Atlas Method

The Atlas Method is the World Bank’s official estimate of the size of economies.

GNI is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad. Data are in current U.S. dollars, converted from countries’ respective national currencies using the Atlas method, which uses a three-year average of exchange rates to smooth effects of transitory exchange rate fluctuations. (Gross Domestic Product & Gross Domestic Product (nominal) per capita growth rates, however, are calculated from data in constant prices and national currency units, not from the Atlas method estimates). The World Bank favors the Atlas method for comparing the relative size of economies and uses it to classify countries in low, middle and high-income categories and to set lending eligibilities in order to reduce short-term fluctuations in country classification.