Overview

• Resolution Foundation analysis of ONS data finds the cash gap between the middle and the top decile widened to about £1.3 million in 2020–22 from £1 million in 2006–08.
• Household wealth reached roughly £17 trillion in 2020–22, with about £5.5 trillion in property and £8.2 trillion in pensions.
• More than half of wealth growth since the early 2010s came from passive gains such as rising house prices and pension valuations rather than new saving or asset purchases.
• The average wealth gap between people in their early 30s and early 60s more than doubled to around £310,000, reflecting gains concentrated among older homeowners.
• Regional disparities remain stark, with median wealth per adult about £290,000 in the South East versus roughly £110,000 in the North East, and the report warns higher wealth taxes could fall heavily on pensioners and southern homeowners.