The World Inequality Report 2026 finds extreme global wealth concentration: fewer than 60,000 people (~0.001% of the population) own three times the wealth of the world’s bottom 50%. The richest 10% hold about 75% of global wealth while the bottom half control roughly 2%, a gap that has persisted despite rising total wealth. The report blames unequal access to education, low public investment and disparities in labor income — and warns that without tax and investment reforms, these trends will likely continue for decades.
Tiny Elite, Massive Gap: 0.001% Own Three Times the Wealth of the World's Poorest Half — World Inequality Report 2026
Global wealth is now highly concentrated, the World Inequality Report 2026 warns. Produced by the World Inequality Lab, the study finds that fewer than 60,000 people — roughly 0.001% of the world’s population — control three times the wealth of the entire bottom 50% combined.
Key findings include:
Fewer than 60,000 people (≈0.001%) own three times the wealth of the bottom half of humanity.
The report shows the richest 10% now hold about 75% of global wealth, while the bottom 50% account for roughly 2%. That imbalance has persisted even as total global wealth has grown, indicating that overall economic expansion alone has not translated into a fairer distribution of assets.
Why the Gap Persists
Authors link this extreme concentration to decades of asset accumulation at the top outpacing income and opportunity gains for the majority. Inequality is reinforced by unequal access to quality education, low levels of public investment in many regions, and large disparities in labor income — particularly across parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America — which together constrain long-term social and economic mobility.
Wealth Inequality Within Countries
The report also highlights how wealth concentration maps onto racial and ethnic lines in individual countries. U.S. Census Bureau figures released in 2024 show White, non-Hispanic households held about 80% of U.S. wealth while comprising roughly two-thirds of households, whereas Black households held under 5%. These gaps reflect historical and structural barriers to asset building.
Policy Implications
Researchers warn that, without policy shifts such as progressive taxation, sustained public investment in education and infrastructure, and measures to broaden access to productive assets, current patterns of wealth concentration are likely to persist for decades. The report calls for targeted reforms to make growth more inclusive and to protect long-term mobility.
Source: World Inequality Report 2026 (World Inequality Lab). Figures on U.S. wealth distribution are based on U.S. Census Bureau data released in 2024.
