The Incomprehensible Global Wealth Divide

The World Economic Forum took place this week in Davos, Switzerland, with the theme of “A Spirit of Dialogue.” It is pretty certain that the event will end with mostly talk and little action on helping anyone not part of the wealthy class.

In a report timed for the opening of the World Economic ‌Forum, Oxfam found that the fortunes of global billionaires jumped 16% in 2025 to $18.3 trillion, extending an 81% rise since 2020. The total number of billionaires in the world has now reached 3,000 for the first time ever.

The gains happened even as one in four people worldwide struggle to eat regularly and nearly half the global population live in poverty.

Here are just a few statistics from the World Bank on global extreme poverty:

• An estimated around 831–839 million people globally live in extreme poverty — meaning they survive on roughly $3.00 per day or less (updated international poverty line based on 2021 Purchasing Power Parities). 

• Using the older $2.15/day extreme poverty threshold, about ~700 million people live in extreme poverty (~8.5 % of the world population).

• $3 / day: ~10 % of the global population lives below this extreme poverty line. 

• Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest burden: extreme poverty has become increasingly concentrated there, and the majority of the world’s extremely poor live in this region.

Amitabh Behar, Oxfam's International Executive Director, said “Governments are making wrong choices to pander to the elite and defend wealth while repressing people’s rights and anger at how so many of their lives are becoming unaffordable and unbearable.” 

Per Oxfam, the $2.5 trillion rise in billionaires’ wealth would be enough to eradicate extreme poverty 26 times over.

Women and Global Poverty

Poverty and inequity are not just a class divide, but also a gender divide. Just look at who is in Davos - as in previous years, around 80 percent of those attending the World Economic Forum are men. 

Looking at the bigger picture, global poverty disproportionately affects women and girls, shaping nearly every aspect of their lives—from health and education to safety and economic opportunity. Women are more likely than men to live in extreme poverty, in part because they are overrepresented in low-paid, informal, and insecure work, and often carry the burden of unpaid care labor.

Limited access to education, land ownership, credit, and healthcare further entrenches inequality, while crises such as climate change and conflict tend to hit women hardest.

When women lack resources and rights, the effects ripple across families and communities; conversely, evidence shows that investing in women’s education, health, and economic empowerment is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty and promote long-term development.

Changing the Poverty Narrative

It is a hard climb out of poverty. The global elite can play a much bigger role - philanthropy, certainly, but also paying higher taxes and have that go toward social safety nets that offer people a chance to improve their lives.

Oxfam's key solutions include advocating for progressive taxation on the super-rich, promoting gender equality, providing humanitarian aid, supporting sustainable agriculture, and strengthening public services like healthcare and education.

For women in particular, some of the highest-impact anti-poverty strategies are equal access to education, land, credit, healthcare, and legal rights.

It's to everyone's benefit to have a healthy and thriving world. Surely supporting a path out of poverty is something even the super-rich can get behind.

Suzanne York is Director of Transition Earth.