In 2023, roughly 1.49 billion adults worldwide had a net worth of less than 10,000 U.S. dollars. By comparison, 58 million adults had a net worth of more than one million U.S. dollars in the same year. Wealth distribution The distribution of wealth is an indicator of economic inequality. The United Nations says that wealth includes the sum of natural, human, and physical assets. Wealth is not synonymous with income, however, because having a large income can be depleted if one has significant expenses. In 2023, nearly 1,700 billionaires had a total wealth between one to two billion U.S. dollars. Wealth worldwide China had the highest number of billionaires in 2023, with the United States following behind. That same year, New York had the most billionaires worldwide.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Top 0.1% (99.9th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLTP1246) from Q3 1989 to Q2 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

In 2022, Australia had the highest median wealth worldwide of the countries included, reaching nearly ******* U.S. dollars. Belgium and Hong Kong followed behind.

Graph and download economic data for Share of Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBST01134) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Minimum Wealth Cutoff for the Top 0.1% (99.9th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLTP1311) from Q3 1989 to Q3 2022 about wealth, percentile, and USA.

Over ** million individuals residing in the United States belonged to the global top one percent of ultra-high net worth individuals worldwide in 2022. China ranked second, with over **** million top one percent wealth holders globally. France followed in third.

The highest median wealth worldwide was found in North America in 2022, reaching a median level of nearly ******* U.S. dollars. Notably, the median wealth in China grew from *** dollars in 2000 to over ****** dollars in 2022, underlining the country's remarkable economic growth over the past decades.

Between December 2019 and 2021, the top one percent of earners accumulated 63 percent of all new wealth worldwide. This is more than six times more wealth than accumulated by the bottom 90 percent over the same time period.

Global wealth distribution Newly generated wealth landing in the hands of the few is not a new story and has been the focus of international development policy for many years. Looking at a regional level, Latin America was the region with the starkest distribution of wealth. In this region, 77 percent of the wealth was held by the richest 10 percent in 2021, and only 0.5 percent held by the poorest 50 percent. At an individual level, around 2.82 billion adults worldwide had a net worth of less than 10,000 U.S. dollars in 2021.

Billionaires In 2021, the highest concentration of billionaires could be found in North America. However, China had the largest number of billionaires in its population in 2022, with most living in Beijing. Looking at wealth distribution amongst billionaires themselves, 20 people had fortunes of 50 billion U.S. dollars or more, but the majority of billionaires had a personal fortune between two and five billion U.S. dollars.

In December 2022, Elon Musk slipped from the top spot of richest people on Earth. The number one spot was taken by French magnate, Bernard Arnault of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

The massive wealth inequality in the world is underpinned by this chart: while *** percent of the world's population had fortunes of more than one million U.S. dollars in 2025, over ** percent of the global population had a total wealth of less than 10,000 U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Bottom 50% (1st to 50th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLB50107) from Q3 1989 to Q2 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

Germany DE: Households: Net Worth data was reported at 14,653,575.000 EUR mn in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 13,870,811.000 EUR mn for 2019. Germany DE: Households: Net Worth data is updated yearly, averaging 9,854,020.000 EUR mn from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2020, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,653,575.000 EUR mn in 2020 and a record low of 7,669,107.000 EUR mn in 2005. Germany DE: Households: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.IMF.FSI: 2006 Methodology: Sectoral Financial Statement: Balance Sheet: Annual.

In the first quarter of 2025, almost two-thirds percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10 percent of earners. In comparison, the lowest 50 percent of earners only owned 2.5 percent of the total wealth. Income inequality in the U.S. Despite the idea that the United States is a country where hard work and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps will inevitably lead to success, this is often not the case. In 2023, 7.4 percent of U.S. households had an annual income under 15,000 U.S. dollars. With such a small percentage of people in the United States owning such a vast majority of the country’s wealth, the gap between the rich and poor in America remains stark. The top one percent The United States was the country with the most billionaires in the world in 2025. Elon Musk, with a net worth of 342 billion U.S. dollars, was among the richest people in the United States in 2025. Over the past 50 years, the CEO-to-worker compensation ratio has exploded, causing the gap between rich and poor to grow, with some economists theorizing that this gap is the largest it has been since right before the Great Depression.

Canada CA: Households: Net Worth data was reported at 13,609,027.000 CAD mn in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,282,617.000 CAD mn for 2019. Canada CA: Households: Net Worth data is updated yearly, averaging 8,238,787.500 CAD mn from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2020, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13,609,027.000 CAD mn in 2020 and a record low of 5,168,570.000 CAD mn in 2005. Canada CA: Households: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.IMF.FSI: 2006 Methodology: Sectoral Financial Statement: Balance Sheet: Annual.

Australia Household: Net Worth data was reported at 16,951.800 AUD bn in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,808.100 AUD bn for Sep 2024. Australia Household: Net Worth data is updated quarterly, averaging 5,222.650 AUD bn from Sep 1988 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 146 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,951.800 AUD bn in Dec 2024 and a record low of 1,204.100 AUD bn in Sep 1988. Australia Household: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.AB045: SNA08: SESCA08: Balance Sheet: Households.

In the third quarter of 2024, the top ten percent of earners in the United States held over ** percent of total wealth. This is fairly consistent with the second quarter of 2024. Comparatively, the wealth of the bottom ** percent of earners has been slowly increasing since the start of the *****, though remains low. Wealth distribution in the United States by generation can be found here.

Data and insights on Wealth Distribution in India - share of wealth, average wealth, HNIs, wealth inequality GINI, and comparison with global peers.

Sweden SE: Households: Liabilities and Net Worth: Net Worth data was reported at 18,724,147.000 SEK mn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18,724,148.000 SEK mn for Jun 2018. Sweden SE: Households: Liabilities and Net Worth: Net Worth data is updated quarterly, averaging 17,695,857.000 SEK mn from Dec 2015 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,724,148.000 SEK mn in Jun 2018 and a record low of 15,675,840.000 SEK mn in Mar 2016. Sweden SE: Households: Liabilities and Net Worth: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.IMF.FSI: Sectoral Financial Statement: Balance Sheet: Quarterly.

In 2023, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America were the regions with the lowest level of distribution of wealth worldwide, with the richest ten percent holding around ** percent of the total wealth. On the other hand, in Europe, the richest ten percent held around ** percent of the wealth. East and South Asia were the regions where the poorest half of the population held the highest share of the wealth, but still only around **** percent, underlining the high levels of wealth inequalities worldwide.

The highest median wealth worldwide was found in North America in 2022, reaching a median level of nearly 110,000 U.S. dollars. Notably, the median wealth in China grew from 3.2 dollars in 2000 to over 30,000 dollars in 2022, underlining the country's remarkable economic growth over the past decades.

Taiwan Net Worth: HH data was reported at 117,661,272.387 NTD mn in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 113,898,800.801 NTD mn for 2015. Taiwan Net Worth: HH data is updated yearly, averaging 95,038,254.251 NTD mn from Dec 2009 (Median) to 2016, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 117,661,272.387 NTD mn in 2016 and a record low of 76,133,057.586 NTD mn in 2009. Taiwan Net Worth: HH data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.AB014: Balance Sheet: Households.