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.

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 Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

With a net worth of 342 billion U.S. dollars, Elon Musk, the cofounder of seven companies, such as electric car maker Tesla and the rocket producer SpaceX, was the wealthiest man in the world in March 2025. The wealthiest people in the world Marc Zuckerberg, the cofounder of Meta Platforms, came second with a wealth of 235.6 billion U.S. dollars. Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos followed in third. All the 10 richest people in the world were men. Wealth distribution worldwide As of 2022, one percent of people held nearly half of the world's combined wealth. Moreover, 2.8 billion of the world's population hold a combined wealth of less than 10,000 U.S. dollars, compared to 59 million people having a combined wealth of 1 billion dollars or more, underlining the vast inequalities around the world. Where do the most affluent people live? Most millionaires live in the United States, while Hong Konk was the city hosting the largest number of high net worth individuals worldwide. The country with the highest number of billionaires is China.

As of March 2025, Elon Musk had a net worth valued at 328.5 billion U.S. dollars, making him the richest man in the world. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos followed in second, with Marc Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, in third. The list is dominated by Americans, and Alice Walton and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers are the only women among the 20 richest people worldwide.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Bottom 50% (1st to 50th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLB50107) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2025, the United States housed the highest number of billionaires worldwide in 2025. In detail, there were *** billionaires living in the United States as of January that year. By comparison, *** billionaires resided in China. India, the United Kingdom, and Germany were also the homes of a significant number of billionaires that year. United States has regained its first place As the founder and exporter of consumer capitalism, it is no surprise that the United States is home to a large number of billionaires. Although China had briefly overtaken the U.S. in recent years, the United States has reclaimed its position as the country with the most billionaires in the world. Moreover, North America leads the way in terms of the highest number of ultra high net worth individuals – those with a net worth of more than ***** million U.S. dollars. The prominence of Europe and North America is a reflection of the higher degree of economic development in those states. However, this may also change as China and other emerging economies continue developing. Female billionaires Moreover, the small proportion of female billionaires does little to counter critics claiming the global economy is dominated by an elite comprised mainly of men. On the list of the 20 richest people in the world, only one was a woman. Moreover, recent political discourse has put a great amount of attention on the wealth held by the super-rich with the wealth distribution of the global population being heavily unequal.

This dataset contains the Forbes Billionaire List for 2024, featuring the top individuals ranked by their net worth. It includes essential details such as their names, rankings, and net worth. This data is ideal for quick analysis and insights into the wealthiest people globally in 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Share of Total Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBST01108) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about wealth, percentile, assets, and USA.

Korea Median: AH: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Net Worth data was reported at 10,700,000.000 KRW in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,400,000.000 KRW for 2016. Korea Median: AH: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Net Worth data is updated yearly, averaging 9,810,000.000 KRW from Mar 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,700,000.000 KRW in 2017 and a record low of 6,430,000.000 KRW in 2010. Korea Median: AH: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.H083: SHFLC: Household Assets, Liabilities & Income By Net Worth Quintiles.

Korea Median: AH: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Savings data was reported at 3,110,000.000 KRW in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,700,000.000 KRW for 2016. Korea Median: AH: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Savings data is updated yearly, averaging 2,850,000.000 KRW from Mar 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,110,000.000 KRW in 2017 and a record low of 1,750,000.000 KRW in 2010. Korea Median: AH: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Savings data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.H083: SHFLC: Household Assets, Liabilities & Income By Net Worth Quintiles.

Korea Average: HPL: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Other Than Non-Financial Assets data was reported at 5,840,000.000 KRW in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,510,000.000 KRW for 2016. Korea Average: HPL: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Other Than Non-Financial Assets data is updated yearly, averaging 4,755,000.000 KRW from Mar 2010 to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,840,000.000 KRW in 2017 and a record low of 2,570,000.000 KRW in 2010. Korea Average: HPL: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Other Than Non-Financial Assets data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.H083: SHFLC: Household Assets, Liabilities & Income By Net Worth Quintiles.

In 2020, Italy counted approximately *** million individuals boasting a wealth worth over one million U.S. dollars. Individuals in this wealth bracket are forecasted to reach nearly two million in 2025, an increase of approximately ** percent compared to 2020. When compared to other Western European countries, the number of individuals worth over five million U.S. dollars is less impressive. France, for example, counted about *** million individuals in that wealth bracket in 2019.

Wealthiest individuals in Italy

In 2019, Giovanni Ferrero, the CEO of the Italian confectionary company Ferrero S.p.A., lead the ranking of the wealthiest individuals in Italy published yearly by Forbes. With a total net worth estimated at **** billion U.S. dollars, Ferrero overshadowed Leonardo Del Vecchio, founder of Luxottica, whose fortune amounted to **** U.S. dollars.

Wealthiest individuals in the world

According to the Forbes’ ranking, in 2019, Giovanni Ferrero was the **** wealthiest person in the world and Leonardo Del Vecchio ranked **** in the list. Despite their massive fortune, no one can compete with Jeff Bezos. For the second year in a row, the founder of Amazon dominated the Forbes’ ranking: his wealth was estimated at over *** billion dollars in 2019.

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

In Europe, the variation in average amounts of financial wealth per adult varied considerably as of 2022, from approximately ******* U.S. dollars in Switzerland to roughly ***** U.S. dollars in Azerbaijan. In Europe, the overall average financial wealth per adult as of 2022 was ****** U.S. dollars. In terms of private wealth, Europe held the second highest value in the world, after North America. What is financial wealth? Financial wealth, also known as financial assets or liquid assets can include wealth that an individual has in the forms of cash, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and bank deposits. In addition to financial wealth, wealth can also be measured in other assets, called non-financial wealth. This includes physical assets, such as real estate, land, vehicles, jewelry, and art, just to name a few. Where do most wealthy individuals live? Individuals with a net worth over *********** U.S. dollars are called high-net worth individuals (HNWI). The United States was the home country to the highest number of HNWIs in 2021. China followed, although their number of HNWIs did not even reach ********* of the number in the United States. In Europe, Switzerland is the country with the highest average financial wealth per adult, but with its small population size, the number of HNWIs does not come near the numbers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy – the European countries with the highest number of HNWIs. Considering Switzerland’s small population size, however, it is the country in the world with the highest proportion of millionaires.

Korea Average: HPL: 1 Peson: Net Worth data was reported at 177,010.000 KRW th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 167,290.000 KRW th for 2016. Korea Average: HPL: 1 Peson: Net Worth data is updated yearly, averaging 155,180.000 KRW th from Mar 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 177,010.000 KRW th in 2017 and a record low of 124,130.000 KRW th in 2010. Korea Average: HPL: 1 Peson: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.H076: SHFLC: Household Assets, Liabilities & Income By The Number of Household Members.

Korea Average: HPL: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Savings data was reported at 11,240,000.000 KRW in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,410,000.000 KRW for 2016. Korea Average: HPL: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Savings data is updated yearly, averaging 10,450,000.000 KRW from Mar 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,240,000.000 KRW in 2017 and a record low of 7,720,000.000 KRW in 2010. Korea Average: HPL: 1 Net Worth Quintile: Savings data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.H083: SHFLC: Household Assets, Liabilities & Income By Net Worth Quintiles.

In 2023, Switzerland led the ranking of countries with the highest average wealth per adult, with approximately ******* U.S. dollars per person. Luxembourg was ranked second with an average wealth of around ******* U.S. dollars per adult, followed by Hong Kong SAR. However, the figures do not show the actual distribution of wealth. The Gini index shows wealth disparities in countries worldwide. Does wealth guarantee a longer life? As the old adage goes, “money can’t buy you happiness”, yet wealth and income are continuously correlated to the quality of life of individuals in different countries around the world. While greater levels of wealth may not guarantee a higher quality of life, it certainly increases an individual’s chances of having a longer one. Although they do not show the whole picture, life expectancy at birth is higher in the wealthier world regions. Does money bring happiness? A number of the world’s happiest nations also feature in the list of those countries for which average income was highest. Finland, however, which was the happiest country worldwide in 2022, is missing from the list of the top twenty countries with the highest wealth per adult. As such, the explanation for this may be the fact that the larger proportion of the population has access to a high income relative to global levels. Measures of quality of life Criticism of the use of income or wealth as a proxy for quality of life led to the creation of the United Nations’ Human Development Index. Although income is included within the index, it also has other factors taken into account, such as health and education. As such, the countries with the highest human development index can be correlated to those with the highest income levels. That said, none of the above measures seek to assess the physical and mental environmental impact of a high quality of life sourced through high incomes. The happy planet index demonstrates that the inclusion of experienced well-being and ecological footprint in place of income and other proxies for quality of life results in many of the world’s materially poorer nations being included in the happiest.

The average for 2021 based on 1 countries was 22 percent. The highest value was in Tonga: 22 percent and the lowest value was in Tonga: 22 percent. The indicator is available from 1963 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.