"1,200 New Millionaires a Day" — The Surprising Result of the U.S. Stock Market Boom

[Financial News] The global map of wealth expanded at an unprecedented pace in 2025. In the United States alone, more than 1,200 new millionaires were created every day on average.
According to UBS AG (UBS)'s '2025 Global Wealth Report,' released on the 30th of last month local time, global private wealth rose 10.8% in dollar terms in 2025. That was the fastest pace since 2017 and more than twice the growth rate seen in 2023 and 2024.
As a result, the number of millionaires worldwide, defined as people with net assets of at least $1 million, increased by nearly 1 million. In the United States alone, the number rose by an average of 1,200 a day, adding roughly 440,000 new millionaires. That accounted for nearly half of the global increase.

UBS surveyed 56 markets representing more than 92% of global wealth and said that the number of millionaires rose year on year in every market in 2025.
The report showed that the United Kingdom added more than 43,000 new millionaires, while France, Spain, Japan and India each added more than 30,000. By growth rate, Eastern Europe led the way, with the Republic of Lithuania ranking first at 8%. Turkey, the Republic of Latvia and Hungary followed.
The main driver of the wealth surge was the strong bull market. UBS said the steady rise in financial markets, along with gains in non-financial assets such as real estate, pointed to an overall improvement in living standards.
UBS said, "The increase in U.S. wealth was driven largely by the strength of financial markets." It added, "Although real estate values were also included in the calculation of assets, financial assets such as stocks and bonds accounted for 79% of total wealth in the United States, one of the highest shares in the world."
However, the rise in wealth was concentrated in certain groups. While average assets increased sharply, median wealth — which reflects the asset level of a typical household — actually declined in most of the 56 countries surveyed.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said, "High-net-worth Americans benefited much more from the stock market rally, while those whose wealth depends heavily on wages faced relative hardship because of high inflation and limited wage growth."
Experts say the UBS report shows how the long-running boom in stock markets in the United States and around the world has created a huge number of 'new rich' people, while also exposing the deepening divide in wealth beneath the surface.

bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter