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The ultra-rich are getting richer — and their global population is growing. After a year that saw strong growth in the stock market, real estate and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, the number of ultra-wealthy individuals around the world is up by over 4%, according to a new report.
But being counted among the highest net worth individuals can be much "easier" in some countries than it is in others. To belong to the 1% in America, your net worth would have to be about $5.8 million or higher, according to the new Wealth Report from real estate company Knight Frank. In some countries, though, you only need to be worth a fraction of that to be a part of the 1%; in others, you need to have far greater wealth to be part of this elite group.
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Top 1% net worth around the world
The Knight Frank Wealth Report shows what it takes to become a member of the top 1% around the world. The 1% refers to the top 1% of individuals in a given country based on net worth — or the value of all of the assets one owns, minus debt and other liabilities.
Here is the minimum net worth you must have as an individual to belong to the top 1% in select countries around the world, as of the fourth quarter of 2023:
- Monaco: $12.88 million
- Luxembourg: $10.83 million
- Switzerland: $8.51 million
- U.S.: $5.81 million
- Singapore: $5.23 million
- Sweden: $4.76 million
- Australia: $4.67 million
- New Zealand: $4.57 million
- Ireland: $4.32 million
- Germany: $3.43 million
- France: $3.27 million
- Hong Kong: $3.09 million
- UK: $3.07 million
- Italy: $2.55 million
- Spain: $2.47 million
- Japan: $1.97 million
- China: $1.07 million
As you might imagine, the report shows that it takes a higher net worth to be part of the 1% in well-off countries that have small populations. The two countries that top the list, Monaco and Luxembourg, have populations totaling just 37,000 and 640,000, respectively. Even Switzerland and Singapore, which round out the top 5 alongside the U.S., both count populations of less than 10 million people.
The U.S., which has a population of around 335 million, is a major outlier to this trend. China and Japan, which also have large populations, have the lowest minimum wealth thresholds on the list, both at less than $2 million.
Another thing noted by Knight Frank is that these figures are just the minimum necessary to be in the top 1%; the variation between members of the same elite wealth percentile are still quite broad. There is another level of financial elite within the 1% called ultra-high net work individuals, or UHNWI. In the U.S., it may take you $5.81 million to be in the top 1%, but it takes a minimum net worth of $30 million to be considered among the ultra-high net worth crowd.
As of the end of 2023, this ultra-high net worth population is on the rise, reaching 626,000 globally, up from just over 600,000 a year earlier. The global population of this ultra-rich group declined in 2022, which was a down year for most markets.
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FAQs
Here's how much wealth you need to be a part of the 1% across the globe:
- Monaco - $12.9 million.
- Luxembourg - $10.8 million.
- Switzerland - $8.5 million.
- United States — $5.8 million.
- Singapore – $5.2 million.
- Sweden — $4.8 million.
- Australia — $4.7 million.
- New Zealand — $4.6 million.
In the U.S., it may take you $5.81 million to be in the top 1%, but it takes a minimum net worth of $30 million to be considered among the ultra-high net worth crowd. As of the end of 2023, this ultra-high net worth population is on the rise, reaching 626,000 globally, up from just over 600,000 a year earlier.
How wealthy is the US compared to other countries? ›
Which is the wealthiest country? With an overall net worth of $145.8 trillion and a GDP of $25.46 trillion, the US is the number one richest nation in the world.
How much wealth you need to join the richest 1% globally? ›
It now takes at least $5.8 million to join the richest echelon in the world's largest economy, almost 15% more than about 12 months ago, according to research from Knight Frank.
Who are the global top 1%? ›
If you earn $60,000 a year after tax and you don't have kids, you're in the richest 1 percent of the world's population. If you have a household income of $130,000 after tax and you've got a partner and one kid, you're also in the richest 1 percent.
What percentile of wealth am I worldwide? ›
Future Outlook
| Net Worth | Percent of Global Adults 2000 | Percent of Global Adults 2022 |
|---|
| More than $1 million | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| $100,000 to $1 million | 5.5% | 12.0% |
| $10,000 to $100,000 | 13.4% | 34.4% |
| Less than $10,000 | 80.7% | 52.5% |
Nov 2, 2023
Among the 47 million households headed by someone age 60 or older, 7% had household investable assets of at least $2 million, Drinkwater said. Only 6% of the 89 million households in the U.S. headed by someone 40 to 85 years old has that amount, Drinkwater said.
What percentile is a $3 million net worth? ›
The 95th percentile, with a net worth of $3.2 million, is considered wealthy, facilitating estate planning and possibly owning multiple homes. The top 1%, or the 99th percentile, has a net worth of $16.7 million and represents the very wealthy, who enjoy considerable financial freedom and luxury.
What percentage of US population has $3 million dollars? ›
According to the MacroMonitor, by 2022-23, the number of U.S. households with $3 million or more in financial assets represents 3.2% of all households, totaling 4.6 million.
Which is richer USA or China? ›
1- United States: Located in North America, the United States is the world's third largest and most populous country. It has once again surpassed China to become the world's richest country.
Measured at market exchange rates, China's GDP was $18.3 trillion in 2022, 73 percent of the GDP of the United States and 10 times more than the 7 percent of US GDP it registered in 1990.
Is the US richer than all of Europe? ›
In terms of good old per capita GDP, it's not much of a contest: Switzerland has higher per capita income than the U.S., but the U.S. comes out ahead of the Northern European countries — Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands — and well ahead of other European countries like France.
How much money do I need to be in the top 1 percent in the world by age? ›
How Does Income Change with Age?
| Age Range | Top 10% | Top 1% |
|---|
| 20-24 | $64,855 | $129,709 |
| 25-29 | $142,680 | $303,736 |
| 30-34 | $188,079 | $468,035 |
| 35-39 | $230,234 | $1,048,484 |
8 more rowsOct 20, 2023
Australians previously needed to have $US5. 5 million ($8.41 million) to count themselves among Australia's 1 per cent, but the threshold has dropped to US$4.67 million ($7.18 million), according a 2024 wealth report by global real estate consultancy Knight Frank.
How many people are in the top 1%? ›
Who Are the One Percent in the United States by Income and Net Worth?
- Net worth is the accurate measure of how much 'extra 'a household has accumulated. ...
- Depending on your preference, there are roughly 1,313,064 households in the top one percent or 1,784,529 workers.
Data on net worth distributions within the top 1% indicate that one enters the top 0.5% with about $1.8M, the top 0.25% with $3.1M, the top 0.10% with $5.5M and the top 0.01% with $24.4M. Wealth distribution is highly skewed towards the top 0.01%, increasing the overall average for this group.
Where does net worth of 3.5 million rank? ›
The 95th percentile, with a net worth of $3.2 million, is considered wealthy, facilitating estate planning and possibly owning multiple homes. The top 1%, or the 99th percentile, has a net worth of $16.7 million and represents the very wealthy, who enjoy considerable financial freedom and luxury.
