Ranked: The Richest Countries by Average vs. Median Wealth

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July 9, 2026 Ranked: The Richest Countries by Average vs. Median Wealth

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Key Takeaways
  • Switzerland ranks first in average wealth per adult, while Luxembourg leads in median wealth.
  • Belgium, Canada, and Japan rank much higher by median wealth, reflecting broader household wealth.
  • The U.S. drops from 2nd to 28th when wealth is measured by the median instead of the average.

    • Which countries are actually the world’s richest? The answer depends on how you measure wealth.

    Using data from the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026, this graphic compares average and median wealth per adult across countries.

    While Switzerland tops the rankings by average wealth, measuring the median reshuffles the leaderboard, with some countries rising or falling by more than 20 places.

    Switzerland Tops Average Wealth Rankings

    Switzerland ranks first in average wealth per adult at $910,000, followed by the United States and Luxembourg.

    Hong Kong SAR and Singapore also rank near the top, reflecting high concentrations of household assets in major financial centers. Because average wealth includes every dollar owned across the population, a relatively small number of very wealthy households can significantly lift a country’s ranking.

    RankCountryAverage Wealth Per Adult 2026
    1🇨🇭 Switzerland$910K
    2🇺🇸 U.S.$696K
    3🇱🇺 Luxembourg$655K
    4🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR$648K
    5🇦🇺 Australia$616K
    6🇸🇬 Singapore$527K
    7🇩🇰 Denmark$523K
    8🇳🇿 New Zealand$450K
    9🇳🇴 Norway$425K
    10🇳🇱 Netherlands$415K
    11🇧🇪 Belgium$408K
    12🇸🇪 Sweden$406K
    13🇨🇦 Canada$400K
    14🇩🇪 Germany$347K
    15🇫🇷 France$341K
    16🇹🇼 Taiwan$333K
    17🇮🇪 Ireland$314K
    18🇮🇱 Israel$312K
    19🇰🇷 South Korea$311K
    20🇪🇸 Spain$306K
    21🇬🇧 UK$293K
    22🇦🇹 Austria$280K
    23🇮🇹 Italy$279K
    24🇯🇵 Japan$212K
    25🇫🇮 Finland$209K
    26🇵🇹 Portugal$196K
    27🇶🇦 Qatar$189K
    28🇲🇹 Malta$164K
    29🇦🇪 UAE$158K
    30🇬🇷 Greece$143K
    Median Wealth Paints a Different Picture

    The rankings change dramatically once wealth is measured by the median adult.

    Luxembourg moves into first place with median wealth of $394,000, followed by Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand. Canada also climbs into 7th, while Japan rises to 10th despite ranking just 24th in average wealth.

    Many countries climb the rankings when wealth is measured by the median because household assets are spread more broadly across the population. Belgium, Denmark, and Luxembourg all benefit from relatively broad levels of homeownership, pensions, and financial assets compared with countries where wealth is more concentrated.

    RankCountryMedian Wealth Per Adult 2026
    1🇱🇺 Luxembourg$394K
    2🇧🇪 Belgium$277K
    3🇦🇺 Australia$211K
    4🇳🇿 New Zealand$207K
    5🇩🇰 Denmark$204K
    6🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR$188K
    7🇨🇦 Canada$148K
    8🇨🇭 Switzerland$146K
    9🇳🇴 Norway$140K
    10🇯🇵 Japan$136K
    11🇮🇹 Italy$131K
    12🇳🇱 Netherlands$127K
    13🇬🇧 United Kingdom$125K
    14🇫🇷 France$122K
    15🇲🇹 Malta$114K
    16🇹🇼 Taiwan$113K
    17🇪🇸 Spain$112K
    18🇰🇷 South Korea$102K
    19🇮🇪 Ireland$98K
    20🇸🇬 Singapore$96K
    21🇶🇦 Qatar$95K
    22🇫🇮 Finland$90K
    23🇸🇪 Sweden$84K
    24🇮🇱 Israel$84K
    25🇸🇮 Slovenia$81K
    26🇵🇹 Portugal$77K
    27🇦🇹 Austria$71K
    28🇺🇸 U.S.$69K
    29🇬🇷 Greece$59K
    30🇩🇪 Germany$53K

    One of the largest shifts is seen in the United States. While it ranks second globally by average wealth, it falls to 28th by median wealth, indicating that a relatively large share of household wealth is concentrated among the country’s wealthiest residents.

    Looking Beyond the Headline Rankings

    Comparing average and median wealth shows two different dimensions of prosperity.

    Average wealth measures the overall size of a country’s household balance sheet, while median wealth reflects what a typical adult owns. Looking at both provides a more complete picture of how wealth is distributed across an economy.

    That is why countries such as Luxembourg, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand, known for their comparatively lower levels of wealth inequality, outperform much larger economies when wealth is measured this way.

    Learn More on the Voronoi App

    To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s richest countries by GDP per capita.