Global UHNW population rises by almost 30% in five years

The global population of individuals worth more than $30m increased by 29.4 per cent between 2021 and 2026, according to a report from Knight Frank.

The global real estate consultancy firm’s latest Wealth Sizing Model report found that the number of ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWI) rose from 551,435 to 713,626 over the five-year period.

This represented 162,191 new UHNWIs in five years, or 89 people crossing the $30m threshold every day.

This population growth was primarily driven by individuals in the US, while China and India were emerging as key growth areas.

Global UHNWI numbers were forecast to continue rising over the next five years, with Knight Frank estimating an increase of 32.9 per cent between 2026 and 2031.

North America was expected to continue driving the growth of UHNWIs over the next five years, with the report estimating an increase of 53 per cent over this period in the region.

The Middle East was forecast to see the second highest UHNWI population growth rate between 2026 and 2031 (32.1 per cent), followed by Asia-Pacific (24.3 per cent), Europe (17 per cent), Africa (14.9 per cent), and Latin America (12.4 per cent).

North America housed 37 per cent of the world’s UHNWIs in 2026, while Asia-Pacific had 31 per cent and Europe had 25 per cent.

Meanwhile, the world’s 3,110 billionaires were more geographically dispersed than the broader UHNWI population, with 35.9 per cent being based in Asia-Pacific, 31 per cent in North America, 25.1 per cent in Europe, and 4.1 per cent in the Middle East.

“Our Wealth Sizing Model provides a unique perspective on the creation of private wealth globally,” the report stated.

“The model highlights the extraordinary pace of global wealth creation over the past five years, led decisively by the US, with China and India as key engines of growth.”

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