b'As the economist Roger Bootle wrote in the Daily Telegraph on 10 May 2015, for many purposes, the size of an economy is not a good index of how rich it is. So, while the UKs overall GDP is the fifth-largest in the world in nominal terms, in the GDP per capita rankings, the UK is 21st, well behind its former colony of Singapore. This is why, unusually, the number of countries in the table is 21. It had to be, in order to include the UK at all.Total GDP, of course, has its uses. Roger Bootle goes on to note that it is a reliable index of our weight and position in the world. This relates to our negotiating power, our influence, and perhaps also our ability to strike an independent line in world affairs.Yet in considering the correct amount that The UKs large GDP, indicative of our globalthe UK should allocate to, for example, economic clout, is one of the most importantforeign aid, Roger Bootle continues: it is levers for establishing a beneficial positionthe per capita figures that are a much better for ourselves outside the EU togetherguide. with our large international trade volumes and membership of major internationalWorryingly, the trend for GDP per person in organisations.the UK is downward, or at best, static. Table 56 UK GDP per capitahas been flatYearGDP per capita2008$40,316.862009$38,281.402010$38,709.912011$41,412.352012$39,226.342013$39,709.222014$40,621.312015$41,183.932016$41,602.98Source: Trading Economics124'