Money
Visualizing the Distribution of Household Wealth, By Country
Article/Editing:
Visualizing the Distribution of Household Wealth, By Country
A majority of the world’s wealth is concentrated in just a few countries. In fact, almost a third of household wealth is held by Americans, while China’s population accounts for nearly a fifth.
Using data from Credit Suisse, this graphic by Eleonora Nazander shows the distribution of household wealth worldwide, highlighting the wealth gap that exists across regions.
Top 10 Wealthiest Countries
To help simplify things, this graphic shows how much household wealth each country would have if the world only had $100.
As the graphic illustrates, the top 10 wealthiest countries would hold an estimated $77, or 77% of global household wealth. Here’s a breakdown of what their cut of $100 would be:
| Country | Total Wealth ($B) | Share of $100 |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $105,990 | $29.40 |
| 🇨🇳 China | $63,827 | $17.71 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $24,992 | $6.93 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $14,660 | $4.07 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $14,341 | $3.98 |
| 🇫🇷 France | $13,729 | $3.81 |
| 🇮🇳 India | $12,614 | $3.50 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $11,358 | $3.15 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $8,573 | $2.38 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $7,772 | $2.16 |
| Total | $278 Trillion | $77.09 |
The U.S. comes in first place, holding $29.40, or almost a third of total wealth, while China comes in second, accounting for $17.71.
This makes sense considering the high concentration of ultra-wealthy individuals in both countries—China and the U.S. are home to more than half of the world’s billionaires, and eight of the 10 richest people on the planet are Americans, including the world’s richest, Elon Musk.
Japan ranks third on the list, accounting for $6.93. Like the U.S. and China, Japan also has a high portion of ultra-high net worth citizens, or individuals with a net worth of $30 million or more.
Interestingly, India ranks seventh on the list, despite having the third-highest number of billionaires worldwide and a massive population of 1.4 billion. One contributing factor to this could be the country’s relatively high levels of poverty.
Wealth Inequality
It’s important to note that, while the U.S. and China hold a majority of the world’s wealth, both countries still struggle with wealth inequality.
Currently, the top 1% of U.S. households hold 31.7% of the country’s household wealth. And while China has made progress on poverty in the last decade through rapid economic growth, the wealth gap between the country’s rich and poor has widened in recent years.
Governments in both countries have announced plans to tackle wealth inequality. For instance, the Biden administration is working to pass legislation that would increase taxes on businesses and wealthy Americans. Meanwhile, the Chinese government announced its five-year plan to crack down on private enterprise, in an attempt to break up monopolies and ultimately achieve “common prosperity.”
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Debt
Visualizing $97 Trillion of Global Debt in 2023
Global debt has soared since the pandemic. Which countries have the biggest stockpile of debt outstanding in 2023?
Visualizing $97 Trillion of Global Debt in 2023
Global debt is projected to hit $97.1 trillion this year, a 40% increase since 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments introduced sweeping financial measures to support the job market and prevent a wave of bankruptcies. However, this has exposed vulnerabilities as higher interest rates are amplifying borrowing costs.
This graphic shows global debt by country in 2023, based on projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Debt by Country in 2023
Below, we rank countries by their general government gross debt, or the financial liabilities owed by each country:
| Country | Gross Debt (B) | % of World Total | Debt to GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | $33,228.9 | 34.2% | 123.3% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $14,691.7 | 15.1% | 83.0% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $10,797.2 | 11.1% | 255.2% |
| 🇬🇧 UK | $3,468.7 | 3.6% | 104.1% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $3,353.9 | 3.5% | 110.0% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $3,141.4 | 3.2% | 143.7% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $3,056.7 | 3.1% | 81.9% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $2,919.3 | 3.0% | 65.9% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $2,253.3 | 2.3% | 106.4% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $1,873.7 | 1.9% | 88.1% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $1,697.5 | 1.7% | 107.3% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $954.6 | 1.0% | 52.7% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $928.1 | 1.0% | 54.3% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $875.9 | 0.9% | 51.9% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $835.0 | 0.9% | 167.9% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $665.2 | 0.7% | 106.0% |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | $556.5 | 0.6% | 89.5% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $552.8 | 0.6% | 39.0% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $540.9 | 0.6% | 49.5% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $419.4 | 0.4% | 49.8% |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | $407.2 | 0.4% | 168.0% |
| 🇹🇷 Türkiye | $397.2 | 0.4% | 34.4% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | $394.8 | 0.4% | 21.2% |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $393.6 | 0.4% | 74.8% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $369.3 | 0.4% | 92.7% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $357.7 | 0.4% | 39.5% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $314.5 | 0.3% | 61.4% |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | $303.6 | 0.3% | 58.2% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | $299.4 | 0.3% | 108.3% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $288.3 | 0.3% | 66.9% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $280.7 | 0.3% | 73.7% |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $260.9 | 0.3% | 76.6% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $257.7 | 0.3% | 24.1% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $251.7 | 0.3% | 42.7% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | $250.9 | 0.3% | 57.6% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | $225.0 | 0.2% | 73.6% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $204.5 | 0.2% | 37.4% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | $200.1 | 0.2% | 55.0% |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $200.0 | 0.2% | 26.6% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $192.9 | 0.2% | 32.3% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | $178.7 | 0.2% | 51.0% |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | $175.9 | 0.2% | 39.4% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $152.8 | 0.2% | 88.1% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $152.2 | 0.2% | 45.4% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $151.3 | 0.2% | 38.8% |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | $149.7 | 0.2% | 29.4% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $147.3 | 0.2% | 34.0% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | $140.0 | 0.1% | 68.7% |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | $132.2 | 0.1% | 38.4% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $126.7 | 0.1% | 30.1% |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | $125.5 | 0.1% | 49.2% |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | $123.5 | 0.1% | 55.1% |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $115.0 | 0.1% | 46.1% |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | $112.1 | 0.1% | 30.6% |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | $102.7 | 0.1% | 69.7% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | $97.5 | 0.1% | 41.4% |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | $89.7 | 0.1% | 33.9% |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | $79.6 | 0.1% | 84.9% |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | $79.1 | 0.1% | 70.2% |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | $75.4 | 0.1% | 56.7% |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | $72.1 | 0.1% | 59.8% |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | $65.9 | 0.1% | 55.5% |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | $65.5 | 0.1% | 256.0% |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | $65.1 | 0.1% | 84.9% |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | $60.7 | 0.1% | 23.4% |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | $59.0 | 0.1% | 37.9% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $54.5 | 0.1% | 121.2% |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | $53.9 | 0.1% | 63.0% |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | $51.2 | 0.1% | 63.8% |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | $47.0 | 0.0% | 61.6% |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | $46.9 | 0.0% | 93.8% |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | $46.8 | 0.0% | 68.5% |
| 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire | $45.1 | 0.0% | 56.8% |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | $43.5 | 0.0% | 52.8% |
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | $43.0 | 0.0% | 57.5% |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | $41.4 | 0.0% | 38.2% |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | $39.9 | 0.0% | 77.8% |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | $38.5 | 0.0% | 51.3% |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | $37.8 | 0.0% | 80.8% |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | $35.8 | 0.0% | 42.6% |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | $31.7 | 0.0% | 35.1% |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | $30.9 | 0.0% | 95.4% |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | $30.4 | 0.0% | 44.1% |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | $29.1 | 0.0% | 28.3% |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | $28.7 | 0.0% | 36.1% |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | $25.8 | 0.0% | 73.0% |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | $25.3 | 0.0% | 48.3% |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | $25.2 | 0.0% | 81.0% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $25.2 | 0.0% | 78.6% |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $24.6 | 0.0% | 27.6% |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | $23.5 | 0.0% | 6.1% |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | $21.7 | 0.0% | 21.0% |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | $20.6 | 0.0% | 41.9% |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | $19.7 | 0.0% | 89.7% |
| 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | $19.6 | 0.0% | 16.7% |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | $19.3 | 0.0% | 46.7% |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | $18.9 | 0.0% | 40.6% |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | $18.7 | 0.0% | 61.2% |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | $18.1 | 0.0% | 40.9% |
| 🇱🇦 Lao P.D.R. | $17.3 | 0.0% | 121.7% |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | $15.7 | 0.0% | 46.3% |
| 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | $15.7 | 0.0% | 49.5% |
| 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | $14.6 | 0.0% | 52.5% |
| 🇦🇱 Albania | $14.5 | 0.0% | 62.9% |
| 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | $14.1 | 0.0% | 97.8% |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | $14.1 | 0.0% | 18.2% |
| 🇾🇪 Yemen | $14.0 | 0.0% | 66.4% |
| 🇯🇲 Jamaica | $13.6 | 0.0% | 72.3% |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | $13.1 | 0.0% | 69.9% |
| 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | $12.7 | 0.0% | 61.2% |
| 🇬🇦 Gabon | $12.5 | 0.0% | 64.9% |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | $11.9 | 0.0% | 39.6% |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | $11.8 | 0.0% | 79.7% |
| 🇦🇲 Armenia | $11.8 | 0.0% | 47.9% |
| 🇧🇸 Bahamas | $11.7 | 0.0% | 84.2% |
| 🇲🇱 Mali | $11.0 | 0.0% | 51.8% |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | $11.0 | 0.0% | 54.1% |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | $10.9 | 0.0% | 35.3% |
| 🇧🇯 Benin | $10.6 | 0.0% | 53.0% |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | $10.4 | 0.0% | 78.6% |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | $9.0 | 0.0% | 21.6% |
| 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | $9.0 | 0.0% | 13.3% |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | $8.8 | 0.0% | 63.3% |
| 🇳🇦 Namibia | $8.5 | 0.0% | 67.6% |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | $8.5 | 0.0% | 54.0% |
| 🇳🇪 Niger | $8.3 | 0.0% | 48.7% |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | $8.2 | 0.0% | 51.6% |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | $7.7 | 0.0% | 28.6% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $7.7 | 0.0% | 110.3% |
| 🇬🇳 Guinea | $7.3 | 0.0% | 31.6% |
| 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | $7.2 | 0.0% | 41.5% |
| 🇧🇧 Barbados | $7.2 | 0.0% | 115.0% |
| 🇹🇬 Togo | $6.1 | 0.0% | 67.2% |
| 🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Republic | $6.0 | 0.0% | 47.0% |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | $5.6 | 0.0% | 35.1% |
| 🇹🇩 Chad | $5.4 | 0.0% | 43.2% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $5.4 | 0.0% | 3.4% |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | $5.1 | 0.0% | 49.5% |
| 🇭🇹 Haiti | $5.1 | 0.0% | 19.6% |
| 🇬🇾 Guyana | $4.9 | 0.0% | 29.9% |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | $4.6 | 0.0% | 65.8% |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | $4.6 | 0.0% | 83.6% |
| 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | $4.2 | 0.0% | 5.1% |
| 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | $4.0 | 0.0% | 33.5% |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana | $3.9 | 0.0% | 18.7% |
| 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | $3.8 | 0.0% | 38.3% |
| 🇸🇷 Suriname | $3.8 | 0.0% | 107.0% |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudan | $3.8 | 0.0% | 60.4% |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | $3.3 | 0.0% | 123.4% |
| 🇦🇼 Aruba | $3.2 | 0.0% | 82.9% |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | $3.1 | 0.0% | 88.9% |
| 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | $2.9 | 0.0% | 113.1% |
| 🇧🇮 Burundi | $2.3 | 0.0% | 72.7% |
| 🇱🇷 Liberia | $2.3 | 0.0% | 52.3% |
| 🇽🇰 Kosovo | $2.2 | 0.0% | 21.3% |
| 🇸🇿 Eswatini | $2.0 | 0.0% | 42.4% |
| 🇧🇿 Belize | $1.9 | 0.0% | 59.3% |
| 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | $1.8 | 0.0% | 74.2% |
| 🇬🇲 Gambia | $1.7 | 0.0% | 72.3% |
| 🇩🇯 Djibouti | $1.6 | 0.0% | 41.8% |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | $1.6 | 0.0% | 80.5% |
| 🇸🇲 San Marino | $1.5 | 0.0% | 74.0% |
| 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | $1.5 | 0.0% | 73.9% |
| 🇱🇸 Lesotho | $1.5 | 0.0% | 61.3% |
| 🇦🇩 Andorra | $1.4 | 0.0% | 37.7% |
| 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | $1.4 | 0.0% | 50.1% |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | $1.3 | 0.0% | 60.8% |
| 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $0.9 | 0.0% | 86.2% |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | $0.8 | 0.0% | 60.2% |
| 🇩🇲 Dominica | $0.7 | 0.0% | 93.9% |
| 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | $0.6 | 0.0% | 53.2% |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | $0.5 | 0.0% | 46.8% |
| 🇰🇲 Comoros | $0.5 | 0.0% | 33.3% |
| 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe | $0.4 | 0.0% | 58.5% |
| 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | $0.4 | 0.0% | 22.2% |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam | $0.3 | 0.0% | 2.3% |
| 🇼🇸 Samoa | $0.3 | 0.0% | 36.2% |
| 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | $0.3 | 0.0% | 16.4% |
| 🇵🇼 Palau | $0.2 | 0.0% | 85.4% |
| 🇹🇴 Tonga | $0.2 | 0.0% | 41.1% |
| 🇫🇲 Micronesia | $0.1 | 0.0% | 12.5% |
| 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | $0.1 | 0.0% | 18.1% |
| 🇳🇷 Nauru | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 29.1% |
| 🇰🇮 Kiribati | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 13.1% |
| 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 8.0% |
| 🇲🇴 Macao SAR | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 🌐 World | $97,129.8 | 100% | 93.0% |
With $33.2 trillion in government debt, the U.S. makes up over a third of the world total.
Given the increasing debt load, the cost of servicing this debt now accounts for 20% of government spending. It is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2028, surpassing the total spent on defense.
The world’s third-biggest economy, Japan, has one of the highest debt to GDP ratios, at 255%. Over the last two decades, its national debt has far exceeded 100% of its GDP, driven by an aging population and social security expenses.
In 2023, Egypt faces steep borrowing costs, with 40% of revenues going towards debt repayments. It has the highest debt on the continent.
Like Egypt, several emerging economies are facing strain. Lebanon has been in default since 2020, and Ghana defaulted on the majority of its external debt—debt owed to foreign lenders—in 2022 amid a deepening economic crisis.
Global Debt: A Regional Perspective
How does debt compare on a regional level in 2023?
| Region | Gross Debt (B) | % of World Total | Debt to GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $36,451.8 | 37.5% | 117.6% |
| Asia and Pacific | $34,257.4 | 35.3% | 92.5% |
| Europe | $20,123.4 | 20.7% | 79.1% |
| South America | $3,164.9 | 3.3% | 77.2% |
| Africa | $1,863.6 | 1.9% | 65.2% |
| Other/Rest of World | $1,269.1 | 1.3% | 31.4% |
We can see that North America has both the highest debt and debt to GDP compared to other regions. Just as U.S. debt has ballooned, so has Canada’s—ranking as the 10th-highest globally in government debt outstanding.
Across Asia and the Pacific, debt levels hover close to North America.
At 3.3% of the global total, South America has $3.2 trillion in debt. As inflation has trended downwards, a handful of governments have already begun cutting interest rates. Overall, public debt levels are projected to stay elevated across the region.
Debt levels have also risen rapidly in Africa, with an average 40% of public debt held in foreign currencies—leaving it exposed to exchange rate fluctuations. Another challenge is that interest rates are also higher across the region compared to advanced economies, increasing debt-servicing costs.
By 2028, the IMF projects that global public debt will exceed 100% of GDP, hitting levels only seen during the pandemic.
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