Global wealth totalling $83.5trn is forecast to be transferred within the next 25 years, according to UBS’s Global Wealth Report.

It noted that as people over the age of 75 hold almost a fifth of the world's wealth, and the average life expectancy of 75 year olds is between 82 and 86 years in most countries, a “large chunk” of these assets is expected to transfer within the next 10 years.

The Asia-Pacific region has more than twice as many over-75s as EMEA but has a lower average wealth per adult, with UBS concluding that APAC would have the most instances of wealth transfer but not the highest amount of wealth transferred.

In EMEA, liquid, bankable financial wealth made up less than a third of total transferable wealth, compared to 40 per cent in APAC and nearly 58 per cent in the Americas, where the largest wealth transfers are expected to take place.

UBS highlighted that it was “often overlooked” that wealth is commonly passed on within the same generation between spouses before it is transferred to the next generation.

As life expectancy varies between men and women, and there is often an age gap within couples, inheriting spouses will typically hold this wealth for an average of four years before passing it on.

The report stated that these considerations explained the importance of ‘horizontal’ wealth transfer, with an estimated $9trn of wealth forecast to be transferred inter-generationally.

UBS’s data showed that, of the $83.5trn to be transferred over the coming quarter century, around 10 per cent is likely to be passed on to the next generation by women.

On average, people passing on wealth are just over 84 years old, with wealth recipients averaging approximately 59 years of age.

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