High-net-worth individual

High-net-worth individual (HNWI) is a technical term used in the financial services industry to designate individuals who maintain liquid assets at or above a certain threshold. Typically, these individuals are defined as holding financial assets (excluding their primary residence) valued over US$1 million. A secondary level, a very-high-net-worth individual (VHNWI), references an individual with a net worth of at least US$5 million. The terminal level, an ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) holds US$30 million in investible assets (adjusted for inflation). Individuals with a net worth of over US$1 billion are considered to occupy a special bracket of the UHNW. These thresholds are broadly used in studies of wealth inequality, government regulation, investment suitability requirements, marketing, financing standards, and general corporate strategy.

As of December 2022, there were estimated to be just over 15 million HNWIs in the world according to the World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2023 by Henley & Partners. The United States had the highest number of HNWIs (5.3 million) of any country, with California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois domiciling the majority stateside. New York City is the wealthiest and most populous city with 340,000 HNWIs. UHNWIs constitute only 0.003% of the world's population and hold 13% of the world's total wealth. In 2017, there were 226,450 individuals designated as UHNWI with their combined total wealth increasing to $27 trillion.