8. Wealth Polarization

Growing economic and social inequality and divides is altering the make of societies and creating systemic vulnerabilities.

The gap between the ultra-wealthy and everyone else is growing larger by the day. Globalization, automation, and the rise of financial markets have concentrated wealth in fewer hands, hollowing out the traditional middle class and deepening poverty in many places. This inequality is creating instability, weakening trust in institutions, and exposing economies to greater risks.

From shrinking opportunities in the Global North to digital divides in developing regions, the economic landscape is becoming more polarized. Question is how and if key actors will act to address these divides to create more inclusive futures, better for all.

• Data: Growing Global Middle Class

  By 2030, the global middle class is expected to include 50%+ of the world’s population, especially as poverty declines in the Global South.
  
  [Visual Capitalist (2020), "The World's Growing Middle Class (2020-2030)"]

• Shift: From Financial Access to a Fractured Economy

  Wealth-building is becoming more exclusive, as AI-driven finance, digital currencies, and algorithmic credit scoring create new barriers. Access to jobs, capital, and investment is increasingly dictated by data profiles, digital literacy, and algorithmic bias, deepening financial exclusion.
  
  Over 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, while millions more are underbanked, lacking access to formal financial systems.

• Implications: Power Redistribution

  Private Sector: Growing Inequality = Growing Risk

  Extreme wealth inequality is fueling social unrest, policy pushback, and shifting consumer behavior. Companies that ignore these risks could face mounting regulatory pressure or reputational damage.
  
  Public Sector: Power Beyond Governments

  Private capital is increasingly funding infrastructure, research, and even public services, raising questions about accountability and democratic involvement. Policymakers needs to define where the line should be.

Learn much more about Wealth Polarization, the other seven Megatrends and what they could mean for you. Get our report for free:

---

Apply the Megatrends with us. Reach out