Here's an interesting thought that has been occupying my mind lately. Imagine that tomorrow, all the money in the world is simply divided equally among all people on the planet. A farmer from Wisconsin, a potter from New Delhi, a Namibian herder, and an Australian dentist would suddenly receive the same amount. It sounds like utopia, but let's calculate how much money actually exists in the world per person.

According to CEIC data, the global money supply M2 in 2024 is approximately 123 trillion dollars. This is not the entire global wealth, but specifically the money that is in circulation, in bank accounts, and easily accessible. If you divide this amount by 8.16 billion people, you get about 15,000 dollars per person. It sounds impressive until you realize that this is roughly the price of a used car. Or, to be more precise, enough for a new Dacia Sandero.

I'm curious why this particular number is so illustrative. It demonstrates that no matter how much money there is in the world, it is clearly not enough to provide a decent standard of living for everyone through equal distribution. The money supply M2 differs from total wealth in that it only includes liquid assets—money that can be spent relatively quickly. Real estate, stocks, works of art—all of that is excluded from this calculation.

Interestingly, in different countries, this picture looks completely different. Take Spain. There, the M2 money supply at the end of 2024 was about 1.65 trillion dollars with a population of roughly 49 million people. If divided equally, each Spaniard would get about 33,500 dollars. Twice the global average. This well illustrates how much money is concentrated in developed economies.

Of course, the calculation itself is academic. In reality, money distribution is determined by economic systems, labor productivity, and historically established structures. But it’s a good way to grasp the scale of the global money supply and understand why simply handing out money won't solve the problem of world poverty. No matter how much money there is in the world, without creating value and economic growth, any equal distribution will sooner or later lead to leveling down. An intriguing paradox of modern economics.