Financial Insights

Wealth Percentiles Across Countries

Q: What counts as household wealth or net worth?

Household net worth is total assets (property, investments, savings, pensions) minus total debts (mortgages, loans, credit card balances). It measures the stock of accumulated wealth, not annual income.

Q: Why is the median wealth much lower than the mean in most countries?

Wealth is far more concentrated than income. A small number of very wealthy households push the mean much higher than the median. In some countries, the mean is 3-5x the median — meaning the typical household owns far less than the average suggests.

Q: Does this include pension entitlements?

It depends on the survey. Some surveys include private pension funds and retirement accounts. State pension entitlements (like Social Security in the US) are generally not included. Each country page notes the data source so you can check the methodology.

Q: How can some countries have negative median wealth?

When more than half of households owe more than they own — common in countries with high mortgage debt and low homeownership among young adults — the median net worth can be negative or very close to zero.

Q: How is wealth measured in different currencies?

All figures are shown in local currency to reflect domestic purchasing power. If you want to compare across borders, consider that exchange rates and cost of living affect the real value of wealth in each country.