The unequal distribution of global wealth is evident at all levels of society and through all levels of wealth, but it is particularly striking when examining the group of billionaires. In 2021, they represented only 0.9% of UHNWI but held 27.4% of the total wealth of this category.
Over the past decade, the proportion of billionaires among UHNWI has remained broadly unchanged at around 1%. Yet in absolute terms, their number has increased by more than 50% since 2012. And their combined fortune has almost doubled (+90%!). The world's billionaire population is heavily dominated by men, with women representing a modest 12.9%.
The top 15 countries/regions are home to just over three-quarters of the world's billionaire population and 81% of their total wealth. Saudi Arabia and Canada recorded the fastest expansion in billionaire wealth. The average age of billionaires in the technology sector is 11 years lower than that of the global billionaire population.