Singapore’s average wealth is climbing, but there’s a catch
Singapore's average wealth is rising, but median wealth lags, highlighting a growing gap between the rich and the rest. This disparity stems from unequal access to financial asset investments.
The rich are getting richer because they have more exposure to financial assets. Fixing this should start with how ordinary people’s savings are invested.
Singapore ranked sixth in the world for average wealth per adult in 2025, but only 20th for median wealth.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Vikram Khanna
Published
2025 was a banner year for personal wealth – but not for everybody. According to UBS’ 2026 Global Wealth Report, total wealth across the 56 markets it tracks grew 10.8 per cent in US dollar terms, more than twice as fast as in 2024 or 2023. The report itself flags the catch: As it puts it, there is “a fly in the ointment”.
The 10.8 per cent surge was driven disproportionately by gains among the richest. Average wealth rose sharply; median wealth – the figure for the person standing squarely in the middle of the distribution – actually fell in most markets, a divergence UBS says points to a growing gap between the wealthiest and everyone else. Nowhere was this starker than in the US, ranked second globally after Switzerland for average wealth per adult, but just 28th for median wealth — its average more than 10 times its median.
source: The Straits Times https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/singapores-average-wealth-is-climbing-but-theres-a-catch?ref=opinion
