The collective wealth of the planet's billionaires soared to a record level in 2025, deepening economic and political divides that threaten democratic stability. In a report timed for the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the anti-poverty group Oxfam said the fortunes of global billionaires jumped 16% in 2025 to $18.3 trillion, extending an 81% rise since 2020. The gains happened even as one in four people worldwide struggle to eat regularly and nearly half the global population live in poverty.
Oxfam's study, which draws on academic research and data sources ranging from the World Inequality Database to Forbes' rich list, argues that the wealth boom is being matched by a dramatic concentration of political clout, with billionaires 4,000 times more likely than ordinary citizens to hold political office.
a. Record surge in wealth of billionaires
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