What is the global per capita cash reserve? Measured by a car

What if we could consolidate all the cash in the world and distribute it equally to every person? What would that look like? Whether you’re a farmer in Wisconsin, a pottery artist in New Delhi, or a shepherd in Namibia, everyone would receive the same amount of money. Does this number sound particularly mystical?

The True Scale of the Global Money Pool

In today’s complex financial system, the concept of “cash” actually has a clear definition—what economists call M2 money supply. It’s not just the paper bills in your pocket; it also includes all the demand deposits, time deposits, and highly liquid financial assets in banks. Simply put, it’s all the money that can be relatively easily converted into cash in the short term.

This indicator is fundamentally different from the total global wealth. The latter includes assets like real estate, stocks, jewelry, and other valuables, which are substantial in value but not as liquid. M2, on the other hand, represents the actual “liquid” funds circulating within the global financial system.

According to the latest statistics from CEIC (Center for Economic Research International), the global M2 money supply in 2024 reaches $123.3 trillion. This is a staggering figure, representing the total cash in banking systems and circulation across major economies worldwide.

Per Capita Distribution: An Inspirational Calculation

Dividing this $123.3 trillion equally among the 8.162 billion people on Earth, what do we get?

Each person would receive approximately $15,108, equivalent to about €13,944.

This might sound a bit abstract, but a more concrete comparison makes it clearer—this amount is enough to buy a Dacia Sandero (assuming no additional options). Or, from another perspective, it’s enough to cover two years of living expenses for an average household, enough to buy a used car in most countries.

Comparing with Spain’s Financial Situation

What if we apply the same logic to a single country? Take Spain as an example. According to CEIC data from December 2024, Spain’s M2 money supply is $1.648 trillion. Combining this with the population data from INE (National Statistics Institute) in January 2025—49.07 million people—the calculation yields a very different result.

Per capita allocation in Spain would be about $33,571, roughly €30,968.

This figure is 122% higher than the global average, reflecting Spain’s status as a developed economy within the EU. This difference clearly indicates that the size of the money supply is closely related to a country’s stage of economic development.

What Does This Calculation Reveal?

Although this hypothetical distribution experiment will never happen in reality, it reveals the scale and structure of the global financial system. The growth of the M2 money supply reflects economic expansion, credit issuance, and monetary policy effects. Meanwhile, UBS’s 2024 “Global Wealth Report” states that total global private wealth reached $487.9 trillion—almost four times the liquidity money supply—indicating that a large portion of wealth is locked in real estate and other illiquid assets.

From this perspective, measuring global wealth distribution cannot rely solely on cash figures; it must also consider asset structures, income disparities, and regional development imbalances.