Billionaire wealth in 2025 breaks record, stoking inequality concerns
Photo: Elon Musk (Getty Images)
In 2025, the combined wealth of the world's richest people reached $18.3 trillion, marking a record high since data collection began.
According to Oxfam, billionaire wealth grew by more than 16% over the year, three times faster than the average growth rate of the past five years.
Overall, the total wealth of billionaires increased by $2.5 trillion last year—a sum almost equal to the combined wealth of the poorest half of the global population, approximately 4.1 billion people. Oxfam notes that this amount would be enough to eliminate extreme poverty worldwide 26 times over.
The organization also highlighted that billionaire wealth has risen by 81% since 2020. Last year, the number of billionaires exceeded 3,000 for the first time, and the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, became the first to surpass half a trillion dollars in assets.
The report emphasizes that billionaires hold political office 4,000 times more frequently than ordinary citizens. Oxfam International CEO Amitabh Behar warned that the growing gap between the richest and the rest of the population creates a dangerous and unstable political imbalance.
About Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations operating in over 90 countries worldwide. Its mission is to address poverty and related global injustices.
The organization aims to give people the opportunity to exercise their rights, take control of their own lives, and earn fair pay for their work.
Previously, RBC-Ukraine reported that global billionaires are actively preparing for an uncertain future, building shelters, reinforcing homes, and investing in survival technologies
