Today the rich are richer than ever and there are more of them than ever in the history of humanity. However, their distribution throughout the planet is very different from how they did a decade ago because, quite simply, there are countries where the ultra-rich grow more.
Only in this last five years, 162,191 new ultra-rich “appeared”, that is, 89 people crossing the economic threshold of 30 million dollars a day (the barrier of high net worth individuals, or HNWI for short). Understanding where money is concentrated is the first step in anticipating investments, influences and geopolitical tensions.
The club of the very rich. The graph you see below these lines has been prepared by Visual Capitalist and orders the states of the world according to two parameters: how many new ultra-rich people gain and how fast that club of very rich people grows. Combining the two makes sense: a high number may not be that high in a broad-based country like the United States, and a high percentage increase implies that something new is making people rich there.
The data comes from the real estate consultancy and wealth manager Knight Frank through its report “The Wealth Report 2026“, which uses its own economic growth model including variables such as GDP growth, inflation, interest rates or the behavior of financial markets.
Where there are more and more rich people. Visual Capitalist
Why is it important. In a sentence: because money calls money. Where the ultra-rich live, capital also comes: buyers of luxury properties, investors in startups, investment funds, demand for high-level services… On the other hand, these people who concentrate wealth are also the subject of regulations in order to reduce economic and fiscal inequalities in a kind of tug-of-war of attracting and retaining capital in the face of economic imbalances in welfare economies.
The United States is a factory of the rich: It is home to almost 40% of all the world’s rich people with more than 10 million dollars, almost double that of China (second). In the segment of 100 million or more, it also exceeds 40% of the world total. The explanation for this accumulation of wealth lies in a mix of a highly developed stock market, low tax pressure on capital, a mature and solid entrepreneurial ecosystem, and a legal system that firmly protects private property. Between 2021 and 2026, the US has added almost 67,000 new ultra-rich people, triple that of China. It is the largest manufacturer of great fortunes on the planet, notably compared to the second.
That economic phenomenon called India. India is the most interesting case on the entire list because it combines speed and scale. In the last five years, its population of ultra-rich grew by 63.4% thanks to technological entrepreneurship, the digitalization of the economy and the development of its capital markets. It is not inherited or extractive wealth: it is wealth created by entrepreneurs and companies.
Thus, the Asian giant has already taken bronze after the United States and China and is imposing a ferocious pace: India already has 207 billionaires and by 2031 the projection points to 313, 51% more. It is, in short, the only country that simultaneously appears in the top positions in both percentage growth and absolute volume of new great fortunes, thus becoming the economy with the greatest potential for private wealth creation in the next two decades.
Europe is on another roll. Europe grows piano piano and not without internal tensions. Germany, Switzerland and France occupy third, fifth and seventh place respectively in terms of increase in ultra-rich people, but if we look at the speed of growth, they almost disappear from the ranking in favor of unexpected ones like Romania or Greece. The problem is not so much the numbers but the fiscal pressure, and stricter regulation where private property collides head-on with the welfare state. However, within the continent itself there are tremendously unequal policies, from the Swiss tax haven to France and your plan to tax the richest.
Those covered: Poland, Qatar, Indonesia and Vietnam. Just a decade ago these countries did not appear in any pool of private wealth, but there is Poland as the outstanding leader in percentage growth of ultra-rich people between 2021 and 2026 with 109.2%, which has meant going from 1,442 to 3,017 individuals. Qatar follows with an increase of 106.9% and then Türkiye, with 93.6%. It is, in any case, double or triple the average. Of course, there is an essential nuance: they start from very small bases, hence in absolute terms they are still small groups compared to Germany or France.
In the next five years the ranking is completed with other emerging countries: Indonesia leads the projections with an expected growth of 82%, followed by Saudi Arabia and Poland with 63% each. Just behind, Vietnam with 59%. What do they all have in common? Improve the scenario for private capital: more legal certainty, accelerated industrialization and in the case of Middle Eastern countries, almost zero taxation accompanied by residency programs for large assets.
Cover | Visual Capitalist
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