Global Net Worth Report 2026

Median net worth by country

The six euro-area countries come from one harmonised source (ECB HFCS Wave 2023, per household, EUR) and are directly comparable with each other. The US, UK, Canada and Australia figures use different national surveys, units and concepts (the UK figure includes private pension wealth) and are shown for reference only. USD conversions are indicative. Ordered by indicative USD.

Net worth in Europe: the euro-area comparison

These six countries are measured by one survey, on one definition, in one currency, so they can be ranked against each other. The median ranges 2.5× from Germany to Ireland. Homeownership is a large part of the story: Germany, lowest on wealth, has a 41.8% homeownership rate against 60.1% for the euro area — and a home is the largest asset most households build, which the HFCS counts while excluding public and occupational pension entitlements.

Source: ECB HFCS Wave 2023 Statistical Tables (June 2026) — Table A1 (homeownership), A3 (medians), A4 (means). EUR per household; peak = age band of the reference person with the highest median.

Country detail: Germany · France · Italy · Spain · Netherlands · Ireland

US wealth concentration

In the US, the climb from the middle to the top is steep. The median household held $192,900; the threshold to enter the top 10% was $1,920,758, and the top 1% began at $13,666,778 — about 71× the median. These are positions in the distribution, not targets.

Median net worth by age

Only countries whose agency publishes an age breakdown are shown. The six euro-area tables (ECB HFCS Wave 2023) share one unit and currency, so they are comparable across countries; the US, UK and Canada tables use different concepts and units, so compare those within a country, not across.

Median vs average net worth: why this report uses medians

Average (mean) net worth is pulled far above what a typical household holds by a small number of very wealthy ones. Across the euro area the mean is €312,000 against a median of €140,100 — 2.2× higher. In the US the top 1% threshold alone is about 71× the median. The median is the household in the middle: half hold more, half hold less. If you want to know where you stand, compare yourself with the median for your country and age, not the average.

To see where your own figure lands, add up what you own and owe in the multi-currency net worth calculator — it handles assets held in more than one country — or check a national percentile with the US net worth percentile calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median net worth by country?

On the one harmonised source that makes countries comparable — the ECB Household Finance and Consumption Survey, Wave 2023 — median household net wealth is €258,100 in Ireland, €162,800 in Italy, €151,600 in Spain, €149,000 in France, €143,500 in Netherlands, €103,300 in Germany, against €140,100 for the euro area as a whole. The US median household held $192,900 (Fed SCF 2022), but that survey uses different definitions, so it is a reference point rather than a like-for-like rank.

Which European country has the highest net worth?

Of the six euro-area countries covered here, Ireland has the highest median household net wealth at €258,100 and Germany the lowest at €103,300 — a 2.5× spread on the same survey and definitions (ECB HFCS Wave 2023).

What is the average net worth in Europe?

Across the euro area the mean household net wealth is €312,000 and the median €140,100 (ECB HFCS Wave 2023). The mean is 2.2× the median because a small number of very wealthy households pull the average up — which is why this report uses medians.

Why is Germany's median net worth so low?

Homeownership. Only 41.8% of German households own their home, against 60.1% across the euro area, and a home is the largest asset most households ever build. The HFCS also excludes public and occupational pension entitlements from net wealth, so countries that save for retirement through those schemes read lower than countries that save through housing.

Can I compare the US, UK, Canada and Australia with Europe?

Only loosely. The US (per household) and Canada (per family) surveys, the UK total-wealth measure (which includes private pension wealth) and the Australian series each define wealth differently. The six euro-area countries share one survey and can be ranked; the others are shown for reference, and the report never does arithmetic across them.

How current is this data?

The euro-area figures are ECB HFCS Wave 2023, published June 2026. Other countries use the latest release each agency publishes, labelled per row. Figures quoting a Wave 2021 euro-area median (€123,500) are one wave out of date. Last updated 21 September 2026.