What does it REALLY mean to be wealthy in Britain in 2025? | Income, inequality, inflation and tax

What does it mean to be “rich” in Britain in 2025?In this episode of the Mouthy Money podcast, editor Edmund Greaves and co-host Chris Tuite examine how people in the UK think about wealth, why many don’t feel rich even on high incomes, and what this means for policy, politics and personal finances.Drawing on recent research reported in The Times, they discuss why around 90% of people earning £100,000–£125,000 a year don’t consider themselves rich, and how cost of living pressures, inflation and stagnant wage growth have reshaped what “wealthy” feels like. They contrast subjective feelings of comfort or precarity with objective indicators such as income, home ownership, pensions and savings.SOURCESWealth report in the Times: https://www.thetimes.com/money/family-finances/article/what-it-takes-to-be-rich-in-britain-today-gxw3grh3fIFS report on trends in income and wealth inequality: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/trends-income-and-wealth-inequalities Fairness Foundation on wealth inequality: https://acss.org.uk/wp-content/uploads//Wealth-inequality-and-growth-in-the-UK-policy-briefing-Nov-2025.pdf Kings College London report on wealth taxes:https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/wealth-tax-rich-list-could-raise-billions ‘The housing theory of everything’: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-housing-theory-of-everything/CONNECT WITH USThank you for watching our video! If you enjoyed this, please give it a LIKE, SHARE it with your friends, and SUBSCRIBE to our channel for more about money.Want to listen to our regular episodes on the go? We’re on Spotify and Apple Podcasts:🔗https://open.spotify.com/show/72bQEJnPAWJprmy0B9Yy4u?si=0b1b07fa0e2a4dda 🔗 https://podcasts.apple.com › podcast › mouthy-moneyDiscover more at https://www.mouthymoney.co.uk and subscribe to our weekly newsletter too.Have questions or suggestions? Drop them in the comments below - we’d love to hear from you! Or contact us at ⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠⁠🔎 Keywords Mouthy Money podcast, UK wealth 2025, rich in Britain, cost of living crisis UK, wealth inequality UK, wealth gap, baby boomer wealth, inheritance, inheritance tax, wealth tax, top 1 percent, social mobility UK, squeezed middle, housing crisis UK, house prices, renting vs owning, pensions, intergenerational inequality, AI and jobs, future of work, personal debt UK, credit card debt, student overdraft, financial education, tax system UK, fiscal policy, neoliberalism, social contract, consumer choice, money mindset, financial security, Edmund Greaves, Chris Tuite.DISCLAIMERThis video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.