Millionaires’ wealth reached record US$63.5 trillion globally in 2016

HONG KONG: The number of millionaires in the world rose by nearly 8 per cent last year to an all-time high of around 16.5 million people, with record total wealth of US$63.5 trillion, according to a report by global consultancy firm Capgemini.

The wealth of high net worth individuals (HNWI) – which Capgemini defines as those with investable assets of US$1 million or more, excluding the primary residence, collectibles and consumables – rose 8.2 per cent on the year in 2016 and is on track to surpass US$100 trillion by 2025.

Some 1.15 million people became millionaires last year, the report said.

The United States, Japan, Germany and China boast the highest numbers and together make up for almost two-thirds of the total.

In the United States, their ranks rose to 4.8 million from 4.46 million, while the number of millionaires in China rose to 1.13 million from just over 1 million.

The Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America contributed equally to the rise in wealth, with Russia, Brazil and Canada reversing course from declines a year ago, the report showed.

Russia, helped by a rebound in its stock market, saw both the number of its millionaires and their wealth grow by about 20 per cent.

France overtook Britain in the top five in terms of the number of millionaires, helped by a recovery in real estate, while Sweden knocked Singapore – which saw a decline in its equity markets – out of top 25.

Surveys on the millionaires’ financial asset holdings show they held 31.1 per cent in equities in the second quarter of 2017, compared with 24.8 per cent in 2016. — Reuters