Global personal wealth increased sharply in 2025, driven by strong financial markets and rising asset values, according to the Global Wealth Report 2026 published by UBS Global Wealth Management. However, the report also highlights widening disparities, with average wealth increasing while median wealth declined in many markets.
Covering 56 markets representing more than 92% of global wealth, the report records a 10.8% increase in total personal wealth in US dollar terms during 2025. UBS said this was the third consecutive year of growth and the fastest pace recorded in recent years.
Wealth growth driven by markets and property
According to UBS, the increase was supported by strong performance in financial markets and rising values of non-financial assets, particularly real estate.
However, the report notes that headline figures do not necessarily reflect broader improvements in financial well-being.
While average wealth increased, median wealth fell in many countries, suggesting that gains were concentrated among wealthier individuals. UBS emphasises that average wealth figures can be heavily influenced by a relatively small number of high-net-worth individuals.
For this reason, the report places particular focus on median wealth, which represents the point where half the population holds more wealth and half holds less.
Europe records strongest regional growth
The strongest increase in wealth was recorded across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), where wealth rose by 17.5%.
This compared with growth of 8.5% in the Americas and 5.9% in the Asia-Pacific region.
Western Europe recorded growth of almost 17%, while Eastern Europe registered an increase of 28%.
The report notes, however, that the weakening of the US dollar contributed to stronger dollar-based wealth measurements outside the United States. The euro, for example, appreciated by nearly 9% against the dollar during 2025.
Wealth remains concentrated
The global distribution of wealth remains highly concentrated.
The United States accounts for 35.7% of the personal wealth measured by UBS, followed by Western Europe with just under 22% and China with 18.5%.
Together, the United States and China hold more than half of the personal wealth captured in the report.
Cyprus presents a mixed picture
Although Cyprus does not have a dedicated country chapter in the report, it features in several key tables and datasets.
UBS classifies Cyprus within the Eastern Europe subgroup of the EMEA region.
Between 2020 and 2025, median wealth in Cyprus increased by approximately 20% after adjusting for inflation. According to the report, this indicates that wealth gains were not limited solely to the wealthiest households.
At the same time, Cyprus appears in a category where average wealth per adult, in real terms, ranged between stagnation and decline during the same period.
The report places Cyprus in the 0% to -25% category for average wealth growth, creating what it describes as an unusual contrast between rising median wealth and weaker average wealth performance.
Wealth structure and debt levels
Cyprus also stands out for the composition of its wealth.
Financial assets account for 55.1% of gross wealth, a higher share than in many European countries and significantly above Greece's 36.1%.
This suggests that, according to UBS methodology, Cypriot wealth is not based solely on property assets but also has a substantial financial component.
The report also highlights Cyprus' relatively high debt burden.
Debt accounts for 20.7% of gross wealth, placing Cyprus among the highest-ranked countries in this category. Only Brazil records a higher ratio at 23.4%.
Cyprus ranks above countries including Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia in terms of debt relative to gross wealth.
Around 24,000 dollar millionaires in Cyprus
UBS estimates that Cyprus has approximately 24,000 dollar millionaires.
As a share of the adult population, the figure is close to 3%, placing Cyprus among countries with a notable but not exceptionally high concentration of millionaires.
The percentage remains below levels recorded in jurisdictions such as Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hong Kong and the United States.
Nearly one million new millionaires created
Globally, the number of dollar millionaires reached a new record in 2025.
UBS estimates that almost one million new millionaires were created during the year, equivalent to more than 2,680 per day.
The United States accounted for nearly half of that increase, adding more than 441,000 new millionaires.
The report notes, however, that millionaire status does not necessarily imply significant liquid wealth, as assets are often tied to property and other non-liquid investments.
Small share controls large share of wealth
One of the report's central findings concerns the global distribution of wealth.
The proportion of adults with less than $10,000 in wealth fell to 41.1% in 2025, only slightly above the 42.1% share of adults with wealth between $10,000 and $100,000.
Meanwhile, just 1.5% of adults hold wealth exceeding $1 million.
Despite their small numbers, this group controls a substantial share of global wealth.
Report highlights limits of wealth data
UBS notes that the report is based on estimates and modelling across 56 markets and does not cover the entire global economy.
It also cautions that wealth measurements expressed in US dollars can be significantly affected by exchange-rate movements.
The report further stresses that wealth should not be confused with income, nor does it necessarily reflect the purchasing power or day-to-day economic circumstances of households.
