The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dollar estimates are derived from the purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita of various nations.
These estimates are reached at by various organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. While the GDP (PPP) is a good indicator of a country's wealth, calculations based on nominal GDP often tend to ignore the national wealth of the country. This list of the top ten richest countries in the world is based on 2011-2012 reports from the International Monetary Fund, which uses the GDP per capita of each country, adjusted for cost of living and purchasing power.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year. In the rankings of the World's Top 10 Richest Countries as of October 2012. Qatar came in first, to outdo Luxembourg which was positioned second. Qatar is an oil rich country with an abundance of natural resources, such as natural gas.

Once bolstered by the iron and steel industry, Luxembourg's economy is working to maintain its momentum by providing international banking and financial services. Luxembourg, whose population enjoys a high standard of living, is also a favorite destination among European countries for political activities, thanks to its central location not far from EU headquarters. Luxembourg, situated in northwestern Europe, is also one of the smallest countries of the world. Among the countries on the list, four are in Asia (Qatar, Singapore, Brunei, and United Arab Emirates), five are from Europe (Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Austria) and one is from North America (USA). International financial services, tourism, petroleum and natural gas exports, electronic goods manufacturing, aiding movement of goods (as in the case of Singapore) and a flourishing service sector are the keystones behind the economic success of these nations.