Global households added a record $40 trillion in wealth in 2025, pushing total household net worth to $570 trillion, a 7.3% increase, according to McKinsey Global Institute's "Global Balance Sheet 2026" report. The overall balance sheet of assets worldwide swelled to nearly $1.8 quadrillion, marking historic highs in nominal values and market exchange rates, the report revealed.
The McKinsey report highlighted that this surge in household wealth was primarily driven by paper wealth rather than real economic growth. Equities accounted for 57% of the new wealth, while real estate contributed only 15%. Real capital formation, which involves investment in productive assets, made up about 20% of the increase. The U.S. and Australia led with the highest wealth per capita and saw household wealth grow by at least 20 percentage points of GDP.
This growth rate of household wealth outpaced the average GDP growth rate of 5.9% since 2000, raising concerns about the health and stability of this wealth expansion. The report noted that while household wealth per capita is increasing in most countries, it is generally not keeping pace with GDP growth, largely due to slowing real estate values, which remain the largest component of household wealth in many economies.
The total household net worth of $570 trillion in 2025 represents more than four times the value recorded in 2000 at nominal values and market exchange rates, underscoring the scale of wealth accumulation documented in McKinsey's latest global balance sheet analysis.