The Global Wealth Report reveals a surge in personal wealth and a record number of millionaires. Where does Israel rank in average wealth, and what surprising figure puts it in first place in the world?

The global millionaire population (in US dollar terms) expanded by 1.5% in 2025, a figure reflecting the creation of close to a million new millionaires – more than 2,680 new millionaires every day. The United States leads the trend and is solely responsible for nearly half of this growth, with more than 1,200 new millionaires added there each day. In the millionaire density index, Luxembourg and Switzerland maintain the lead, with the ratio in Luxembourg being close to one in every six adults.

In terms of geographical distribution, Europe and the Middle East recorded the strongest growth in wealth in 2025, with a regional surge of nearly 18% (in dollar terms), driven partly by the weakening of the American currency. Conversely, the growth rate in the Asia–Pacific region slowed down and stood at just over 5.9%.

The data regarding the local market reveals interesting characteristics concerning the culture of investment and savings in Israel. According to the report, the average wealth per adult in Israel stands at $312 thousand and 108, while the median wealth per adult presents a more modest picture of $83 thousand and 843. These figures place Israel in 18th place in the world in average wealth, and in 24th place in median wealth.

The most surprising figure in the report concerns the composition of the public's asset portfolio in Israel: The absolute majority of adult wealth in the country consists of financial assets (such as cash, deposits, securities, and investment funds), which constitute no less than 82.1% of the total gross wealth. This figure places Israel in first place on the global list of the share of financial assets among the countries examined, ahead of Taiwan (80.8%) and the United States (78.9%). On the other hand, the level of debt in Israel accounts for 14.4% of total gross wealth. In the inequality index (Gini coefficient), Israel is ranked 25th with a score of 0.66.

As part of the report, Paul Donovan, the Chief Economist of UBS Global Wealth Management, addressed structural changes in the global economy and examined the public perception of wealth:

"People tend to think of their wealth in relation to the wealth of others, rather than in absolute terms."

Donovan further addressed the impact of social media on the public debate:

"Inequality in wealth is also becoming more prominent under the spotlight of social media. This means that even when inequality has decreased, awareness of inequality has grown."

Looking ahead, the report estimates that current trends of individuals moving upward from the lower tiers of the global wealth pyramid will continue, something that could alter the traditional geometric shape of the pyramid already during the current decade.