The number of billionaires worldwide has reached a new record, according to Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS)’s annual Global Wealth Report, with the latest data showing that the world’s richest people are not only increasing in number, but becoming wealthier at a far faster pace than the broader population.
UBS found that the global billionaire population rose by 13.1%, reaching 3,302 people, driven largely by the United States and Asia. Their total wealth increased by 25% in the year to April 2026, well above the 10.8% rise recorded in global personal wealth overall.
Where Greece stands
Greece ranks 30th globally for average wealth per adult, according to the UBS data cited in the report. At the end of 2025, average net wealth per adult in Greece stood at $143,343.
The figure places Greece among countries with relatively significant household assets, but it also conceals a more uneven domestic picture. Median wealth, which better reflects the position of the typical adult, was much lower, at $59,162 — less than half the average.
That gap points to a concentration of wealth among a smaller share of households. It also reflects a long-standing feature of the Greek economy: household wealth remains heavily linked to real estate, rather than to financial assets such as stocks, bonds or investment portfolios.
Between 2020 and 2025, average wealth per adult in Greece rose by about 5%. Median wealth, however, moved in the opposite direction, suggesting that the increase in total wealth was not distributed evenly across society.
A global surge in wealth — but not for everyone
UBS said global personal wealth grew by 10.8% in 2025, the fastest pace since 2017, following more modest increases of 4.6% in 2024 and 4.3% in 2023. The rise was largely supported by strong financial markets.
The report also found that nearly one million people became US-dollar millionaires in 2025. The United States accounted for almost half of that increase, adding more than 440,000 new millionaires.
At the very top of the wealth pyramid, UBS identified 18 people with fortunes between $50 billion and $100 billion, as well as another 19 whose wealth exceeded $100 billion. Fifteen of those ultra-wealthy individuals are based in the United States.
Yet the report also underlines a widening divide. While average wealth has increased, median wealth has fallen in many markets since 2020, a sign that gains are increasingly concentrated among those already at the top.
UBS analysed data from 56 markets, representing more than 92% of global wealth.
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