When ranking countries by the size of their economies and total net wealth, the United States usually tops the list, followed by countries like China, Japan, or Germany. However, when sorting countries according to the average wealth per capita, or even the median wealth per capita, different countries come to the forefront. The average is calculated by dividing the value of wealth by the number of people, while the median is determined by ranking individuals' wealth and identifying the individual who is in the middle of the population in terms of wealth.
Using these measures, Switzerland stands out as the richest country in the world with the highest average wealth per adult at about $685,000 per person, according to data collected by "Statista." In terms of average per capita wealth (the wealth of individuals shared with an equal number of richer and poorer people), Iceland leads the ranking with approximately $413,000 in individual wealth.
Per capita asset share offers a more balanced view of a country's wealth by acknowledging that smaller countries with fewer citizens will naturally accumulate less total wealth. However, calculating averages does not consider how wealth is distributed within a community. Conversely, median wealth increases when a country's assets are distributed more equally. Iceland and other Scandinavian countries are known for their more equitable wealth distribution, which is somewhat reflected in Credit Suisse data. Denmark ranks seventh, while Norway ranks tenth based on average per capita wealth.
The United States is the third richest country based on average per capita wealth; however, Americans rank only 15th in terms of median wealth. The situation in Belgium is the opposite; it ranks 13th in median wealth but third in average wealth, indicating it is a more equitable country regarding wealth distribution.
Considering the gap between average wealth and median wealth, the United States ranks seventh, with an average wealth over five times or 512% higher than the median wealth. This figure has only been surpassed by Brazil, which stands at 517%.
