Global Wealth Distribution Overview
The global wealth distribution in 2024 shows that a small share of adults holds the majority of household wealth. According to the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report and the World Inequality Database, the top 10 percent of adults own roughly 75 to 80 percent of all household wealth, while the bottom 50 percent own less than 1 percent. The United States, China, and Japan together account for the largest absolute shares of global wealth, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. The median adult worldwide holds a net worth of about 10,000 USD, while the mean is much higher because of concentrated assets among the wealthy. You can review the latest Credit Suisse data on wealth concentration and the World Inequality Database for country-level inequality metrics.
Wealth inequality is measured using the Gini coefficient and wealth share by percentile. In 2024, the global wealth Gini coefficient remains above 0.80, indicating high inequality. The top 1 percent of adults own more than 45 percent of global wealth, and the top 0.1 percent own more than 15 percent. The bottom 50 percent of adults collectively own less than 1 percent of global household wealth. Regional differences are large, with North America and Europe having higher median wealth per adult than Latin America, Africa, and South Asia. The World Inequality Database and the Global Wealth Report provide interactive tools to compare wealth shares across countries and income groups.
Wealth by Country and Billionaire Concentration
Top Countries by Household Wealth
In 2024, the United States remains the largest country by total household wealth, followed by China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The U.S. accounts for roughly 30 percent of global household wealth, driven by high home values, stock market holdings, and private business equity. China has grown rapidly and now holds around 15 to 18 percent of global wealth, supported by property and savings. High-net-worth individuals in these countries hold a disproportionate share of national wealth. Forbes tracks real-time billionaire rankings and net worth data for the wealthiest individuals worldwide.
Billionaire wealth has continued to concentrate in a small number of individuals and sectors. In 2024, the number of billionaires globally exceeds 2,500, and their combined wealth surpasses 13 trillion USD. The technology, finance, and energy sectors produce the largest concentrations of billionaire wealth. Companies such as Tesla and SpaceX have created substantial new fortunes for their founders and early investors. The SEC EDGAR database provides filings and ownership disclosures for publicly traded companies, including detailed holdings by major shareholders.
Wealth Percentiles, Inequality Trends, and Data Sources
Wealth Percentile Breakdown
Breaking down global wealth by percentile shows sharp differences between the top, middle, and bottom groups. The top 10 percent own about 76 percent of global wealth, the middle 40 percent own about 23 percent, and the bottom 50 percent own about 1 percent. In the United States, the top 10 percent own more than 65 percent of household wealth, while in many European countries the share is closer to 50 to 60 percent. In developing regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, a larger share of adults hold little or negative net worth due to debt and low asset ownership.
Wealth inequality trends in 2024 show that the top percentiles have continued to gain share, even as middle-class wealth grew in some emerging markets. Inflation, asset price appreciation, and interest rate changes have affected different groups unevenly. The World Inequality Database and the Global Wealth Report publish updated data on wealth shares, Gini coefficients, and average versus median wealth. For