The richest people earn the most in times of crisis - this is the main conclusion of the annual report on social inequality, published by the charity Oxfam.
As the data show, there are now 733 million hungry people in the world (152 million more than in 2019), but a sharp increase has also been noted among billionaires: in 2024 they became 204 more and are now 2,769.
Every week - four new billionaires
Their assets have grown from $13 trillion in 2023 to $15 trillion. "This means that in 2024, the total wealth of billionaires around the world grew three times faster than in 2023", says the Oxfam report. On average, each billionaire became richer by two million dollars a day. And the ten richest people became richer by 100 million dollars a day. Almost four new billionaires appeared in the world every week.
The Oxfam report is based on various sources - such as Forbes estimates, information from the World Bank and the UBS Global Wealth Report.
Germany is in fourth place in terms of the number of billionaires
The wealth of ultra-rich people in Germany increased by 26.8 billion dollars in 2024 and reached 625.4 billion. The number of German billionaires has increased by nine, bringing the total number to 130. The Federal Republic now has the fourth-highest number of billionaires after the United States, China and India. Oxfam estimates that 71 percent of this wealth was inherited. The global figure is 36 percent.
As in the rest of the world, the number of super-rich people in Germany is growing unstoppably, Oxfam notes. But in recent years, poverty has also increased sharply, and many people cannot live normally.
Oxfam analysts attribute this social inequality to unfair tax policies. They note that super-rich people and their corporations are increasingly influencing politics, including tax laws, to their own advantage.
In Germany, for example, tax rates for the rich have also been reduced. And while middle-class families pay an average of 43 percent in taxes on their income, millionaires and billionaires often pay only 25 to 30 percent.