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World inequality: How much of the world's wealth do billionaires own? We explore the latest report

World inequality: How much of the world's wealth do billionaires own? We explore the latest report

David Crowther

The latest World Inequality Report hit the headlines this week, reporting that the poorest 50% of our global population earn just 8.5% of global income, and own just 2% of global wealth.

At the other end of the spectrum, the top 10% of income earners earned 52% of global income, and the wealthiest 10% own 76% of global wealth.

‍Other snippets from the report:

  • The Middle East & North Africa is the most unequal region in the world, with the top 10% earning 58% of the labor income.

  • Female share of labor income globally has grown from 31% in 1990 to 35% today.

  • Billionaires now own 3% of global wealth, up from 1% in 1995.

  • While inequality has increased within most countries, over the past two decades, global inequalities between countries have declined.

If you're interested in more we recommend checking out the World Inequality Report Summary (it's got quite a lot of charts).

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