Morning Edition · Monday, July 27, 2026Published at 1:10 AM EDT · New York
Global Millionaire Population Grew Nearly 8 Percent in 2025, Report Says
The number of high-net-worth individuals rose to 25.3 million worldwide, adding about two million people in a single year.
The global population of high-net-worth individuals grew 7.9 percent in 2025 to 25.3 million people, an increase of about two million in a year, according to a World Wealth Report cited by Euronews. The report measures individuals holding investable assets of at least one million dollars.
Euronews noted regional differences in how quickly wealth expanded, with the growth reflecting rising asset prices over the year. Gains in equities, property and other investments lifted the value of portfolios held by those already wealthy.
The figures capture a year in which financial assets appreciated broadly, concentrating gains among households that already own the most.
Part of a tracked trend
Gold as a Monetary Hedge
Persistent above-target inflation and dedollarization keep a structural bid under gold from investors and central banks seeking protection from currency debasement, even when real yields rise.
What this means
Wealth measured this way rises mainly when asset prices rise, and asset prices rise fastest when money and credit are abundant. The mechanism rewards those who already hold financial assets and property while wage earners see far smaller gains, which is why loose monetary conditions widen the gap between asset owners and everyone else. The same dynamic sustains steady demand for stores of value such as gold from investors seeking protection against currency debasement.
What to watch
- Whether wealth growth persists if central banks keep policy tight, a test of how much of the gain depended on cheap money.
- Central-bank and private demand for gold, an indicator of how strongly investors are hedging currency debasement.
Observations to monitor, not financial advice.
Source: Euronews
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