By Miriam Gottfried
America knows how to manufacture millionaires.
Over 440,000 people — or more than 1,200 a day — became millionaires in the U.S. in 2025, accounting for nearly half of the world's new millionaires, according to an annual report on global wealth published Tuesday by UBS.
Here are a few highlights from the report:
- The number of millionaires globally rose in 2025, reaching record levels in every market that UBS tracks.
- More than 23.6 million Americans are now worth seven figures or more.
- The fastest-growing segment globally, rising at a 7.3% clip over the past five years, were those with $50 million to $100 million in wealth.
The U.S. gains have come thanks in large part to surging financial markets. While UBS includes property values in its calculations, financial assets like stocks and bonds accounted for 79% of gross wealth in the U.S., putting it near the top of the rankings for that metric.
The data also show that the progress hasn't been evenly distributed. While average wealth per U.S. adult climbed by almost 10% between 2020 and 2025 net of inflation, median wealth fell by nearly 20%.
The figures add to the growing body of evidence that the richest Americans are disproportionately benefiting from the white-hot stock market. Many who rely more heavily on paychecks for their wealth, meanwhile, have been hurt by higher inflation and a lack of wage growth.
As a mature market, the 1.9% growth rate of U.S. millionaires wasn't the highest. Eastern European countries topped the chart: Lithuania added 921 millionaires, an 8% growth rate.
Write to Miriam Gottfried at Miriam.Gottfried@wsj.com