Global households got $40 trillion richer in 2025. That’s not a typo, and it’s not spread over a decade. One single year pushed total household net worth to $570 trillion, according to the McKinsey Global Institute’s newly released “Global Balance Sheet 2026” report.
The 7.3% jump outpaced the 5.9% average annual growth rate observed since 2000. The world’s overall balance sheet of assets swelled to nearly $1.8 quadrillion, up from $1.7 quadrillion in 2024.
Where the money actually came from
Only about 20% of that household wealth growth came from real capital formation, meaning actual investment in productive assets like factories, infrastructure, or businesses. Roughly 58% to 60% of the gains came from asset prices rising faster than inflation.
The geographic breakdown tells a familiar story. US and Canadian equity valuations did the heavy lifting, driving much of the global wealth increase. Meanwhile, several major economies including China, France, and Germany saw real estate prices decline.
