per capita
adverb or adjective
Examples of per capita in a Sentence
Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
Despite serving the largest population among 30 public library systems in the Bay Area, the San Jose Public Library ranks 26th in per capita government funding at $50.10.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Combining these two, the states were ranked based on their per capita interest in medical marijuana.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The study also takes into account six key variables which contribute to explaining life evaluations, including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024
Data suggests that the number of Americans harmed in the course of treatment remains high, with incidents of medical error in the U.S. outnumbering those in peer countries, despite more money being spent per capita on health care.
—Johanna Richlin, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2024
Polio became a massive threat to public health in the 1940s and 1950s, with a per capita infection rate in the U.S. that reached 87.2 per 100,000 population in 1952, sending tens of thousands of children to the hospital and killing a half-million people per year worldwide during those decades.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
On Super Bowl weekend, the town holds the annual Minden St. Jude auction, contributing more money per capita to the children’s hospital than any other city in the United States.
—Trudy Haywood Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024
Idaho already has the lowest number of active physicians per capita in the country.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'per capita.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Medieval Latin, by heads
1682, in the meaning defined at sense 2
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Cite this Entry
“Per capita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per%20capita. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
per capita
adverb or adjective
Legal Definition
per capita
adverb or adjective
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.
Medieval Latin, by heads
More from Merriam-Webster on per capita
Nglish: Translation of per capita for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of per capita for Arabic Speakers
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