2LT International News

ZURICH, Switzerland: The U.S. saw an extraordinary rise in wealth last year, with more than 1,000 people crossing into millionaire status every single day — over 379,000 in total — according to UBS’s 2025 Global Wealth Report released this week.

The report found that private wealth worldwide rose by 4.6 percent in 2024, but the Americas far outpaced that trend with an 11 percent jump, fueled by a strong U.S. dollar and buoyant financial markets. The U.S. alone accounted for nearly 40 percent of the world’s millionaires.

In contrast, Greater China — defined as mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan — dominated the mid-tier wealth category, with 28.2 percent of individuals globally holding a net worth between $100,000 and $1 million. Western Europe followed with 25.4 percent, while North America came in at 20.9 percent.

Despite the surge at the top, the majority of people worldwide remained well below millionaire status. More than 80 percent of adults in the UBS sample had a net worth under $100,000, and just 1.6 percent met the millionaire threshold.

UBS forecasts that average wealth per adult will continue to climb over the next five years, with the U.S. leading the charge and Greater China following closely behind.