---
title: Net worth percentile by age: Are you ahead or behind?
url: https://wealthscout.app/updates/net-worth-percentile-by-age
category: Net worth
updated: 2026-08-23
---

# Net worth percentile by age: Are you ahead or behind?

Source: https://wealthscout.app/updates/net-worth-percentile-by-age

Net worth percentiles by age show how your wealth compares to the rest of the population. However, you must look at the 'median' rather than the 'average' to avoid being skewed by billionaires. Ultimately, comparing your wealth to percentiles is less useful than tracking your progress against your own specific retirement goals.

## Takeaways

- The 'Average' net worth is heavily skewed by billionaires; always look at the 'Median' net worth to see how normal people are actually doing.
- The self-selection bias of financial forums makes high earners feel like they are constantly behind.
- Visible lifestyle is not net worth. The neighbor with the new luxury car is often high-income but high-debt.

**Scope.** Wealth statistics vary drastically by country and are often delayed by several years (like the US Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances).

## Stop percentile chasing


## Questions

## Sources

- [Australian National Accounts: Finance and Wealth, March 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/national-accounts/australian-national-accounts-finance-and-wealth/latest-release) — Australian Bureau of Statistics