World Wealth Report 2026
A · Strong evidence Long-running industry flagship, in its 30th edition, built on large surveys (6,510 HNWIs, 1,317 relationship managers, 144 executives) and a 71-market wealth model, although its AI argument is consultancy framing.
Summary based on the full text·Original: about 75 minutes to read
In short
The Capgemini Research Institute's World Wealth Report 2026, subtitled "Wealth.AI", sizes global high-net-worth wealth and asks why traditional wealth managers are losing clients. Wealth grew strongly in 2025, but few clients feel their advice is personal. Relationship managers spend a large share of their time on operations, and clients are spreading assets across more firms. The proposed fix is an "augmented intelligence" layer that unifies client data, automates routine work and lets advisers coordinate specialists.
Key numbers
- 41%of relationship manager time spent on operational tasks rather than clients
- 17%of HNWIs say their advice feels seamless and tailored
- USD 1.5 trillionconservative estimate of new assets under advice that went to competitors of traditional firms, 2022-2025
- USD 98.3 trillionglobal HNWI wealth at end-2025, up 8.7%
As reported by the source.
English·PDF·opens capgemini.com
What it reports
- Global HNWI wealth rose 8.7% to USD 98.3 trillion in 2025, up from 4.2% growth in 2024. The HNWI population rose 7.9% to 25.3 million. The Middle East was the outlier, with wealth down 1.5%.
- Only 17% of HNWIs say their advice feels seamless and tailored, and 42% must restate their goals multiple times to the same firm.
- 97% of traditional firms segment clients mainly by wealth band and 78% use static risk profiles. Only 9% profile clients by digital engagement and 6% by investment motivation.
- 60% of executives say their firm lacks a unified client view. 41% of relationship manager time goes to operational tasks, and nearly 40% of executives say advisers still do operational work manually.
- 76% of relationship managers want digital and AI-enabled systems that automate routine work, and 61% want an integrated network of specialists.
- Clients working with a single firm fell from 39% in 2019 to 19% in 2025. Those using four to six firms rose from 12% to 25%.
- Where advisers coordinate specialists well, 53% of HNWIs recommend their firm and 47% consolidate more wealth there.
- Traditional firms' share of HNWI investable wealth fell from about 70.5% in 2022 to 66.6% in 2025, which the authors put at USD 1.5 trillion in lost new assets.
How they got it
Wealth is estimated with Capgemini's Lorenz-curve model across 71 markets, built on IMF and World Bank national accounts data. Three surveys ran in January 2026: 6,510 HNWIs in four regions, weighted by population share; 144 wealth executives in 10 markets; and 1,317 relationship managers in 16 markets, 48% of them in Europe.
Limits
- The AI case rests on stated preferences and correlations, such as recommendation rates. No firm data shows that AI tools raise wallet share or reduce adviser time.
- Capgemini sells the operating-model redesign and the "intelligence layer" it recommends. The three-horizon roadmap is a consulting framework, not a finding.
- The USD 1.5 trillion figure is the authors' own estimate from share changes.
Why it matters for companies
The report describes in measured terms a problem common to any advisory business: senior client-facing staff spend about two-fifths of their time on admin, and clients repeat themselves because no one holds a single view of them. The first AI gains come from unifying client records and automating the operational share of an adviser's week, before any client-facing chatbot. Firms in insurance, B2B sales or professional services can run the same diagnostic: time split, number of restated requests, and how many providers each client uses.
Summary based on the full text. Read the original for the full argument and data.Open PDF on capgemini.com