The number of billionaires around the world has reached historic levels and they are getting richer, while the economic “gap” with the general population is widening dangerously.
According to the annual Global Wealth Report from Swiss banking giant UBS, which was released today, the number of wealthy people in the world increased by 13.1%, reaching a record number of 3,302 people, with the main drivers of growth being the US and Asian markets.
The total wealth of billionaires has grown by an impressive 25% in the year to April 2026, a pace that far outpaces the overall growth in global wealth.
At the top of the pyramid, UBS identified 18 individuals with wealth between $50 billion and $100 billion, and another 19 individuals with wealth exceeding $100 billion, 15 of whom are based in the US.
The report finds that global private wealth grew by 10.8% in 2025, marking the fastest acceleration since 2017 and surpassing the weaker performances of 2024 (+4.6%) and 2023 (+4.3%). This growth was driven primarily by strong performance in financial markets.
At the same time, 2025 created almost 1 million new millionaires worldwide. The lead rightfully belongs to the US, which “born” more than 440,000 new millionaires, accounting for almost half of the global growth. In Europe, wealth appeared inflated in dollar terms, which is partly due to the decline of the US currency against the euro over the past year.
Despite the fact that UBS speaks of a “general increase in living standards” that was also supported by non-financial assets, the data hides a disturbing reality.
The report highlights the dramatic widening of economic inequality, a trend that has been steadily increasing since 2020. While median wealth has risen, median wealth, which more accurately reflects the financial health of the middle class, has fallen in most global markets.
This finding confirms that the huge profits of recent years are being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, deepening the gap between the super-rich and the rest of the population.
To compile the report, UBS analyzed data from 56 countries, which represent over 92% of global wealth.