The population of the ultra-rich globally saw its fastest annual expansion since 2017, according to wealth intelligence firm Altrata, with multiple regions registering strong growth.
The global ultra-high net worth (UHNW) population – defined as individuals with a net worth of USD30 million or more – increased 14.4% to an all-time high of 556,850 in 2025, according to the 14th edition of Altrata’s World Ultra Wealth Report 2026. This marks the second consecutive year of double-digit expansion and the strongest growth since 2017.
Total UHNW wealth rose 14.3% to USD63.8 trillion with the North America accounting for USD25.7 trillion followed by Europe (USD16.3 trillion) and Asia (USD15.6 trillion). Among these three leading regions, UHNW wealth in Asia saw the highest growth in 2025 at 15.3%.
Other regions highlighted in the report include the Middle East (USD3 trillion in UHNW wealth), Latin America and the Caribbean (USD2 trillion), the Pacific (USD700 billion), and Africa (USD400 billion).
Changing profile
Beyond size and geography, the profile of the world’s UHNW population is also rapidly changing.
For example, wealth generation is dominated by entrepreneurs with four-fifths of North America’s ultra-rich being entirely self-made. Female representation is also on the rise, making up 12% of the UHNW population and this is forecasted to reach 19% by 2040.
2030 projections
By 2030, the report projects that the world’s UHNW population will reach 746,570 individuals with a total wealth of USD85 trillion. During this period, Asia is expected to register the strongest growth out of the three major regions. By city, Delhi will see the fastest increase, followed by Stockholm and Wuhan.
“What stands out in this year’s data is not just the scale of growth but the nature of it. The ultra wealthy population is more geographically dispersed and more entrepreneurially driven, with wealth that is more global in origin than at any previous point in our 14 years of tracking this data,” commented Paul Sutton, vice president of sales at Altrata.
“For the organisations seeking to engage this population, whether in wealth management, luxury or philanthropy, the intelligence to understand who these individuals are and where they are emerging has never been more critical.”
