As the global elite gathered for the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 19-23, Oxfam's new annual report highlighted the further exacerbation of global inequality in 2025. According to the organization, during 2025, the total wealth of billionaires increased by 16 percent, reaching a historical maximum of 18.3 trillion US dollars.
The report states that in 2025 alone, billionaires' wealth increased by $2.5 trillion - almost equal to the total wealth of the poorest 4.1 billion of the planet's population. Against this backdrop, it is noted that almost half of the world's population continues to live in poverty.
Oxfam highlights the growing concern that "money is becoming influence, influence is becoming a rule": the report notes that billionaires are 4,000 times more likely to hold political office than ordinary people. This means that the "center of gravity" is shifting not only in wealth but also in the decision-making system.
The report cites factors that influenced the rate of enrichment in 2025, in particular, the increase in asset prices due to the directions of tax and economic policy in the USA and the increase in the prices of AI companies.
The situation in Europe is also noteworthy: it is said that Germany ranks fourth in the world in the number of billionaires, and by 2025 their number will have increased by one-third to 172. It is also noted that the total wealth of German billionaires increased significantly in 2025.
Oxfam's main call is simple: stricter tax policies for large wealth, national plans to reduce inequality, and rules that limit the political influence of the upper class. Because if "inequality" persists for a long time, it will not become an economic problem - it will also put pressure on social trust and political stability. In the coming years, the main question for many countries will be: to whom and to what extent are the benefits of economic growth reaching?
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