New Zealand household wealth is around $1.466 trillion.

New Zealand is the world's sixth richest country.

Only the US, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway and Australia rank ahead on per adult wealth, according to the Global Wealth report from investment bank Credit Suisse.

But wealth is unevenly shared, and when it comes to the median income, New Zealand drops to eighth.

The United States, which this week went to the polls for its mid-term elections, doesn't even make the top 10 of countries for median wealth per capita thanks to its levels of inequality.

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On the measure of median per capita wealth, Australia ranks as the world's best place to be an ordinary, honest, hardworking person.

The Credit suisse report is published once a year, and claims to be the most comprehensive global household wealth report in existence.

In order to rank countries, it coverts household wealth into US dollar terms.

Its measure of household wealth includes both financial wealth, such as pension savings and business wealth, but also includes wealth tied up in houses.

Relative value of homes can result in some countries ranking highly in the list, while other countries, with more modestly priced homes scoring less well.

Germany, the power house economy of Europe ranked only 19th on per adult wealth.

Inequality researcher Max Rashbrooke said: "Credit Suisse will be working of Reserve Bank figures, which is based on what our houses are valued at, They are so colossally over valued."

123RF New Zealand may be a long way from anywhere, but it's one of the wealthiest places on the planet.

And, Rashbrooke added: "Wealth data is extremely unreliable."

Among the policies Labour and the Green Party campaigned on were lifting incomes for the poorest households, and increasing home ownership.

Rashbrooke said it would be some years before the data was out to judge their effect on wealth inequality.

The International Monetary Fund's global housing website features New Zealand as a special case for high house prices, saying: "House price valuation metrics put New Zealand above other OECD countries, after large increases in price-to-income and price-to-rent ratios since 2000."

The IMF said housing wealth in New Zealand was the result of a number of factors, including New Zealanders having a preference for larger homes.

But it pointed to the influx of credit, and the failure of the country to build enough homes for high prices.

"Combined with the relative ease of obtaining credit as banks have competed for mortgage market shares, low interest rates have boosted growth in housing loans and supported higher house prices," the IMF said.

Globally, Credit Suisse estimated there was wealth of US$63,100 (NZ$93,670) per adult, but that was not evenly split between countries and regions.

"Nations with wealth per adult above US$100,000 are located in North America, Western Europe, and among the rich Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern countries," the report said.

Switzerland (US$530,240), Australia (US$411,060) and the United States (US$403,970) headed the league table of wealth per adult.

They were followed by Belgium (US$313,050), oil-rich Norway (US$291,100), and New Zealand (US$289,800).

Canada, Denmark, Singapore, and France rounded out the top 10.

But when the ranking was done on median wealth, New Zealand slipped from two places behind Australia, to seven rungs further down the ladder.

"The ranking by median wealth per adult favours countries with lower levels of wealth inequality," said Credit Suisse.

"This year, Australia edged ahead of Switzerland into first place, according to our estimates."

Since the Global Financial Crisis, there has been an increased concern about wide levels of wealth inequality within countries.

Anti-poverty campaign group Oxfam also produces reports into global wealth. It's last report, issued in January, claimed much wealth was not earned, but inherited.

"There is growing evidence that the current levels of extreme inequality far exceed what can be justified by talent, effort and risk-taking," it said.

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