Despite economic turbulence in 2022, global household wealth quietly swelled by a staggering $38.5 trillion, pushing total wealth to over $454 trillion and deepening the dramatic divide between the world’s richest and poorest.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, total global household wealth reached $454.4 trillion, marking a 4.4% increase from 2021.
- Global wealth grew by $38.5 trillion in 2022 despite economic headwinds.
- By the end of 2022, global wealth per adult averaged $84,718.
- The top 1% of adults hold 45.8% of global wealth as of 2022.
- The bottom 50% of the global population owns just 2.6% of total wealth in 2022.
- In 2022, 59 million adults were millionaires, representing 1.1% of adults.
- Switzerland has the highest median wealth per adult at $168,084 in 2022.
- Luxembourg's mean wealth per adult is $982,000 in 2022.
- Iceland median wealth $532,264, highest globally in 2022.
- United States total household wealth $145 trillion in 2022.
- China private wealth totaled $85 trillion in 2022.
- Japan household net worth $24 trillion in 2022.
- Global wealth grew at 6.7% annually from 2000 to 2022.
- Wealth per adult increased 108% from 2000-2022 globally.
- Number of millionaires rose from 16m in 2000 to 59m in 2022.
Global wealth grew significantly to $454 trillion, but its distribution remains highly unequal.
Country-Specific Wealth
- United States total household wealth $145 trillion in 2022.
- China private wealth totaled $85 trillion in 2022.
- Japan household net worth $24 trillion in 2022.
- Germany total wealth $17.5 trillion in 2022.
- UK household wealth £15.6 trillion in 2022.
- France private wealth €14 trillion in 2022.
- India total household wealth $11.8 trillion in 2022.
- Canada net worth CAD 16.5 trillion in 2022.
- Australia household wealth A$14.9 trillion in 2022.
- Switzerland wealth CHF 6.5 trillion in 2022.
- South Korea household assets KRW 5,500 trillion in 2022.
- Italy net wealth €10 trillion in 2022.
- Brazil household wealth R$ 20 trillion in 2022.
- Netherlands total wealth €2.6 trillion in 2022.
- Sweden household net worth SEK 13 trillion in 2022.
- Spain private wealth €5.5 trillion in 2022.
- Saudi Arabia household wealth SAR 3.2 trillion in 2022.
- UAE total private wealth $1.3 trillion in 2022.
- Russia household wealth RUB 170 trillion in 2022.
- Mexico net worth MXN 40 trillion in 2022.
- Indonesia household assets IDR 12,000 trillion in 2022.
- Turkey total wealth TRY 25 trillion in 2022.
- South Africa household wealth ZAR 9.5 trillion in 2022.
- Nigeria private wealth NGN 500 trillion in 2022.
- Egypt household assets EGP 15 trillion in 2022.
Country-Specific Wealth Interpretation
While the United States remains the world's colossal piggy bank with $145 trillion, China is quickly building a vault of its own at $85 trillion, showing that global wealth is a high-stakes game of economic king of the hill.
Global Aggregate Wealth
- In 2022, total global household wealth reached $454.4 trillion, marking a 4.4% increase from 2021.
- Global wealth grew by $38.5 trillion in 2022 despite economic headwinds.
- By the end of 2022, global wealth per adult averaged $84,718.
- Total global wealth in 2021 stood at $435.8 trillion.
- From 2012 to 2022, global wealth increased by 68% to $454 trillion.
- In 2020, global net private wealth was $418.3 trillion.
- Global wealth is projected to rise to $583 trillion by 2027.
- Household real assets globally totaled $246.8 trillion in 2022.
- Global financial assets amounted to $240.4 trillion at year-end 2022.
- Non-financial assets worldwide were valued at $221.6 trillion in 2022.
- Global debts reached $206.7 trillion in 2022.
- In 2019, total global wealth hit $418 trillion with 5.06 billion adults.
- Global wealth per adult in 2020 was $84,718 nominally but declined 3.6% in real terms.
- By mid-2023, global wealth recovered to approximately $470 trillion.
- Total global wealth grew 12.9% in USD terms from 2020 to 2021.
- Global wealth-to-GDP ratio stood at 3.7 times in 2022.
- Worldwide investable assets reached $255 trillion in 2023.
- Global household gross financial assets hit $197 trillion in 2022.
- Total global net worth of households was €380 trillion in 2022.
- Global wealth in PPP terms per adult was $70,850 in 2022.
- Global wealth excluding government holdings was $454 trillion in 2022.
- In 2000, global wealth was $156 trillion, tripling by 2020.
- Global private wealth grew by 9% annually from 2000-2022 in some metrics.
- Total wealth held by millionaires globally was $137 trillion in 2022.
- Global ultra-high-net-worth individuals held $36 trillion in 2023.
- Worldwide wealth in equities was $120 trillion in 2022.
- Global real estate wealth totaled $326 trillion in 2023.
- Total global pension assets reached $56 trillion in 2022.
- Global sovereign wealth funds managed $11.2 trillion in assets in 2023.
- Worldwide private equity assets under management hit $4.5 trillion in 2023.
Global Aggregate Wealth Interpretation
We’ve amassed a staggering tower of global wealth that, for all its impressive height, rests on a foundation of debt so large it feels less like an asset column and more like a high-stakes game of financial Jenga.
Regional Wealth Distribution
- Switzerland has the highest median wealth per adult at $168,084 in 2022.
- Luxembourg's mean wealth per adult is $982,000 in 2022.
- Iceland median wealth $532,264, highest globally in 2022.
- Belgium mean wealth $289,455 per adult in 2022.
- Australia's mean wealth per adult $521,649 in 2022.
- Denmark median $145,651 per adult in 2022.
- France mean wealth $325,471, median $121,110 in 2022.
- UK's mean wealth per adult $391,399 in 2022.
- Netherlands median $110,089 per adult 2022.
- Norway mean $340,653 per adult in 2022.
- Singapore mean wealth $497,334 per adult 2022.
- Hong Kong median $206,850 per adult 2022.
- Taiwan mean $301,906 per adult 2022.
- South Korea median $86,962 per adult 2022.
- Japan mean wealth $237,988 per adult 2022.
- UAE mean wealth $371,455 per adult 2022.
- Saudi Arabia median $52,839 per adult 2022.
- Kuwait mean $160,146 per adult 2022.
- Qatar median $104,172 per adult 2022.
- US median wealth $107,739 per adult 2022.
- Canada mean $418,035, median $149,713 in 2022.
- Brazil median $15,788 per adult 2022.
- Argentina mean $51,626 per adult 2022.
- Mexico median $23,456 per adult 2022.
- China mean $76,659, median $27,694 in 2022.
- India mean $16,534 per adult 2022.
- Indonesia median $7,813 per adult 2022.
- Nigeria mean $4,236 per adult 2022.
- South Africa median $13,632 per adult 2022.
- Egypt mean $10,296 per adult 2022.
Regional Wealth Distribution Interpretation
In a world where the average Swiss citizen could comfortably buy a mountain chalet while the average Nigerian is counting coins for a week's groceries, these numbers starkly reveal that the global wealth ladder has an absurdly tall first rung and a desperately crowded, splintered bottom.
Wealth Distribution
- The top 1% of adults hold 45.8% of global wealth as of 2022.
- The bottom 50% of the global population owns just 2.6% of total wealth in 2022.
- In 2022, 59 million adults were millionaires, representing 1.1% of adults.
- Global median wealth per adult was $8,654 in 2022.
- The richest 10% own 76% of global wealth in 2023 estimates.
- Number of ultra-wealthy individuals (over $50m) reached 264,200 in 2023.
- Centimillionaires globally numbered 28,420 in 2024, up 12%.
- Billionaires worldwide totaled 2,775 in 2024 with $15.1 trillion combined wealth.
- Top 1% captured 38% of new wealth created since 2020.
- The poorest 99% share 77% of global wealth but face 93% income growth lag.
- Global wealth Gini coefficient for adults was 89.6% in 2022 (on 0-100 scale).
- 2,640 new millionaires were created daily in North America 2012-2022.
- Adults with wealth over $100,000 numbered 1.1 billion in 2022, 22% of adults.
- The wealth share of the top 0.1% is 17.5% globally per WID data 2022.
- Middle 40% hold 22% of global wealth in 2022.
- 1.2 billion adults had negative net worth in 2022.
- High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI >$1m) totaled 22.8 million in 2023.
- UHNWIs (> $30m) numbered 626,600 globally in 2024.
- Global millionaire population grew 5% to 59.4 million in 2023.
- Top 10% threshold for wealth globally is $138,000 per adult in 2022.
- Bottom 50% wealth threshold is under $4,210 per adult globally.
- 86,500 adults had wealth over $50 million in 2019.
- Global wealth pyramid: 1.1% millionaires, 88.5% under $10k.
- Richest 1% own more than 2x the wealth of 6.9 billion people combined.
- Female billionaires hold 13.3% of total billionaire wealth in 2024.
- North America has 39% of global millionaires despite 6% population.
- Asia-Pacific wealth share rose to 27% of global total in 2022.
- Europe holds 23% of world wealth with 21% of adults in 2022.
- Latin America's share of global wealth is 3.1% in 2022.
- Africa accounts for 2.5% of total global wealth in 2022.
- Middle East wealth per adult is $107,088, highest regionally in 2022.
- North America's mean wealth per adult is $551,351 in 2022.
- Europe's median wealth per adult is $93,446 in 2022.
- Asia-Pacific has 35% of global adults but 27% wealth share.
- Sub-Saharan Africa's wealth share declined to 0.9% by 2022.
- Oceania's mean wealth per adult ranks second at $497,521 in 2022.
- Latin America median wealth per adult is $14,184 in 2022.
- North America holds 24% of global wealth with 6.3% adults.
- Europe saw 3.1 million new millionaires added 2012-2022.
- Asia-Pacific created 10.5 million new millionaires over decade to 2022.
- Middle East mean wealth grew 140% from 2000-2022.
- Africa's adult population share is 10% but wealth 2.5%.
- US mean wealth per adult $567,029, Canada $418,035 in 2022.
- China holds 18% of global wealth, India 2.7% in 2022.
Wealth Distribution Interpretation
The global wealth distribution is a masterclass in economic gravity, where the top 1% has built a fortress of gold on a hill so steep that the combined assets of half of humanity at the bottom wouldn't even pay for the moat.
Wealth Trends and Projections
- Global wealth grew at 6.7% annually from 2000 to 2022.
- Wealth per adult increased 108% from 2000-2022 globally.
- Number of millionaires rose from 16m in 2000 to 59m in 2022.
- Global wealth expected to grow 38% by 2027 to $629 trillion.
- Adult population grew 66% from 2000-2022 to 5.4 billion.
- Real global wealth per adult rose 39% from 2012-2022.
- Top 1% wealth share increased from 42.3% in 2000 to 45.8% 2022.
- Billionaire wealth grew 34% in 2023 to $12.2 trillion.
- HNWI population to grow 28% to 29 million by 2027.
- Global millionaire numbers projected to hit 86 million by 2027.
- Wealth inequality (Gini) stable at ~89% since 2010.
- Emerging markets wealth share to rise to 43% by 2027.
- US wealth grew 80% from 2012-2022.
- China wealth increased 230% from 2012-2022.
- India wealth per adult up 250% since 2000.
- Africa wealth declined 25% in real terms 2020-2022.
- Global real estate prices rose 5% annually past decade.
- Equities contributed 50% to wealth growth 2012-2022.
- Household debt-to-wealth ratio fell to 31% in 2022.
- Savings rate globally averaged 8.5% of gross income 2022.
- Propensity to save rose 1.4pp since 2019 globally.
- Global financial assets grew 7.6% annually 2013-2022.
- Non-financial assets increased 5.2% per year same period.
- Pandemic boosted wealth by $31 trillion in 2020 alone.
- 2022 saw first decline in millionaire numbers in years (-3.5%).
- By 2030, Asia to hold 37% of global wealth.
Wealth Trends and Projections Interpretation
Wealth is rising so dramatically that if it were a sound, it would be the deafening roar of a champagne cork popping on a yacht, while the music fades for those still swimming ashore.
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