Europe's ultra-rich population has surged by a quarter over the past five years. On average, more than 20 people join the continent's $30m+ wealth club every day, while 89 people worldwide cross the $30 million wealth threshold daily.
Wealth inequality across and within Europe remains stark, as shown by several indicators. According to the European Central Bank's latest report, published in 2023, the median net wealth of households in the euro area stood at €123,500. However, this ranged from just €2,000 for the bottom 20% of the population to €1.01 million for the top 20%.
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At the same time, the ranks of the ultra-rich are growing rapidly across the continent. The number of people with at least $30 million (€25.7m) in wealth rose by 26% over the past five years. Knight Frank's Wealth Report 2026 classifies them as ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs).
Their number increased from 146,525 in 2021 to 183,953 in 2026.
Over the five-year period, 37,428 people joined this exclusive group. That translates into an average increase of 7,486 members a year, or roughly 20.5 new entrants every day across Europe.
In Germany, five people join the ultra-rich every day
Germany has the highest daily increase in the number of people joining the $30m+ wealth club in Europe.
The number of UHNWIs in the country rose from 28,942 in 2021 to 38,215 in 2026, an increase of 9,273 over five years.
In other words, every day, five people in Germany cross the $30 million wealth threshold on average. Of course, they do not accumulate that wealth in a single day; rather, their assets gradually grow until they pass the benchmark.
Germany, Europe's largest economy, ranks third globally by GDP, after the US and China, according to the IMF.
In Switzerland, the number of ultra-rich individuals has increased by the equivalent of 2.7 people a day. Over the past five years, their number has grown by 4,968, bringing the total to 17,692.
France adds two new members every day
Between 2021 and 2026, France added an average of 2.1 new members to its $30m+ wealth club each day. The country's UHNWI population increased by 3,781 to reach 21,518.
Other major European economies follow closely behind. The daily increase stands at 1.6 in both the UK and Italy, followed by Spain at 1.5. In Turkey, the figure is 1.1.
Of these seven countries, five are among Europe's largest economies. Switzerland and Turkey are the only other countries in the region where the number of people with at least $30 million in wealth rises by at least one person a day on average.
The daily increase is 0.9 in Poland, 0.5 in both Czechia and Austria, 0.4 in Denmark and Portugal, and 0.3 in the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden.
Every 90 minutes, a person joins the ultra-rich in the US
The US is home to by far the largest number of people with at least $30 million in wealth, with 251,352 UHNWIs in 2026. China ranks second with 121,677.
In the US, an average of 36.7 people join the $30m+ wealth club every day — roughly one new member every 90 minutes.
China adds around 12.5 new members a day. Germany ranks third globally, while India (4.2) and Australia (2.2) are the only other non-European countries in the global top 10.
Worldwide, the number of UHNWIs increased by 162,191 between 2021 and 2026, equivalent to 89 new members every day. This brought the global total to 713,626.
“We are witnessing one of the most significant shifts in global wealth distribution in modern history," Liam Bailey, global head of research at Knight Frank, said. "The US remains the dominant engine, but we are also seeing rising strength from India and a cohort of fast-maturing economies that are now shaping the global landscape."
As of 2026, Germany is home to the largest number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) in Europe, at 38,215, followed by the UK (27,876) and France (21,518).
The average wealth per adult also varied widely across Europe, according to the UBS Global Wealth Report 2025 and additional data shared with Euronews. In 2024, it ranged from €29,923 in Turkey to €634,584 in Switzerland across 31 European countries.
