Richest 1% bag nearly twice as much wealth as the rest of the world put together over the past two years | Oxfam International (2024)

  • Super-rich outstrip their extraordinary grab of half of all new wealth in past decade.
  • Billionaire fortunes are increasing by $2.7 billion a day even as at least 1.7 billion workers now live in countries where inflation is outpacing wages.
  • A tax of up to 5 percent on the world’s multi-millionaires and billionaires could raise $1.7 trillion a year, enough to lift 2 billion people out of poverty.


The richest 1 percent grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth worth $42 trillion created since 2020, almost twice as much money as the bottom 99 percent of the world’s population, reveals a new Oxfam report today. During the past decade, the richest 1 percent had captured around half of all new wealth.

Survival of the Richest” is published on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Elites are gathering in the Swiss ski resort as extreme wealth and extreme poverty have increased simultaneously for the first time in 25 years.

“While ordinary people are making daily sacrifices on essentials like food, the super-rich have outdone even their wildest dreams. Just two years in, this decade is shaping up to be the best yet for billionaires —a roaring ‘20s boom for the world’s richest,” said Gabriela Bucher, Executive Director of Oxfam International.

“Taxing the super-rich and big corporations is the door out of today’s overlapping crises. It’s time we demolish the convenient myth that tax cuts for the richest result in their wealth somehow ‘trickling down’ to everyone else. Forty years of tax cuts for the super-rich have shown that a rising tide doesn’t lift all ships —just the superyachts.”

Billionaires have seen extraordinary increases in their wealth. During the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis years since 2020, $26 trillion (63 percent) of all new wealth was captured by the richest 1 percent, while $16 trillion (37 percent) went to the rest of the world put together. A billionaire gained roughly $1.7 million for every $1 of new global wealth earned by a person in the bottom 90 percent. Billionaire fortunes have increased by $2.7 billion a day. This comes on top of a decade of historic gains —the number and wealth of billionaires having doubled over the last ten years.

Billionaire wealth surged in 2022 with rapidly rising food and energy profits. The report shows that 95 food and energy corporations have more than doubled their profits in 2022. They made $306 billion in windfall profits, and paid out $257 billion (84 percent) of that to rich shareholders. The Walton dynasty, which owns half of Walmart, received $8.5 billion over the last year. Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, owner of major energy corporations, has seen this wealth soar by $42 billion (46 percent) in 2022 alone. Excess corporate profits have driven at least half of inflation in Australia, the US and the UK.

At the same time, at least 1.7 billion workers now live in countries where inflation is outpacing wages, and over 820 million people —roughly one in ten people on Earth— are going hungry. Women and girls often eat least and last, and make up nearly 60 percent of the world’s hungry population. The World Bank says we are likely seeing the biggest increase in global inequality and poverty since WW2. Entire countries are facing bankruptcy, with the poorest countries now spending four times more repaying debts to rich creditors than on healthcare. Three-quarters of the world’s governments are planning austerity-driven public sector spending cuts —including on healthcare and education— by $7.8 trillion over the next five years.

Oxfam is calling for a systemic and wide-ranging increase in taxation of the super-rich to claw back crisis gains driven by public money and profiteering. Decades of tax cuts for the richest and corporations have fueled inequality, with the poorest people in many countries paying higher tax rates than billionaires.

Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest men, paid a “true tax rate” of about 3 percent between 2014 and 2018. Aber Christine, a flour vendor in Uganda, makes $80 a month and pays a tax rate of 40 percent.

Worldwide, only four cents in every tax dollar now comes from taxes on wealth. Half of the world’s billionaires live in countries with no inheritance tax for direct descendants. They will pass on a $5 trillion tax-free treasure chest to their heirs, more than the GDP of Africa, which will drive a future generation of aristocratic elites. Rich people’s income is mostly unearned, derived from returns on their assets, yet it is taxed on average at 18 percent, just over half as much as the average top tax rate on wages and salaries.

The report shows that taxes on the wealthiest used to be much higher. Over the last forty years, governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas have slashed the income tax rates on the richest. At the same time, they have upped taxes on goods and services, which fall disproportionately on the poorest people and exacerbate gender inequality. In the years after WW2, the top US federal income tax rate remained above 90 percent and averaged 81 percent between 1944 and 1981. Similar levels of tax in other rich countries existed during some of the most successful years of their economic development and played a key role in expanding access to public services like education and healthcare.

“Taxing the super-rich is the strategic precondition to reducing inequality and resuscitating democracy. We need to do this for innovation. For stronger public services. For happier and healthier societies. And to tackle the climate crisis, by investing in the solutions that counter the insane emissions of the very richest,” said Bucher.

According to new analysis by the Fight Inequality Alliance, Institute for Policy Studies, Oxfam and the Patriotic Millionaires, an annual wealth tax of up to 5 percent on the world’s multi-millionaires and billionaires could raise $1.7 trillion a year, enough to lift 2 billion people out of poverty, fully fund the shortfalls on existing humanitarian appeals, deliver a 10-year plan to end hunger, support poorer countries being ravaged by climate impacts, and deliver universal healthcare and social protection for everyone living in low- and lower middle-income countries.

Oxfam is calling on governments to:

  • Introduce one-off solidarity wealth taxes and windfall taxes to end crisis profiteering.
  • Permanently increase taxes on the richest 1 percent, for example to at least 60 percent of their income from labor and capital, with higher rates for multi-millionaires and billionaires. Governments must especially raise taxes on capital gains, which are subject to lower tax rates than other forms of income.
  • Tax the wealth of the richest 1 percent at rates high enough to significantly reduce the numbers and wealth of the richest people, and redistribute these resources. This includes implementing inheritance, property and land taxes, as well as net wealth taxes.
Richest 1% bag nearly twice as much wealth as the rest of the world put together over the past two years | Oxfam International (2024)

FAQs

Richest 1% bag nearly twice as much wealth as the rest of the world put together over the past two years | Oxfam International? ›

The richest 1 percent grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth worth $42 trillion created since 2020, almost twice as much money as the bottom 99 percent of the world's population, reveals a new Oxfam

Oxfam
Oxfam is a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice. Across regions, from the local to the global, we work with people to bring change that lasts. Our work is grounded in the commitment to the universality of human rights.
https://www.oxfam.org › what-we-do › about
report today. During the past decade, the richest 1 percent had captured around half of all new wealth.

How much wealth does the 1% own in the world? ›

Despite representing just 21 percent of the global population, rich countries in the Global North own 69 percent of global wealth and are home to 74 percent of the world's billionaire wealth. Share ownership overwhelmingly benefits the richest. The top 1 percent own 43 percent of all global financial assets.

What is the top 1% in the world? ›

In the U.S., it may take you $5.81 million to be in the top 1%, but it takes a minimum net worth of $30 million to be considered among the ultra-high net worth crowd. As of the end of 2023, this ultra-high net worth population is on the rise, reaching 626,000 globally, up from just over 600,000 a year earlier.

Do the richest 1% in the world have more than double the wealth of 6.9 billion people? ›

According to the report, the one-percenters boast more twice as much wealth as nearly 90 percent of the global population. It said: At the top of the global economy a small elite are unimaginably rich. Their wealth grows exponentially over time, with little effort, and regardless of whether they add value to society.

How much of the US wealth rests in the hands of the wealthiest top 1% of people? ›

In response to your question about the Occupy Wall Street movement and the distribution of wealth in the United States: How much of the United States wealth rests in the hands of the wealthiest 1% of people? The answer is: The wealthiest one percent of the population holds one-third of our nation's wealth.

Does the richest 1% own half the world's wealth? ›

The richest 1% own almost half of the world's wealth, while the poorest half of the world own just 0.75% In fact, they have acquired nearly twice as much wealth in new money as the bottom 99% of the world's population.

What is the 1% income in the world? ›

If you earn $60,000 a year after tax and you don't have kids, you're in the richest 1 percent of the world's population. If you have a household income of $130,000 after tax and you've got a partner and one kid, you're also in the richest 1 percent.

What does the top 1% have saved? ›

The percentage may shock you.

The overall retirement savings for the wealthiest 1% stand at approximately $2.3 million.

How did the top 1% make their money? ›

There are various reasons for the disparity but one important factor is outsized stock ownership among the richest Americans. The 1% own more than 50% of the equity shares in both private and public companies. Much of their wealth comes from stock prices.

What does the top 1% mean? ›

The term “top 1%” typically refers to people among the top 1% wealthiest Americans, as measured by either annual income or net worth. The income of those in the top 1% is many multiples above that of the average American.

Where do billionaires keep their money? ›

Common types of securities include bonds, stocks and funds (mutual and exchange-traded). Funds and stocks are the bread-and-butter of investment portfolios. Billionaires use these investments to ensure their money grows steadily.

How many trillionaires are there in the world? ›

No individual has claimed the status of trillionaire just yet. But a net worth equal to at least one trillion in U.S. dollars or a similarly valued currency isn't unattainable, but it will be a couple of years yet. Only 18 countries have a GDP that exceeds that amount.

What is the net worth of the top 0.1 percent? ›

US households have added US$37 trillion in wealth in the past four years, but the distribution has become more concentrated among the very rich – the top 0.1 per cent. Those roughly 133,000 split about US$20 trillion in wealth between them as of the end of 2023, equating to some US$150 million per household.

How much wealth do you need to join the richest 1% around the world? ›

You now need a net worth of at least $5.8 million in order to be part of that small but elite group, according to the upcoming 2024 wealth report from Knight Frank. That is a notable 12% increase from the $5.1 million needed just one year ago.

What is the average wealth of the top 1% in the US? ›

As of the second quarter 2023, the average American household had wealth of $1.09 million. The average wealth of households in the top 1 percent was about $33.4 million. In the top 0.1 percent, the average household had wealth of more than $1.52 billion.

What is the richest 1 percent wealth? ›

The 10,000 wealthiest individuals of the 92 million Indian adults own an average of Rs 22.6 billion ($271.91 million) in wealth, 16,763 times the country's average, while the top 1% possessing an average of 54 million in wealth.

What defines the top 1%? ›

Are You in the Top 1%? The term “top 1%” typically refers to people among the top 1% wealthiest Americans, as measured by either annual income or net worth. The income of those in the top 1% is many multiples above that of the average American.

Who owns the most wealth in the world? ›

Bernard Arnault & Family

Bernard Arnault, the richest person in the world, is the CEO and chairman at Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the world's largest luxury goods company encompassing approximately 70 renowned fashion and cosmetics brands.

How much wealth does the top 0.01 have? ›

Average Wealth in Top Wealth Groups (2016)
Wealth GroupCountAverage Wealth
Top 1-0.1%2,147,900$6,586,000
Top 0.1-0.01%214,900$34,876,000
Top 0.01-0.001%21,500$194,299,000
11 more rows

Did the wealth of the 1% hit a record $44 trillion? ›

The 1% Now Hold $44 Trillion in Wealth: The One Asset That Led to Major Gains. America's 1% is getting richer. As CNBC reported, the wealth of the ultra rich hit a record $44.6 trillion — a $2 trillion increase — at the end of the fourth quarter, according to new data from the Federal Reserve.

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