Resisting the Rule of the Rich – Oxfam America

Report on Billionaire Wealth Growth and Its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Overview of Billionaire Wealth Growth in 2025

In 2025, billionaire wealth increased at a rate three times faster than the average growth observed over the previous five years, reaching an unprecedented total of $18.3 trillion. This rapid accumulation of wealth occurs concurrently with severe global challenges: one in four people worldwide do not regularly have enough food to eat, and nearly half of the global population lives in poverty.

Link Between Economic Inequality and Political Inequality

The extreme economic disparity is closely connected to political inequality. Billionaires are over 4,000 times more likely to hold political office compared to ordinary citizens. Across numerous countries, the super-rich have amassed wealth beyond any conceivable personal expenditure. Moreover, they leverage this wealth to secure political power, enabling them to influence economic and social policies to their advantage.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This concentration of wealth and power undermines several key Sustainable Development Goals, including:

1. SDG 1: No Poverty – The persistence of poverty for nearly half the world’s population contrasts sharply with the growing billionaire wealth.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger – One in four people lacking sufficient food highlights the failure to ensure food security.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of the population exacerbates social and economic inequalities.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The disproportionate political influence of billionaires threatens democratic governance and the protection of human rights.

Conclusion

The unprecedented growth of billionaire wealth and its use to secure political power pose significant challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing this issue is critical to protecting the rights and freedoms of people worldwide and promoting equitable and sustainable development.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 1: No Poverty – The article highlights that nearly half the world’s population lives in poverty, directly relating to the goal of eradicating poverty in all its forms.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger – It mentions that one in four people do not regularly have enough to eat, connecting to the goal of ending hunger and achieving food security.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The focus on extreme economic inequality and political inequality aligns with the goal to reduce inequality within and among countries.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article discusses the concentration of political power among billionaires and its impact on rights and freedoms, relating to promoting inclusive societies and accountable institutions.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 1 – Target 1.1: Eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
2. SDG 2 – Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
3. SDG 10 – Target 10.1: Achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40% of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
4. SDG 10 – Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of wealth.
5. SDG 16 – Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
6. SDG 16 – Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

• Indicator for SDG 1.1: Proportion of population living below the international poverty line, which relates to the article’s mention of nearly half the world’s population living in poverty.
• Indicator for SDG 2.1: Prevalence of undernourishment or proportion of population with insufficient food intake, linked to the statistic that one in four people do not regularly have enough to eat.
• Indicator for SDG 10.1: Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40% of the population, implied by the discussion of economic inequality.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50% of median income, or measures of political inclusion, connected to the political inequality described.
• Indicator for SDG 16.6 and 16.7: Proportion of positions in national and local institutions held by different socio-economic groups, implied by the statistic that billionaires are over 4,000 times more likely to hold political office.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: oxfamamerica.org