Billionaires in Spain Amass More Wealth Than Nearly 40% of the Population in 2025
In 2025, Spain's 33 billionaires control more wealth than nearly 40% of its population, reflecting growing inequality and political power concentration.
- • 33 Spanish billionaires possess more wealth than 39% of the population.
- • Their collective wealth rose by €28.3 billion in 2025 to €197.5 billion.
- • Wealth increase rate is four times Spain's GDP growth.
- • Billionaires are 4,000 times likelier to hold political office than average citizens.
- • Oxfam highlights the link between wealth concentration and political influence.
Key details
In 2025, the concentration of wealth in Spain has reached unprecedented levels, with 33 billionaires collectively holding more wealth than 18.7 million Spaniards, equivalent to about 39% of the population. According to Oxfam's report "Against the Empire of the Rich," the combined wealth of Spanish billionaires surged by €28.3 billion, totaling a record €197.5 billion. This growth rate outpaced Spain’s national GDP by four times, highlighting a stark increase in economic inequality.
The report emphasizes that this extreme wealth concentration is paralleled by political influence, as billionaires are reportedly 4,000 times more likely to hold political office than the average citizen. This nexus of economic and political power threatens to undermine democratic norms and citizen rights. Oxfam analyst Franc Cortada called attention to the dangerous intertwining of wealth and political power.
Globally, billionaires' wealth increased by $2.5 trillion in 2025, nearly matching the wealth owned by the poorest half of the world’s population, underscoring a worldwide crisis of inequality. The World Economic Forum in Davos is addressing these geopolitical and economic challenges amid a turbulent global climate. Critics like Susana Ruiz from Oxfam warn this trend is steering toward a new world order where the rights of the wealthy dominate over those of the majority.
In Spain, this data signals widening societal disparities and growing elite influence, raising urgent questions about the future distribution of wealth and democratic governance.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
