The world is home to a record number of 2,089 billionaires. The past year saw an addition of 222 new billionaires.
While United States and China make up half of world’s billionaires, India has stormed into the top 3 for the first time.
Take a look at the nations with the maximum number of billionaires…
United States
Rank: 1
Total number of billionaires: 537
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 56
Technology, media and telecom generated the maximum number of American billionaires, followed by retail.
The combined wealth of the US billionaires was $2.2 trillion.
China
Rank: 2
Total number of billionaires: 430
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 72
Chinese billionaires’ together own a net wealth of $1.2 trillion. Real estate has generated most number of billionaires.
India
Rank: 3
Total number of billionaires: 97
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 27
India zoomed ahead of Russia and the United Kingdom to bag the third place.
Manufacturing, pharma, technology, media, and telecommunications boast of the maximum number of billionaires respectively. Combined wealth of the Indian billionaires stands at $266 billion.
Russia
Rank: 4
Total number of billionaires: 93
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): -10
Russia’s billionaires are from sectors like energy, real estate and financial. The combined wealth of the Russian billionaires is $365 billion.
United Kingdom
Rank: 3
Total number of billionaires: 80
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 3
United Kingdom has slipped to rank 5 this year.
Retail, real estate, technology, media, and telecommunications are the biggest wealth creators.
Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters
Germany
Rank: 6
Total number of billionaires: 72
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 6
Germany’s billionaires belong to food & beverages, technology, media, and telecommunications and retail sector.
Switzerland
Rank: 7
Total number of billionaires: 60
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 4
Switzerland’s billionaires belong to manufacturing and pharma. The combined wealth of the Swiss billionaires stand at $188.3 billion.
Brazil
Rank: 8
Total number of billionaires: 56
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 8
In Brazil, the combined wealth of the billionaires stood at $148 billion.
Financial services and real estate accounts for maximum number of billionaires.
Chinese Taipei
Rank: 9
Total number of billionaires: 48
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 11
Manufacturing sector has the highest number of billionaires.
France
Rank: 10
Total number of billionaires: 46
Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 9
The combined wealth of the French billionaires is $265 billion.
Luxury goods and Food & Beverages have the highest number. Paris is the preferred city for billionaires.