According to a report published this Thursday by the consulting firm Capgemini in its World Wealth Report 2026, during the last year the United States added about 736,000 new millionaires, placing the overall figure at about 8.7 million.

While it is one of the highest numbers in 30 years, it also highlights the large and growing gap between millionaires and average households currently struggling with the high cost of living, a trend that many economists have dubbed the “K economy.”

In this regard, Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo, commented that “this divergence is likely due to lower-income households being concerned about rising gasoline prices, while higher-income households are focused on rising stock prices,” he said.

Analysts indicated that one of the main drivers of the new rich was investment in the stock market, increasing their stock portfolios along with their assets, generating strong financial security.

In the United States, “millionaire” status is usually reached between the ages of 50 and 60 with assets of approximately $1.2 million for their retirement plan, according to data from Empower.

Although Empower and Capgemini disagree on whether or not to include primary residences as part of wealth in the analysis, since 95% of millionaires own their homes, compared to 66% of the general US population who are renters, previous research suggests that there is a strong relationship between home ownership and wealth.

However, being considered a millionaire today is more than a matter of status; Analyzes indicate that it no longer represents the same prestige as it did 20 years ago, since the average population believes that to be considered “financially successful” a net worth of up to $5.3 million dollars is needed.