Poland recorded the world's fastest growth in its ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) population over the past decade, with the number of residents holding at least US$10 million in net assets rising 109.2%, according to The Wealth Report 2026 published by global property consultancy Knight Frank.

Knight Frank defines ultra-high-net-worth individuals as people with net assets of US$10 million or more, excluding their primary residence.

Poland narrowly outpaced Qatar, where the ultra-wealthy population increased 106.9%, while Türkiye ranked third with 93.6% growth. Romania followed closely at 93.0%, meaning four of the world's five fastest-growing UHNWI populations were located in Central Europe or the Middle East .

Greece ranked fifth with 74.0% growth, followed by Israel at 71.4%, Saudi Arabia at 69.2%, the Czech Republic at 67.4%, India at 63.4%, while Singapore and the United Arab Emirates shared tenth place with 54.5% growth.

Knight Frank said the rankings measure the percentage increase in each country's UHNWI population over the ten years to 2025, reflecting changes in wealth creation rather than the total number of wealthy individuals.

Poland's rapid rise has been driven by sustained economic expansion, rising business investment, increasing exports and the growth of domestically owned companies since joining the European Union in 2004. According to the World Bank, Poland has been one of Europe's fastest-growing major economies over the past two decades, creating new wealth across manufacturing, technology, finance and logistics.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia continued to benefit from energy revenues alongside efforts to diversify their economies through investment in finance, tourism, infrastructure and technology under long-term national development strategies. Türkiye's growth reflected the expansion of private enterprise and asset appreciation despite periods of high inflation and currency volatility.

India remained the only country from South Asia to enter the top ten. Knight Frank has previously identified India as one of the world's fastest-growing wealth markets, supported by expanding entrepreneurship, technology companies, manufacturing and financial services.

Knight Frank noted that wealth creation is becoming increasingly geographically diverse, with emerging markets accounting for many of the fastest-growing UHNWI populations, even as established financial centres continue to host larger absolute numbers of wealthy individuals.

The findings underscore how economic growth, business formation and rising asset values are reshaping the global distribution of wealth beyond traditional centres in North America and Western Europe.

"We demand that the government of the Republic of Poland take all measures to oppose any development of Ukraine's integration process with the European Union . The European Union cannot be based on an ideology contrary to Christian values, European values," Czarnek said.

His remarks followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's May 26 decree granting a Special Operations Forces unit the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA." While Ukraine says the title was chosen by the unit's soldiers and was not intended as an anti-Polish gesture, Poland holds the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) responsible for the wartime massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, which it recognises as genocide.

"Ukraine is not doomed to glorify perpetrators of genocide. Ukraine has its own heroes. But Ukraine will not be free and will not be a member of the European Union," Czarnek said.

Ukraine applied for EU membership on February 28, 2022, four days after the conflict with Russia began. It was granted candidate status in June 2022, with EU leaders agreeing to open accession negotiations in December 2023. Formal talks began on June 25, 2024, followed by a screening process to assess Ukraine's alignment with EU legislation. Ukraine completed that process in September 2025, and on June 15, 2026, the EU and Kyiv opened the first negotiating cluster covering the rule of law, fundamental rights , democratic institutions, public administration reform and economic criteria, Viory reports.

“The V4 is back. The cooperation of the Visegrad Four has returned,” he said.

Magyar presented the summit as a sign of Hungary’s renewed commitment to regional cooperation following years of strained relations with several European Union partners under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“The Visegrad countries continue to support the European integration of the Western Balkan countries,” he said.

He argued that the stability, development and European aspirations of the Western Balkans are closely linked to Europe’s long-term security and competitiveness.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is set to assume the V4 presidency from Hungary, said the group was returning at a challenging moment for Europe and the wider world.

“On behalf of the Visegrad Four, I want to say that we do not just want to be objects or subjects of decisions, which they adopt on the grounds of the European Union or other organisations, but we want to be co-creators of these decisions and maximally active participants,” Fico said.

He identified European Union enlargement as a priority for Slovakia’s presidency while stressing that candidate countries must meet the bloc’s accession requirements.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged that the four governments continue to hold differing views on several issues but said the V4 could regain influence if cooperation is rebuilt on mutual trust.

“I cannot cooperate with Viktor Orban for the reasons the Hungarians no longer tolerate his leadership,” Tusk said, linking the group's previous difficulties to Hungary’s former leader.

Asked about the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Tusk suggested the decision could help avoid “unnecessary tensions” and “escalation”.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference is scheduled to take place on June 25 and 26 and will be jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

"The decision of the Ukrainian authorities to glorify the UPA is not only outrageous, it is also incomprehensible and deeply disappointing," Nawrocki said. "It strikes at the foundation of reconciliation. It strikes at the conviction that truth can be the common language of our nations."

The Polish president stressed that his decision was not directed against the Ukrainian people and did not alter Warsaw's strategic support for Kyiv.

"Poland remains ready to cooperate with Ukraine," he said. "But Poland will consistently guard the memory of its citizens and the dignity of its own state symbols...Poland will not agree to the glorification of those who murdered defenseless Polish civilians."

"Ukraine's path to European structures also requires a readiness to honestly face the difficult pages of its own history. For those who do not understand this, there can be no place in the European Union , and Poland will certainly not allow that," he added.

He warned that there were "limits that must not be crossed" in Polish-Ukrainian relations and urged Kyiv to return to what he called a path of truth and mutual respect.

Zelensky was awarded the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 by then-president Andrzej Duda. He had not commented on Nawrocki's decision at the time of publication.

The UPA was a nationalist armed group active during and after World War II. Poland holds UPA units responsible for massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. In 2016, the Polish parliament recognised the killings as genocide and designated July 11 as a national day of remembrance for the victims.

His remarks, which also referenced civilian casualties in the Middle East , triggered immediate outrage in the chamber. Poland’s parliamentary speaker condemned the display as “unjustified” and said penalties would be proposed for using a banned symbol.

The Embassy of Israel in Warsaw denounced the incident as an “antisemitic horror,” urging Polish authorities to respond.

The controversy comes as Poland marked the annual March of the Living at the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz, amplifying sensitivities around Holocaust imagery.

Berkowicz’s intervention also unfolded against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions. Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon have continued despite a ceasefire agreed in October 2025, with reported casualties in the thousands and widespread displacement.

According to the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law index , these regions score highest on legal gender parity in family law. Countries such as Canada, France, Germany and Argentina provide equal legal standing for spouses in marriage, property rights and decision-making over children.

Reforms across Latin America over the past two decades have modernised civil codes, strengthening protections against forced marriage and expanding women’s rights in custody and divorce proceedings.

On the contrary, elements of male guardianship laws remain in place in parts of the Middle East and North Africa . Under guardianship frameworks, women may require permission from a male relative, such as a father or husband, to marry, travel or access certain services.

While countries like Saudi Arabia have introduced reforms easing travel and employment restrictions for women, advocacy groups, including Amnesty International, note that aspects of the guardianship system remain embedded in personal status laws.

In some countries, married women are still legally required to obey husbands or may face unequal divorce rights, according to research from UN Women and the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI).

The most severe category highlighted in global human rights reporting involves jurisdictions where forced marriage remains legally permitted or insufficiently criminalised.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that child marriage continues to affect millions of girls worldwide, particularly in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Although many countries have raised the legal marriage age to 18, enforcement gaps remain.

In some countries, legal codes still designate the father as the primary decision-maker in matters concerning children, even where other aspects of family law have modernised.

The OECD SIGI 2023 report highlights that legal inequalities in parental authority continue to restrict women’s autonomy in certain jurisdictions, particularly regarding guardianship, nationality transfer and inheritance.

Over the past 30 years, significant legal reforms have expanded women’s rights in marriage across many regions. According to the World Bank , 190 economies have enacted more than 2,000 legal reforms advancing gender equality since 1970.

However, legal equality on paper does not always translate into equal practice. Cultural norms, enforcement gaps and parallel religious legal systems can limit the real-world impact of reforms.

The latest figures reflect a year shaped by commodity price swings, energy market shifts and renewed investor interest in African infrastructure and industrial projects.

Top 7 wealthiest Africans in 2026

Based on data from Bloomberg and Forbes, the leading fortunes are:

1. Aliko Dangote ( Nigeria ) — $32.7B

Founder of Dangote Group, Dangote’s wealth is anchored in cement, sugar, fertiliser and oil refining. The launch and scaling of the Dangote Refinery, one of the largest in the world, has significantly strengthened his valuation, according to Bloomberg tracking.

2. Johann Rupert and family ( South Africa ) — $18.9B

Chairman of luxury goods giant Richemont, Rupert’s fortune is closely tied to global demand for high-end brands such as Cartier and Montblanc, as reported by Forbes.

3. Nicky Oppenheimer (South Africa) — $14.0B

The former De Beers chairman retains substantial wealth through investments and private equity holdings following the family’s sale of its diamond stake to Anglo American.

4. Abdulsamad Rabiu (Nigeria) — $12.3B

Founder of BUA Group, Rabiu’s portfolio spans cement production, sugar refining, and real estate, sectors that have expanded across West Africa .

5. Naguib Sawiris (Egypt) — $11.2B

A telecom and investment magnate, Sawiris maintains significant holdings in global telecom ventures and construction.

6. Natie Kirsh (South Africa) — $10.5B

With major interests in wholesale and retail distribution, Kirsh’s fortune reflects long-term global trading operations.

7. Nassef Sawiris (Egypt) — $9.75B

The youngest of the Sawiris brothers, Nassef, holds stakes in construction giant Orascom Construction and sports investments, including a major shareholding in Adidas.

The Atlas, published by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF), ranks countries based on legal status, availability of services, clinical guidelines and access to accurate information. The findings show a clear geographic divide, with Western and Northern Europe scoring significantly higher than parts of Central and Eastern Europe .

Countries such as France and Sweden rank among the highest performers, scoring above 85% in overall accessibility. France strengthened abortion protections in 2024 by becoming the first country in the world to explicitly enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution, a move widely reported by outlets including Reuters and BBC News.

Sweden has long maintained broad legal access, allowing abortion on request up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

Countries including Germany, Spain and Ireland fall into mid-tier categories. Germany permits abortion within the first 12 weeks, following mandatory counselling, under its criminal code framework. Spain expanded abortion rights in 2023 by removing mandatory parental consent for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to reporting from The Guardian and official Spanish government releases.

Ireland legalised abortion in 2018 following a national referendum that repealed its constitutional ban. However, advocacy groups note that service availability remains uneven in rural areas.

The most restrictive environments are found in Poland and Malta, according to both the Abortion Atlas and independent human rights monitors.

Poland introduced near-total abortion restrictions in 2020 after a Constitutional Tribunal ruling removed foetal abnormality as a legal ground. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented the impact of these restrictions on women’s health.

Malta remains the only EU member state with a near-total ban on abortion, though limited exceptions were introduced in 2023 to allow procedures where a woman’s life or health is at serious risk, according to the Maltese government and Euronews coverage.

Hungary and parts of the Balkans also face criticism over regulatory barriers, including mandatory waiting periods and additional procedural requirements.

“Poland certainly does not intend to send Polish soldiers to the Gaza Strip. We have our own security challenges,” he said.

The prime minister added that the government does not foresee formal participation in the Peace Council initiative. Any Polish presence, he said, would be strictly observational.

Tusk also dismissed the idea of financing reconstruction or development projects in Gaza, saying Poland must prioritise investment in its own cities and domestic needs.