Kathmandu, September 30
Although personal wealth continues to rise worldwide, the gap between the rich and poor is widening. According to the Global Wealth Report 2026 published by Swiss bank UBS, nearly half (48.4 per cent) of the world’s total personal wealth is concentrated in the hands of just 1.5 per cent of the wealthiest people.
According to the report, 58 million adults with more than US$1 million in wealth control US$250.59 trillion in assets.
In contrast, 42.1 per cent of the world’s adult population, or around 1.62 billion people, have net wealth of less than US$10,000. They account for just 0.6 per cent of global wealth, or US$3.22 trillion.
This highlights the reality that a large proportion of people in least developed and developing countries such as Nepal remain at the bottom of the global wealth pyramid.
India has 944,000 dollar millionaires
UBS analysed 56 major markets that together account for more than 92 per cent of global wealth in this year’s report. Nepal is not included among these 56 markets.
India is the only South Asian country covered by the report and has 944,000 dollar millionaires. The total number of dollar millionaires across the 56 markets tracked by UBS is around 57.5 million.
Nearly one million new dollar millionaires were added worldwide in 2025 alone, meaning an average of around 2,680 people became dollar millionaires every day.
Wealth concentrated in two major powers
The report shows that global wealth is concentrated in a handful of major economies. Among the markets analysed, the United States and Greater China, which includes China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, together account for more than half of the world’s personal wealth.
The United States accounts for 35.7 per cent of total global wealth, while Greater China accounts for 18.5 per cent.
Western Europe accounts for another 21.9 per cent of global wealth. In terms of average wealth per adult, Switzerland ranks first globally at US$910,382, followed by the United States at US$696,277.
Emerging markets account for 26.2 per cent of global wealth, down from 28.8 per cent in 2022.
Wealth rises, but distribution remains highly unequal
According to UBS, total personal wealth in the markets covered by the study increased by 10.8 per cent in 2025. The increase in wealth also highlights significant differences between various wealth brackets.
According to the report’s wealth pyramid, 1.62 billion adults with less than US$10,000 in wealth hold a combined US$3.22 trillion. Another 1.58 billion adults with wealth between US$10,000 and US$100,000 hold US$63.16 trillion.
Some 588 million adults with wealth between US$100,000 and US$1 million hold US$200.72 trillion. At the top of the pyramid, 58 million adults hold US$250.59 trillion in wealth.
Financial assets and real estate
The composition of wealth varies significantly by country, particularly in terms of the share held in financial assets. According to UBS, financial assets account for 83.6 per cent of total personal wealth in Sweden, 80.8 per cent in Taiwan and around 79 per cent in the United States.
However, being a dollar millionaire does not mean having US$1 million in cash in a bank account. According to UBS, for typical dollar millionaires with wealth between US$1 million and US$5 million, their primary residence is often their largest asset.
As property values rise, an individual’s total wealth can increase and make them a dollar millionaire even if their income or cash holdings do not increase. However, that wealth becomes cash or an immediately usable asset only after the property is sold and the proceeds are realised.
UBS generally defines liquid assets as cash, bank deposits, voluntary pension savings, collective investment schemes and direct investments in financial instruments such as shares. Mandatory pension savings and real estate are not included as liquid assets.
The report shows that while global wealth continues to grow, there are significant disparities in both its distribution and composition.
