Understanding Wealth: Defining and Measuring It

What is Wealth?

Wealth is the value of assets owned by a person, community, company, or country. It is determined by the total market value of all physical and intangible assets minus debts. Essentially, wealth is the accumulation of scarce resources.

People, organizations, and nations are considered wealthy when they accumulate valuable resources or goods. Wealth can be contrasted with income, as wealth is a stock and income is a flow. It can be measured in absolute or relative terms.

Key Takeaways

• Wealth is an accumulation of valuable economic resources measured in real goods or money value.
• Net worth, determined by subtracting debts from the total market value of assets, is the most common measure of wealth.
• Wealth is usually applied only to scarce economic goods, as abundant goods provide no basis for comparisons.
• Wealth is a stock variable, while income is a flow variable.
• We refer to relative differences in wealth to define who is wealthy.

Understanding Wealth

Wealth can be expressed through material resources and net worth. Net worth is the most common financial expression of wealth.

Defining and measuring wealth have varied over time and societies. In modern society, money is the common measurement. Land and livestock have also been used as measures of wealth.

Measuring Wealth

Measuring wealth in terms of money allows evaluation of different goods through addition and subtraction. Net worth, equal to assets minus liabilities, is a common measure of wealth. It is also known as shareholders’ equity or book value for businesses.

Wealth is a stock variable, while income is a flow variable. Wealth measures accumulated economic goods, while income measures the goods or money obtained over a specific time period. A person with positive net income over time becomes wealthier. GDP, often mistakenly referred to as wealth, measures income for countries.

Anyone with a large net worth can be considered wealthy, but wealth is usually relative. Total wealth can differ among individuals and groups, and people’s perception of well-being often depends on relative wealth estimates. The concept of wealth applies only to scarce economic goods, as abundant goods cannot be compared.

The United States has the majority of the world’s wealthiest individuals, including 735 billionaires.

Walmart, an Arkansas-based retailer, is one of the wealthiest U.S. corporations. It recorded $559 billion in revenue for 2021, exceeding the GDP of many countries. Walmart operates globally with over 10,500 stores and serves more than 220 million customers weekly.

$255.3 billion

Building Wealth

To build wealth, allocate a portion of income to savings and investments over time.

Wealth Management

Wealth management refers to financial, investment, and advisory services for high net worth clients.

Generational Wealth

Generational wealth pertains to assets passed down to successive familial generations.

The Great Gatsby Curve

The Great Gatsby Curve shows the relationship between income inequality and upward mobility. Graphs suggest a positive correlation between inequality and the lack of upward advancement from one generation to the next.

The Bottom Line

Wealth is subjective and depends on one’s perception and value measurement. Money is the common unit of measurement, and those with abundance are considered wealthy.

Various strategies exist for amassing wealth, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While wealth can be expressed differently, it often provides access and opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.