Getting into the top 1% of wealth in the United States is becoming increasingly expensive.
According to Knight Frank’s upcoming 2024 wealth report, you must now have a net worth of at least $5.8 million to join that small but privileged group. This represents a significant 12% increase over the $5.1 million required just one year ago.
In comparison, Americans required a net worth of $4.4 million to achieve the coveted 1% position in 2022.
The U.S. economy is the world’s largest, yet other countries have higher entry barriers to the top 1%.
The most difficult country to join the ranks of the richest is Monaco, which demands a staggering $12.9 million. That is a 3.2% increase over the previous year.
According to Knight Frank’s findings, which were initially published by Bloomberg, Luxembourg and Switzerland have higher thresholds, with requirements of $10.83 million and $8.5 million, respectively, to be in the top 1%.
The United States ranks fourth globally in terms of assets required to join that ultra-exclusive club. It is followed by Singapore, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Germany.
“Our findings confirm the substantial differences in wealth distribution between countries,” Knight Frank said in the paper. “Expect greater policy focus on where wealth is located, how it is distributed across economies and how governments can both tax it and encourage its growth.”
The findings come as high inflation and rising interest rates continue to harm lower- and middle-income Americans.
According to a new GOBankingRates survey, the value of a six-figure wage is decreasing in high-cost areas such as San Francisco, Arlington, Virginia, and San Jose, California. According to the report, earning $150,000 is deemed “lower middle class” in several of these cities.
Even as regular families’ purchasing power has been eroded by rising costs, the 400 wealthiest people in the United States have seen their net worth explode, thanks to a recovering stock market and an AI-driven tech boom.
Forbes stated in December that the top 400 Americans gained $500 billion in 2023, bringing their total fortune to $4.5 trillion. Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List reports the greatest level since 2021.