure of a country's income than its production.

Examples of GNP vs. GDP

Check the chart below for examples of how national GNP figures worldwide compare to their national GDP figures. These 2021 figures are presented per capita to account for differences in population.

Country	GNP	GDP
Brazil	$7,720	$7,518
Japan	$42,620	$39,285
Korea	$34,980	$34,757
Libya	$8,430	$6,018
New Zealand	$45,340	$48,801
Norway	$84,090	$89,202
Qatar	$57,120	$61,276
Switzerland	$90,360	$93,457
The U.S.	$70,430	$69,287
United Kingdom	$45,380	$47,334

The output of a Toyota plant in Kentucky isn't included in GNP, although it's counted in GDP, because the revenue from the sales of Toyota vehicles goes to Japan, even though the products are made and sold in the United States. It is included in GDP because it adds to the health of the U.S. economy by creating jobs for Kentucky residents, who use their wages to buy local goods and services.

Similarly, the shoes made in a Nike plant in Korea will be counted in U.S. GNP, but not GDP, because the profits from those shoes will boost Nike's earnings and stock prices, contributing to higher national income. It doesn't stimulate economic growth in the United States because those manufacturing jobs were outsourced. It's Korean workers who will boost their country's economy and GDP by buying local goods and services.

These examples show why GNP is not as commonly used as GDP as a measure of a country's economy. It gives a slightly inaccurate picture of how domestic resources are used. For instance, if there were a severe drought in the United States, GNP would be higher than GDP because the foreign holdings of U.S. residents would be unaffected by the drought, unlike the U.S. investments of foreign workers.

Note

GNP is also affected by changes in a country's currency exchange rates. If the dollar weakens, then the foreign holdings of U.S. residents become worth more, boosting GNP, but may not accurately reflect the state of the U.S. economy. A weaker dollar can eventually boost GDP, because it makes exports cheaper, which increases sales and production.

GNP per Capita

GNP per capita is a measurement of GNP divided by the number of people in the country. That makes it possible to compare the GNP of countries with different population sizes.

GNP by Country

The World Bank has replaced GNP with gross national income (GNI). So that GNI can compared more fairly among nations with widely different populations and standards of living, the World Bank uses GNI per capita.

Note

The World Bank also uses the purchasing power parity (PPP) method, which excludes the impact of exchange rates. Instead, it values each nation's output by what it would be worth in the United States.

The CIA Factbook doesn't measure GNP; it only uses GDP. The Factbook notes that in many emerging markets, such as Mexico, money made by residents overseas is sent back to their home countries. This income can be a significant factor in boosting economic growth and would be counted in GNP, but it isn't counted in GDP—which may cause the economic power of these economies to be understated.

The Bottom Line

While GDP is a measure of an economy’s health, GNP tells us about a country’s real income. GNP is the value of all the income earned by a country’s citizens and businesses, regardless of whether they are located in their own country or abroad.

Although GNP reflects the financial standing of a nation, GNP is not an accurate measure of economic health because:

Foreign exchange rates affect it.
It does not give an accurate picture of domestic resource usage.
It is not a good gauge of whether the economy is growing or contracting.

For these reasons, the United States ceased using GNP in 1991 as an indicator and adopted GDP instead. GDP is still commonly used internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is included in both GNP and GDP?

GNP includes everything in GDP but adds the net income earned by domestic residents from overseas investments and takes out the net income earned by foreign residents from domestic investments.

When would an economist focus on GNP rather than GDP?

GNP can be a helpful tool for comparing the incomes generated by different countries, since it considers net production value regardless of location. It provides a better view of the entire economic output of a country's citizens than GDP does.

Which country has the largest GNP per capita?

Based on the most recent World Bank data, Liechtenstein has the highest GNI per capita (GNP adjusted to U.S. dollars), at $116,440. The U.S. ranks 10th at $64,530.

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Sources

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bureau of Economic Analysis. “Gross National Product (GNP).”
Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Glossary: National Income and Product Accounts," Page 16.
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OECD. "Understanding National Accounts: Second Edition," Page 20.
Corporate Finance Institute. “GDP Formula.”
The World Bank. "GNI per Capita, Atlas Method (Current US$)."
The World Bank. "GDP Per Capita (Current U.S.$)."
Bureau of Economic Analysis. “How Do the Effects of Dollar Depreciation Show Up in the GDP Accounts?”
The World Bank. “Why Can’t I Find Estimates of Gross National Product (GNP)?”
The World Bank. “Fundamentals of Purchasing Power Parities.”
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Bureau of Economic Analysis. “Gross Domestic Product as a Measure of U.S. Production.”
The World Bank. “Economy.”