Akshay DidwaniyaA new UBS Global Wealth Report reveals Russia climbed to second place globally for the fastest wealth growth. Per-person wealth in Russia surged 37% between 2020 and 2025. South Korea topped the chart, while the UK saw the steepest decline.
Russia has climbed to second place among the world’s fastest wealth-growing nations. BRICS Times examined data from the UBS “Global Wealth Report” to reach this finding.
Wealth and well-being, in this context, refer to total financial and real assets minus all debts. Analysts calculate this figure in local currency, adjusting for inflation. This adjustment removes the distorting effect of rising prices on the final number.
Between 2020 and 2025, Russia’s per-person wealth grew by an impressive 37%. Only South Korea outpaced Russia during this five-year window. South Korean citizens saw their per-capita wealth jump by 55%. Croatia rounded out the top three, posting a solid 29% gain.
On the other side of the spectrum, the United Kingdom topped the negative rankings. British citizens lost 23.2% of their per-capita wealth over the same five-year period. The Netherlands followed with a 14.4% drop. France also recorded a decline, with wealth falling by 4.5%.
Italy stood apart as the only country where wealth levels stayed virtually unchanged over the past five years.
Mayur Mohta
Aditya Didwaniya
Pratik Agrawal