The real pay of workers globally fell by 12 percent, while that of executive directors (CEOs) jumped by 54 percent between 2019 and 2025, reports the non-governmental organization "Oxfam" in an analysis prepared jointly with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on the occasion of International Workers' Day, BTA writes.
The remuneration of the CEOs of the world's largest corporations increased by 11 percent in real terms last year, while the average worker in the world received a real wage increase of only 0.5 percent, according to the analysis.
The CEOs of some of the largest corporations received an average of $8.4 million in salary and bonuses in 2025, compared to $7.6 million in 2024. It would take an average worker 490 years to earn the same amount, Oxfam said.
At least four CEOs of major corporations received more than $100 million in salaries and bonuses last year, led by Broadcom's Hock Tan with more than $205 million. In total, the top 10 highest-paid CEOs earned more than $1 billion.
A growing gap
The super-rich are reaping the benefits of the corporations they control, Oxfam's analysis shows. Nearly 1,000 billionaires received a combined $79 billion in dividends in 2025, or $2,500 every second. The average billionaire earned more in dividends in less than two hours than the average worker earned in an entire year.
Some of the biggest gains in 2025 went to Bernard Arnault (owner of fashion giant LVMH) - $3.8 billion, and Amancio Ortega (owner of "Zara" - Zara) - $3.7 billion.
Billionaire wealth reached record levels in 2026. In just 12 months, they earned $4 trillion, making their wealth $1.5 trillion greater than that of the poorest 4.1 billion people on the planet combined. There are 400 more billionaires in the world this year than last, with 45 of them making their fortunes in the field of artificial intelligence, reports "Oxfam".
The organization also warns that vast wealth is often used to buy political influence and undermine democracy.
The International Trade Union Confederation and "Oxfam" are calling for urgent action to curb extreme wealth, including higher and fairer taxes for the richest and mandatory limits on CEO pay.
The analysis covers the 1,500 best-paid corporations in 33 countries that have reported their directors' compensation for 2025.