Israel Adds Thousands of New Millionaires but Drops to 18th in Average Adult Wealth Ranking

The 2026 UBS Global Wealth Report, released on June 30 in Zurich, reveals that global personal wealth surged by 10.8% in 2025, marking the fastest growth since 2017. This increase was driven by strong financial markets and rising non-financial assets. Israel experienced a mixed trend, adding 8,803 new millionaires in 2025, bringing the total number to approximately 195,000, a 4.7% increase from the previous year. Millionaires now constitute 3.2% of Israel's adult population, and about 42% of adults hold assets valued over $100,000.

Despite the rise in millionaires, Israel's average wealth per adult declined slightly in the global rankings, moving from 17th place in 2024 to 18th in 2025, with an average wealth of $312,108. Conversely, Israel's median wealth per adult improved from 25th to 24th place, reaching $83,843. Since 2020, Israel's average adult wealth has grown by more than 15%. The country's wealth composition is notable for a high concentration of financial assets, which make up 82.1% of adult wealth, the second highest globally after Sweden. Debt accounts for 14% of adult wealth in Israel.

Globally, the number of millionaires increased by 1.5% in 2025, adding nearly one million new millionaires worldwide, with over half residing in the United States. Switzerland retained its position as the country with the highest average adult wealth at $910,382, followed by the US and Luxembourg. The strongest wealth growth occurred in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (17.5%), compared to 8.5% in the Americas and 5.9% in Asia-Pacific. The report also highlights a significant reduction in the proportion of adults with wealth below $10,000, dropping from about 75% in 2000 to 41% in 2025, alongside growth in middle and high wealth segments.

UBS Global Wealth Management co-presidents Ikbal Khan and Robert Kropfski emphasized the rapid pace of global wealth growth influenced by economic shifts, technological advances, and new opportunities. Nobel laureate economist Professor Yoel Mokyr, contributing to the report, underscored the critical role of human capital and STEM skills in long-term prosperity, noting emerging technologies like nuclear fusion and mRNA could impact economies as profoundly as artificial intelligence.