Do You Have to Be Wealthy to Live in Switzerland?

In 2013, the average adult was worth $51,600 (USD), a record high for the global average. But that paled in comparison to the citizens of Switzerland, as the average Swiss adult was worth nearly ten times as much, or $513,000. And according to the annual wealth report compiled by the Credit Suisse Research Institute, by mid-2014 the average Swiss adult had become even richer. In 2014, the average Swiss adult was worth an astronomical $581,000, which was $150,000 higher than the average person living in Australia, the next richest nation.

The 2014 Credit Suisse mid-year report listed these countries and their average adult wealth to round out the Top 10: Australia ($431,000), Norway ($359,000), United States ($348,000), Sweden ($333,000), France ($317,000), Belgium ($301,000), Denmark and the United Kingdom ($293,000) and Singapore ($290,000).

More about global wealth:

• If you measure median wealth per adult, which takes into account "average" people, the richest economy is Australia's at $225,000. Switzerland fell to No. 8 on this list in 2014, and the US dropped out of the Top 10 altogether.
• The nations with wealth per adult over $100,000 are found in North America, Western Europe and certain Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern countries.
• The 2013 Credit Suisse report found that billionaires account for between 1% and 2% of total global wealth.