You can tell how prosperous a country is by the number of billionaires living in the country. It means the infrastructure and facilities needed to get wealthy are available in the country, and it’s a land where dreams come true.
Here are 5 countries with the most billionaires in the world, according to Forbes:
1. United States
With 813 people, the U.S. has the highest number of billionaires among its citizens ($5.7 trillion). Americans make up eight of the top 10 richest people in the world, and fourteen of the top 20 are American citizens. In 2024, there are 97 new billionaires in the billionaire class compared to the previous, making them $1.2 trillion wealthier. However, with a net worth of $233 billion, Frenchman Bernard Arnault is the richest person in the world.
2. China
China now has 406 billionaires, down from 496 in 2017, making it the second-richest country in the world. Over the last three years, China’s wealthy population has lost billions of dollars due to a housing downturn and stock market crash.
3. India
India’s population reached a record 200 billionaires this year. India ranks third in the list of the world’s 200 billionaires, with a total worth of $954 billion, a 40% increase from last year. Indian businessmen, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, and Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, made the top 20 richest men in the world.
4. Germany
With 132 billionaires, Germany is now the fourth country in the world with the most billionaires, up from 126 the year before, and has $59 billion more in collective wealth. Alexander Rinke, Bastian Nominacher, and Martin Klenk are notable newcomers.
5. Russia
Despite its conflict with Ukraine, Russia has experienced a rise in wealth; there are 120 billionaires there as of this year, 15 more than in the previous year and 37 more than in 2022. These billionaires have a combined net worth of $537 billion, up $217 billion from 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine and the US, UK, and EU imposed sanctions.
Which African countries have the most billionaires?
According to The Africa Wealth Report 2024, released by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth, South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco accounted for 56% of Africa’s millionaires and over 90% of its billionaires in 2023.
When it gets down to the bare numbers, Africa does not have a lot of billionaires. South Africa has 6 billionaires, Egypt has 5 billionaires, Nigeria has 4 billionaires, Morocco has 3 and Tanzania, Swahili, Algeria, Zimbabwe have one.
