An independent Scotland could emulate the world's best-performing small economies and boost economic growth by the equivalent of £4100 per person, a long-awaited SNP report will say.

That claim forms the foundation of the findings of the party's growth commission, due to be published later on Friday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already been presented with the 354-page document, which she says will "restart the debate" on Scottish independence.

The commission, chaired by former SNP MSP Andrew Wilson, was set up two years ago to look at economic policy options for an independent Scotland.

Its report will make 30 recommendations for an independent Scotland that it claims, if implemented now, would see the country match rates of growth seen in some of the world's most successful small nations.

Wilson said his findings - contained in a report called Scotland: The New Case for Optimism - would offer a "framework" for how Scotland could join other small successful countries in raising standards of living and reducing inequality.

The commission studied 12 small advanced economies around the world, looking at Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.

It looked in particular on lessons to be learned from Denmark, Finland and New Zealand on how to sustainably boost living standards "over a generation of purposeful, cross-partisan strategic effort and focus".

The report finds small economies have consistently outperformed larger ones by about 0.7 percentage points a year over the last 25 years and tend to have lower unemployment..

It argues that successful small countries focus on innovation, have a friendly approach to migration, a highly-skilled workforce and in some cases lower income inequality.

The commission also argues taxation should be focused on economic development, rather than on competing as a low-tax nation, and that quality of life must be one of the key goals.

Speaking ahead of the report's release, Wilson said: "Learning from 12 successful small nations, our report will present a framework that demonstrates how Scotland can emulate the best performing economies and societies in the world.

"Our sincere hope is that this can raise the content and quality of debate at a time such a focus is sorely needed.

"As a first step, there must be an acceptance that small nations can be successful and that Scotland can be one of those countries.

"Our work shows that small countries can be amongst the most economically successful countries in the world, with higher standards of living and lower levels of inequality than many larger economies."

He continued: "There is nothing intrinsic in any of the best-performing economies that Scotland does not have.

"To secure an improvement in our performance will take purposeful strategic effort for over a generation.

"We require world-class policy, world-class institutions and cross-partisan effort if we are to achieve our ambition to create a much more successful economy and cohesive and fair society.

"We believe that the whole report provides the most substantially considered economic policy proposals for Scotland and independence that have been produced to date, with challenge and opportunity for all sides of Scotland's debate."

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: "This is exactly the kind of nonsense that turned people off separation the first time round.

"The SNP can pluck out any number of fanciful examples, but it won't change the fact Scotland is far more prosperous and secure as part of the UK.

"People are still asking the question why the SNP is putting so much effort into a question that was settled decisively just a few years ago.

"This is all about Nicola Sturgeon trying to secure her legacy and a place in history, but Scots are fed-up of her grandstanding."

Richard Leonard, leader of Scottish Labour, said: "The economic transformation Scotland needs and wants will not be delivered by Scotland leaving the UK.

"No amount of promises made by SNP advisers and politicians will change that. "

"The people of Scotland will rightly be wary of fantasy numbers plucked from thin air by the SNP and promised to every man,woman and child in the country in the event of Scotland leaving the UK."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "The SNP have had a decade in charge of the Scottish economy and the result has been that we systematically lag behind the rest of the UK.

"Why would the Scottish public entrust their futures to this prospectus?"