Rikkaus

Rikkaus is the Finnish term for wealth, referring to the abundance of valuable resources owned by an individual, household, firm, or society. It encompasses material assets such as cash, financial investments, real estate, and equipment, as well as non-material assets including human capital (education and skills), social capital, and access to institutions. Wealth is a stock measure, meaning it represents a present accumulation, whereas income denotes the flow of resources received over time.

Measurement commonly uses net worth at the personal level (total assets minus liabilities). At the national level, aggregates include household wealth, public and private capital stock, and indicators of wealth distribution. Analyses often employ inequality measures, such as the wealth Gini coefficient, to capture how wealth is spread.

Distribution and determinants of rikkaus are influenced by inheritance, access to education, housing markets, savings behavior, taxation, credit availability, and macroeconomic conditions. Wealth concentration tends to be greater than that of income and can persist across generations, affecting social mobility and economic security.

Impacts and policy discussions focus on how wealth affects consumption, investment, retirement security, and resilience to shocks. Debates address equality and opportunity, the efficiency of asset accumulation, and the role of public policy in shaping wealth distribution. Policy tools discussed include capital taxation, subsidies for saving and housing, education funding, and measures to increase financial inclusion.

See also: wealth, net worth, capital, income, inequality.