The Credit Suisse Research Institute today released its sixth annual Global Wealth Report, which focuses on how the middle class has developed since the turn of the century. It finds that the size and wealth of the middle class globally grew quickly before the financial crisis, but growth subsided after 2007 and rising inequality has squeezed its share of wealth in every region. In its analysis, Credit Suisse has taken a new approach to defining the middle class category, using a wealth-based definition – versus an income-based one – that allows for adjustments over time to reflect inflation, and also varies across countries depending on local purchasing power.