A new report from Oxfam shows a big problem. The world's richest people have more money than ever before. In 2025, billionaires had $18.3 trillion. This is a new record. There are now over 3,000 billionaires. This makes people worry about the power of the very rich. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing larger.
The report found that billionaires' wealth grew by 81% since 2020. This is an extra $8.2 trillion. Oxfam says this money could end world poverty many times. However, the report says governments help protect the wealth of the rich. They do not seem to help ordinary people enough. This is making inequality worse.
Max Lawson, who helped write the report, is unhappy. He said governments are choosing to defend wealth, not freedom. He explained this choice helps the rich. It also stops people from being angry about high living costs. Many people feel that money has too much power in politics.
We see this problem around the world. Many protests are happening. Young people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America protest. They are angry about corruption and high prices. In Kenya, people protest because budget cuts hurt schools and hospitals. A golf course with water is near a slum with no water. This shows the big difference.
Oxfam warns this trend could lead to an oligarchy. This is when a few rich people have all the power. This is bad for democracy. It is also bad for sharing resources fairly. Many people are unhappy. This might lead to more challenges for the rich people's power.