Research Section

Wealth Distribution Analysis

How is wealth distributed among population groups within countries and regions? This section brings together the most current international data to paint a rigorous picture of global inequality.

Overview

Understanding Wealth Concentration

Wealth distribution refers to how the total stock of assets — financial and non-financial — is allocated across a population. Unlike income (a flow), wealth represents accumulated resources: savings, real estate, financial instruments, business equity, and other capital assets, minus debts.

The concentration of wealth is significantly more extreme than income concentration. International databases consistently show that a small fraction of the global population controls the vast majority of total wealth, while billions of people hold negligible or even negative net worth.

Methodology note: Wealth data relies on a combination of household surveys, tax records, national accounts, and rich-list estimates. Each source has limitations; figures presented here represent best estimates from established academic and institutional sources.
Data visualization dashboard
Key Figures

Global Wealth Snapshot

Global Total Wealth (est.)
$454T
Credit Suisse, latest estimate
Top 1% Own
43.4%
World Inequality Database
Bottom 50% Own
3.0%
World Inequality Database
Billionaire Count (Global)
~2,781
Forbes, Forbes List

Global Wealth Share by Percentile Group

Percentage of global wealth held by each population group

Source: WID.world / Credit Suisse
Population Group Share of Global Wealth Approx. Adults (Billions) Change Since 2000
Top 1% 43.4% 0.06 +6.2 pp
Next 9% (top 10% excl. top 1%) 32.6% 0.58 +1.8 pp
Middle 40% 21.0% 2.33 −4.1 pp
Bottom 50% 3.0% 2.92 −3.9 pp
Measuring Inequality

Gini Coefficients by Country

The Gini coefficient is the most widely used measure of income/wealth inequality. A value of 0 represents perfect equality; 100 represents maximum concentration.

Income Gini Coefficients – Selected Countries

Post-tax, post-transfer income inequality — most recent available year

Source: OECD / World Bank
Country Gini Coefficient Region Year Trend
South Africa63.0Africa2023Increasing
Brazil53.4Americas2023Slowly decreasing
Mexico45.4Americas2023Slowly decreasing
United States39.7Americas2022Increasing
United Kingdom35.1Europe2022Stable
India35.7Asia-Pacific2022Increasing
France29.8Europe2022Stable
Germany31.7Europe2022Stable
Canada33.3Americas2022Stable
Japan32.9Asia-Pacific2021Slowly decreasing
Sweden27.6Europe2022Stable
Norway25.0Europe2022Stable
Regional Breakdown

Wealth Inequality by World Region

North America

The United States holds one of the highest wealth Gini coefficients among OECD nations. The top 1% of US households owns approximately 32% of national wealth, while the bottom 50% owns less than 3%.

Europe

Europe shows significant internal variation. Nordic countries exhibit the lowest inequality globally, while Southern and Eastern European nations show higher concentration. The top 1% in Europe holds ~22% of European wealth.

Asia-Pacific

The region is highly heterogeneous. China has seen rapid wealth accumulation at the top, while India's inequality has widened sharply. Japan and South Korea maintain relatively lower inequality compared to their GDP peers.

Latin America

The region remains among the most unequal globally, though Gini coefficients have improved in several countries since 2000. Brazil and Colombia still rank among the highest-inequality economies in the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Africa holds one of the highest Gini coefficients globally. The region's wealth concentration is compounded by colonial land legacy, limited financial inclusion, and infrastructure inequality.

MENA

The Middle East and North Africa region is characterised by large oil-wealth concentrations in Gulf states alongside significant poverty in conflict-affected nations, creating extreme between-country inequality.

Long-Run Data

Global wealth inequality followed a broad U-shaped trajectory over the 20th century. Inequality fell significantly in many countries between roughly 1910 and 1980 — partly through progressive taxation, labour market institutions, and the destruction of accumulated capital in the World Wars. Since 1980, the trend has reversed in most advanced economies.

The digital economy has accelerated returns to capital ownership, while wage growth has stagnated relative to asset price appreciation in housing and equities. This dynamic has widened the gap between those who own assets and those who rely primarily on labour income.

In emerging markets, the picture is more mixed. Several East and Southeast Asian economies saw rapid income growth that reduced extreme poverty even as internal inequality rose. In Sub-Saharan Africa, high population growth has kept per-capita wealth gains modest.

Country Top 1% Share 1980 Top 1% Share 2023 Change
USA22.2%34.9%+12.7 pp
UK15.8%22.0%+6.2 pp
France16.8%24.2%+7.4 pp
Sweden17.5%20.6%+3.1 pp
China6.4%30.6%+24.2 pp
India12.0%40.1%+28.1 pp
Brazil49.2%47.8%−1.4 pp

Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world). Top 1% income (pre-tax national income) shares used as proxy.