These 20 countries and territories are home to most of the world's 2,755 billionaires

Advertisement
These 20 countries and territories are home to most of the world's 2,755 billionaires
  • There are 2,755 people in Forbes' 35th annual ranking of the world's billionaires.
  • Almost every country added more billionaires in 2021, and the Top 20 had some noteworthy shakeups.
  • Here are the 20 countries and territories that most of the world's richest people call home.

The US and China have the lion's share of the world's richest people, unsurprisingly. But almost every country in the world saw their number of billionaire residents rise this year, according to Forbes' 2021 Billionaires List.

This means there's plenty of shakeups and surprises on the list of countries with the most billionaires.

India, for example, broke into the Top 3 after adding 19 new billionaires this year, according to Forbes' ranking. Italy, meanwhile, made it into the Top 10.

Forbes' list of billionaires for 2021 includes 2,755 people. The following places are home to 2,444 of these billionaires.

Here are the 20 countries and territories with the biggest number of the world's billionaires:

Advertisement

1. United States

1. United States
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The US has 724 billionaires, led by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Musk is worth $202.6 billion.

2. China

2. China
The night skyline in Shanghai. Feng Li/Getty Images

China has 626 billionaires, led by Zhong Shanshan, who chairs bottled water company Nongfu Spring. He is worth $65 billion.

Advertisement

3. India

3. India
Skyline in New Delhi. Shihan Shan/Getty Images

India has 140 billionaires, led by Mukesh Ambani, who chairs Reliance Industries Limited, a conglomerate with interests in telecommunications, retail, and oil and gas. He is worth $97.7 billion.

4. Germany

4. Germany
An unusually empty scene in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

Germany has 136 billionaires, led by Beate Heister and Karl Albrecht Jr., who are heirs to the Aldi empire. They are worth $43.4 billion.

Advertisement

5. Russia

5. Russia
Valery Sharifulin/TASS/Getty Images

Russia has 117 billionaires, led by the family of Alexey Mordashov, former CEO of steel and mining company Severstal. Mordashov and his family are worth $31 billion.

6. Hong Kong

6. Hong Kong
DuKai photographer/Getty Images

Hong Kong has 71 billionaires, led by Li Ka-shing. He is the former chairman of CK Asset Holdings, which operates real estate businesses, and CK Hutchison Holdings, which has interests in retail, infrastructure, and port services. He is worth $31.4 billion.

Advertisement

7. Brazil

7. Brazil
Ricardo Moraes/Reuters

Brazil has 65 billionaires, led by investment banker Jorge Paulo Lemann and his family. They are worth $14.9 billion.

8. Canada

8. Canada
Shutterstock.com

Canada has 64 billionaires, led by media magnate David Thomson and his family. Thomson and his family are worth $50.9 billion.

Advertisement

9. United Kingdom

9. United Kingdom
Matteo Colombo/Getty Images

The UK has 56 billionaires, led by chemical engineer-turned-financier James Ratcliffe, who is worth $14.8 billion.

10. Italy

10. Italy
A general view of the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) empty and without tourists during the first day of lockdown on March 15. Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Italy has 51 billionaires, led by Giovanni Ferrero, who is executive chairman of his family's namesake chocolate business. Ferrero is worth $34.1 billion.

Advertisement

11. Japan

11. Japan
Getty Images

Japan has 49 billionaires, led by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who is worth $27.4 billion.

12. Taiwan

12. Taiwan
A general view of the Taipei skyline shows the Taipei 101 building before Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan Thomson Reuters

Taiwan has 47 billionaires, led by Terry Gou, who is the CEO of Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer. He is worth $6.4 billion.

Advertisement

13. Australia

13. Australia
Getty Images/James D. Morgan

Australia has 44 billionaires, led by mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who is worth $22.4 billion.

14. South Korea

14. South Korea
Allan Baxter / Getty Images

South Korea has 43 billionaires, led by Seo Jung-jin, the co-founder of biopharmaceutical company Celltrion. He is worth $9.2 billion.

Advertisement

15. France

15. France
POOL New/Reuters

France has 42 billionaires, led by LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault and his family. Arnault and his family are worth $177.1 billion.

16. Sweden

16. Sweden
Hotels lining the waterfront of Stockholm goga18128/Shutterstock

Sweden has 41 billionaires, led by former H&M chairman Stefan Persson, who is worth $19 billion.

Advertisement

17. Switzerland

17. Switzerland
Shutterstock

Switzerland has 40 billionaires, led by Mediterranean Shipping Company founder Gianluigi Aponte and his wife, Rafaela. The couple is worth $10.4 billion.

18. Thailand

18. Thailand
Pakin Songmor/Getty Images

Thailand has 31 billionaires, led by Dhanin Chearavanont, who is chairman of conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group, which has interests in agro-industry, retail, and telecommunications. Chearavanont is worth $12.6 billion.

Advertisement

19. Spain

19. Spain
gnoparus/Shutterstock

Spain has 30 billionaires, led by Amancio Ortega, who is the co-founder of clothing retailer Inditex Group, which owns Zara. Ortega is worth $82.4 billion.

20. Singapore

20. Singapore
An office worker walks along the Singapore River front during the lunch hour. Wong Maye-E/AP

Singapore has 27 billionaires, led by Zhang Yong, who is the chairman of hotpot restaurant chain Haidilao. Yong is worth $10.3 billion.

Turkey tied with Singapore for 20th place with 27 billionaires of its own, although Singapore had more billionaires last year than Turkey did.

Advertisement