What is GDP?

Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the total output of goods and services for final use occurring within the domestic territory of a given country, regardless of the allocation to domestic and foreign claims. Gross domestic product at purchaser values (market prices) is the sum of gross value added by all resident and non-resident producers in the economy, plus any taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. The gross domestic product estimates at purchaser values (market prices) are in constant 1995 U.S. dollars and are the sum of GDP at purchaser values (value added in the agriculture, industry, and services sectors) and indirect taxes, less subsidies. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Value added is the net output of an industry after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. The industrial origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) revision 3.

(Source: extracted from Earthtrends; http://earthtrends.wri.org  CC: BY NC SA 2.5)