The world's billionaires collectively added a staggering sum to their fortunes over the past year, setting a new record for wealth accumulation. A major new report, published as global leaders and financiers gather for the World Economic Forum in Davos, reveals the stark and accelerating concentration of financial resources among the planet's ultra-rich.
Unprecedented Growth Amidst Global Challenges
The analysis, conducted by the charity Oxfam, found that the combined wealth of billionaires increased by more than $1.6 trillion (£1.26 trillion) throughout 2025. This surge pushed their total net worth to a new peak of $16.5 trillion (£13 trillion). This record-breaking growth occurred against a backdrop of persistent cost-of-living pressures for millions of ordinary people worldwide and ongoing geopolitical instability.
Oxfam's findings highlight a dramatic acceleration in wealth inequality. The data indicates that the rate at which billionaire fortunes are expanding has quickened significantly. To put the figures in perspective, the $1.6 trillion added in a single year is a sum greater than the entire annual economic output of many medium-sized nations.
The Widening Chasm: A Five-Year Trend
This is not an isolated spike but part of a sustained trend. Over the last five years, the wealth held by billionaires has ballooned by an astonishing 120%. This period of immense wealth creation for the very top stands in sharp contrast to the economic reality faced by a significant portion of the global population.
Oxfam's report starkly points out that nearly 5 billion people have become poorer since 2020. This vast number represents a majority of humanity experiencing a decline in their financial standing, even as the assets of the wealthiest soar. The charity argues that this divergence is not a natural economic phenomenon but is actively driven by corporate practices and policy decisions that favour capital over labour.
"Corporations are driving inequality by squeezing workers and funnelling wealth to rich shareholders," an Oxfam spokesperson stated, criticising a model that prioritises shareholder returns through dividends and share buybacks over fair wages and investment.
Calls for Systemic Reform and Fairer Taxation
In response to these findings, Oxfam is issuing a powerful call to action for governments. The charity is urging the implementation of robust, permanent wealth taxes on the world's multi-millionaires and billionaires. They argue that such measures are essential to curb the extreme concentration of wealth and to generate funds that can be reinvested in vital public services and social infrastructure.
The proposal includes taxing the wealth of the very richest at rates of up to 5%, a policy Oxfam estimates could raise approximately $1.8 trillion (£1.4 trillion) annually on a global scale. These funds, the report contends, could play a transformative role in tackling poverty, addressing the climate crisis, and improving healthcare and education systems worldwide.
The publication of this data is timed to coincide with the high-profile Davos summit, where political and business elites discuss the global economic future. Oxfam's clear message is that the current trajectory is unsustainable and that deliberate, forceful policy intervention is required to create a more equitable economic system for all.
