By Family Office Guide Research · Published
30+ benchmark statistics covering AUM distribution, operating costs, staffing, service mix, geography and succession for single and multi-family offices.
Headline statistics
- ~8,000 — Estimated single-family offices worldwide
Up from ~6,000 in 2019
- $3.1T — Combined assets under management
Across single-family offices globally
Source: Campden Wealth / RBC Global Family Office Report 2023
- $3.2M — Median family office operating cost
Per year for SFOs serving one family
- $250M+ — Average AUM threshold to start an SFO
Median entry point cited by surveyed offices
- 68% — Family offices planning a generational transition
Within the next 10 years
- 44% — Allocation to private markets
Median portfolio allocation
Preview: chapter highlights
1. AUM Distribution
Family office size is heavily skewed toward the lower end of the eligible-wealth band. The vast majority of single-family offices manage between $100M and $1B, while a small but influential cohort exceeds $5B in AUM.
| Category | % of SFOs |
|---|---|
| $100M–$500M | 41 |
| $500M–$1B | 23 |
| $1B–$5B | 27 |
| $5B+ | 9 |
2. Cost Benchmarks
Operating costs scale less than linearly with AUM. Smaller offices spend a higher percentage of assets on overhead; large offices benefit from fixed-cost amortisation but face premium hires and tech build-outs.
| Category | Cost in bps of AUM |
|---|---|
| <$500M | 85 |
| $500M–$1B | 62 |
| $1B–$5B | 45 |
| $5B+ | 28 |
3. Staffing Ratios
Average SFO headcount has grown ~15% since 2019 as offices in-source investment, tax, and technology functions. Below are the typical roles per office and per $1B in AUM.
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Investments | 34 |
| Operations | 26 |
| Legal & Tax | 11 |
| Family services | 9 |
| Tech & data | 10 |
| Other | 10 |
4. Service Mix
Investment management remains the universal service line. Differentiation across offices comes from concierge, governance, and next-gen education programs.
| Category | % of offices offering |
|---|---|
| Investment mgmt | 100 |
| Estate planning | 82 |
| Tax planning | 78 |
| Philanthropy | 61 |
| Governance | 47 |
| Cybersecurity | 44 |
| Concierge | 38 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is this report for?
Principals and family-office executives benchmarking their own structure, plus journalists, advisors, and software vendors who serve the segment.
Where does the data come from?
We compile and harmonise figures from publicly available industry surveys (Deloitte, Campden Wealth, UBS, EY, PwC, BlackRock, Cerulli, Knight Frank). Each section lists its primary sources.
Is this an original survey?
Not in this edition. v1 is a meta-analysis of public sources. The 2027 edition will include an original survey — request the report to be invited.
Can I cite or republish the charts?
Yes. The press kit at /benchmark-report-2026/press contains downloadable chart images and embeddable headline stats with attribution language.
Is the report really free?
Yes. We ask for an email so we can notify you about the next edition and any corrections.