South Korea's real average wealth per capita has grown by more than 55% since 2020, the fastest rate in the world, according to a new report.
UBS, the Swiss investment bank, ranked South Korea first among 56 countries surveyed for real average wealth growth over the period in its 2026 Global Wealth Report, released Monday (local time).
The report tracked inflation-adjusted changes in average per capita wealth by country from 2020 to 2025. South Korea's growth rate of more than 55% far outpaced second-place Russia at 37%, Croatia at 29% and Norway at 27%. Nine countries recorded growth of more than 20% over the same period, eight posted gains of more than 15%, and another eight grew by more than 10%.
On the other end of the spectrum, 15 countries saw their wealth shrink. France fell 4.52% and Brazil declined 3.13%, while the Netherlands dropped 14.36% and the United Kingdom fell 23.2%. Italy saw virtually no change from its 2020 level.
South Korea also ranked near the top for median wealth growth. Its median wealth rose more than 12% between 2020 and 2025. Japan led that category with growth exceeding 50%, followed by the United Arab Emirates at more than 40%. Cyprus, Thailand and India each posted gains of around 20%. UBS said median wealth fell by more than 10% in 20 of the countries surveyed.
The report put South Korea's average wealth per capita at $311,260 as of end-2025, and median wealth at $101,739. Those figures placed the country 19th globally by average wealth and 18th by median wealth.
South Korea's Gini coefficient for wealth inequality stood at 0.57, ranking 44th among the countries surveyed. A lower Gini coefficient indicates a more equal distribution of wealth.
UBS chief economist Paul Donovan said exchange rate movements are "the biggest factor driving differences in wealth growth rates between countries." He added that "people tend to perceive their wealth not in absolute terms, but relative to others."
dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com
