Too much wealth. Too much power. Too much inequality.
As the global elite gather behind closed doors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, billionaire wealth is surging by the second.
Each year, Oxfam releases a report that shines a light on the state of global inequality. This year’s findings are stark. Governments around the world are making the wrong choice – defending extreme wealth instead of protecting people’s freedoms. They are allowing the rich to rule, while silencing everyday people’s voice, choice, and power over their own lives.
In 2025 alone, billionaire wealth jumped by more than 16 percent – three times faster than the average of the past five years – reaching a staggering US$18.3 trillion, the highest level in history.
Aotearoa is not immune. Just four people now hold more wealth than 1.8 million of us combined, while more than 900,000 people face food insecurity. In a country as wealthy as ours, that should never be acceptable.
“It’s obscene to see such a massive accumulation of wealth by so few individuals, while nearly a million people in Aotearoa can’t afford enough to eat,” says Nick Henry, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Advocacy and Policy Lead.
“Our leaders must stand up to billionaire power and tax extreme wealth so every Kiwi family can have a decent quality of life.”
See the live billionaire wealth tracker below. It really says a lot.
Figures below are in $USD