Billionaire wealth jumped 3 times quicker in 2025 than within the earlier 5 years to its highest peak ever, new figures have has proven, sparking warnings of harmful political inequality.
Figures printed by the charity Oxfam present that within the UK, the richest 56 individuals now maintain extra wealth than 27 million mixed.
Calling on the federal government to impose a wealth tax, the report reveals that the typical UK billionaire will acquire extra wealth than the worth of the UK’s common annual wage in much less time than it takes to observe a premier league soccer match.
It comes as billionaire wealth globally has now hit its highest degree in historical past, at $18.3 trillion.
Billionaire wealth jumped by over 16 per cent in 2025, 3 times quicker than the typical from the earlier 5 years.
The new report, ‘Resisting the Rule of the Rich: Protecting Freedom from Billionaire Power’warns that excessive wealth is turning into more and more linked to political energy, estimating that billionaires are round 4,000 occasions extra more likely to maintain political workplace than extraordinary residents.
The whole variety of billionaires on the planet has now reached 3,000 for the primary time ever, whereas 1 in 4 individuals globally don’t often have sufficient to eat, and almost half of the world’s inhabitants lives in poverty, the report reveals.
It estimates that the collective world wealth of billionaires final yr elevated by $2.5 trillion – which might be sufficient to eradicate excessive poverty 26 occasions over.
The figures spotlight a “dangerous trend”, the report says. “As extreme wealth grows rapidly, political rights and civil liberties are declining worldwide.
“Tens of millions of people, feeling trapped in poverty and powerless to influence the system, are taking to the streets but they are met with authoritarian measures.
“Oxfam argues that political leaders now face a stark and urgent choice: favour the wealthy few or defend the rights and freedoms of the many.”
Sonya Sultan, chief influencing officer on the charity stated: “Most individuals don’t need a world dominated by billionaires.
“Rising protests globally shows people are rejecting a system rigged in favour of a few. We’re seeing widespread anger against the rigging of elections and economies to hand power and riches to the few.
“From the youth-led protests in Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, these voices are demanding change and we must listen to them and take action. In the UK now a clear majority of people favour a wealth tax.
“Deep economic, political and social inequalities matter to people.
“Political leaders need to listen and respond accordingly: stop protecting the wealth and power of a few, at the expense of the opportunities and rights of the rest of the population. Remember who you are meant to represent and serve.”
Oxfam’s report recommends the federal government introduce a wealth tax on property above £10m with a view to deal with “extreme inequality”.
It additionally requires the federal government to clamp down on lobbying, marketing campaign finance and political affect with a view to defend democracy, in addition to calling on ministers to do extra to defend the rights of extraordinary residents and civil society organisations to allow them to “organise, protest and be heard without fear”.
The authorities has thus far resisted rising requires a wealth tax, with left-wing Labour MPs and Green Party chief Zack Polanski saying the imposition of a tax on wealth might clamp down on inequality, plug holes within the public funds and repair Britain’s creaking public providers.
But there are fears that such a levy might drive expertise and funding away from the UK financial system.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/billionaires-wealth-oxfam-inequality-capitalism-b2902786.html