Asia-Pacific Leads Global Wealth Growth — and the Rise of Private Credit in 2026
Global high-net-worth wealth hit a record US$98.3 trillion in 2025, and Asia-Pacific grew faster than any other region. As that wealth concentrates, private credit and alternative asset-backed lending are reshaping how the region's shareholders access liquidity.
Asia-Pacific has become the engine of global wealth creation. According to the 2026 World Wealth Report, global high-net-worth wealth reached a record US$98.3 trillion in 2025 — an 8.7% gain, the largest single-year increase since 2018. The number of high-net-worth individuals worldwide rose 7.9% to 25.3 million.
Asia-Pacific led every other region, posting the strongest growth in both wealth and population. The pool of ultra-high-net-worth individuals — those with more than US$30 million — expanded by more than 9% globally, and Asia accounted for an outsized share of the gains.
Why private credit is growing alongside the wealth
As wealth concentrates, so does demand for flexible ways to finance it. Asia-Pacific's private credit market has grown at a compound annual rate of more than 20% over the past five years. Industry estimates put regional assets under management on track to rise from roughly US$59 billion in 2024 to around US$92 billion by 2027 — growth of close to 46% in three years.
Private credit and alternative asset-backed lending have moved from the margins to the mainstream. For founders and major shareholders, these markets offer something traditional bank channels often cannot: speed, discretion, and structures built around concentrated equity positions rather than standard balance-sheet tests.
The liquidity shift
A growing share of Asian wealth is held in single, concentrated stakes — founders in listed companies, families with large positions in a flagship business. Converting that wealth into usable capital without selling is the central challenge.
Squadron Capital was built for this shift. We deploy direct, non-recourse capital to significant shareholders across Asia-Pacific, with no personal or corporate guarantees. Shareholders raise funding while keeping the long-term upside of their holdings — a structure suited to a region where wealth and ownership are increasingly intertwined.
What it means for 2026
With wealth compounding faster in Asia-Pacific than anywhere else, and the private credit market deepening in step, the region is reshaping how liquidity moves. The firms that understand both the wealth and the structures around it will help define the next decade of alternative finance in Asia.
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Frequently asked questions
How big is the private credit market in Asia-Pacific? Estimates put regional assets under management rising from about US$59 billion in 2024 to around US$92 billion by 2027, after a compound annual growth rate above 20% over the prior five years.
Why is private credit growing in Asia? Record wealth creation, concentrated ownership, and demand for flexible liquidity that traditional bank channels do not always provide.
What is alternative asset-backed lending? A broad market category of financing structured around assets such as listed equity, distinct from conventional unsecured or balance-sheet bank facilities.
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