The top 50% specifically would not be the median at all.<p>The net median wealth per adult is higher in America than in Sweden however. That number was roughly equal as of 2013, since then US real estate and equities have gone up significantly. US median wealth tends to be heavily influenced particularly by real estate (with US real estate values nearly back to the all-time highs).<p>I&#x27;m suggesting the top 50% in America are better of than the top 50% in Sweden. Not that the median is better in America.<p>In nearly every respect. Access to culture. Economic opportunities. University opportunities. The types of businesses you can build. The variety of industries and jobs you have access to. The sheer scale of things you can work on or have access to economically or otherwise. The research and innovation, the scale of the scientific output you can be part of. The cultural output you can tap into or contribute to that will be consumed in pretty much every corner of the globe. And on it goes.<p>Sweden does amazingly well for 7 or 8 million people. America does amazingly well for ~160 million people. Sweden isn&#x27;t going to scale - their population has increased by 2 million in 55 years or so (they can&#x27;t scale much for obvious reasons). I consider America&#x27;s accomplishment, that it has benefited so many more people to such a high degree, to be drastically more impressive. In the US, the top 50% are better off than Europe&#x27;s top 50%, and the bottom 50% in the US are also better off than Europe&#x27;s bottom 50% (see: Eastern Europe).