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The first country to appear on this list is Ireland, a nation that has 176,000 millionaires and 11 billionaires living within its borders. The richest Irish person is Shapoor Mistry, who made his US$9.7 billion wealth by running a 157-year-old construction company.
Indonesia also placed on the list, with 191,000 millionaires and 35 billionaires. The status of “richest Indonesian” is actually shared by two brothers, Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, with a net worth of US$48 billion. The Hartono brothers own significant stakes in Bank Central Asia, one of Indonesia's largest banks.
With 204,000 millionaires and 36 billionaires, Israel sits in the 28th place. The country’s richest person, Eyal Ofer, has a net worth of US$18.9 billion, which was largely derived from his family's global shipping business, Ofer Global.
The Nordic country of Norway is next on the list, with 236,000 millionaires and 13 billionaires. The richest of them all is Ivar Tollefsen, who made his US$8.1 billion wealth through real estate.
Over in South America, Brazil is home to about 266,000 millionaires and 69 billionaires. The richest Brazilian is Jorge Paulo Lemann, the co-founder of a global investment firm known as 3G Capital. Interestingly, he’s also a major shareholder in Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest beer company.
Austria is also featured on this list, with a whopping 271,000 millionaires and 9 billionaires. The nation’s richest person is Mark Mateschitz with a net worth of US$39.2 billion, mainly obtained through the 49% stake in Red Bull he inherited from his father.
Over in Asia, Singapore boasts a portfolio of 298,650 millionaires and 42 billionaires. Li Xiting is the wealthiest, and his position as cofounder and chairmain of Mindray (a major medical device manufacturer) has granted him a net worth of US$14.3 billion.
The Middle Eastern nation of Saudi Arabia is next on the list, with 313,000 millionaires and 22 billionaires. The nephew of the Saudi king, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, is actually the richest in the country, and he made his US$23.7 billion net worth through investments.
Mexico is home to around 318,000 millionaires and 22 billionaires. The country’s wealthiest person is Carlos Slim Helú, who controls América Móvil (Latin America’s biggest mobile telecom firm) along with his family. His net worth is an astounding US$102 billion.
The home of the Kiwis in the Pacific Ocean is a haven for its 347,000 millionaires and 4 billionaires. New Zealand's richest person is Graeme Hart, who has amassed a net worth of US$10.4 billion by investing primarily in the packaging industry.
This list’s 20th place is reserved for the country of Russia, which hosts 353,000 millionaires and 120 billionaires. Vagit Alekperov became the country’s richest person after overseeing the nation’s energy and oil industry, which added to his current net worth of US$28.6 billion.
Denmark’s borders hold about 385,000 millionaires and 16 billionaires inside, with Anders Holch Povlsen as the wealthiest of them all. His US$12.5 billion fortune comes mainly from his ownership of Bestseller, a Danish fashion retail chain.
Another Nordic country is featured here! Sweden is home to 610,000 millionaires and 43 billionaires, and the richest is Stefan Persson with a fortune of $16.6 billion. Persson is the former chairman and the largest shareholder of H&M, the famous clothing retailer founded by his father.
Back in Asia, Hong Kong boasts 632,000 millionaires and 67 billionaires inside its borders. Out of them all, the richest is Li Ka-shing, who built his US$37.3 billion fortune through diversified business interests spanning real estate, telecommunications, and even retail.
The country of India arrives at 15th place, with a shocking 796,000 millionaires and 200 billionaires. Mukesh Ambani is the nation’s wealthiest person with a net worth of US$116 billion, most of which was made through his position as chairperson of Reliance Industries, a company that manages petrochemicals, energy, and retail services.
Taiwan is next on the list, and it is home to 869,000 millionaires and 51 billionaires. The wealthiest person in the nation is Barry Lam, the chairperson of Quanta Computer (the world's largest manufacturer of laptops). His net worth is US$11 billion.
Spain crosses the million-point mark by boasting 1,132,000 millionaires and 29 billionaires inside its borders. Amancio Ortega is the richest person in the country, and he has amassed a fortune of US$103 billion through his founding of Inditex, the parent company that owns Zara.
With about 1,149,000 millionaires and 14 billionaires, the Netherlands is next on the list. The nation’s wealthiest person is Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, who became one of the richest women in the world thanks to her controlling stake in Heineken. Her net worth is US$14.1 billion.
About 1,152,000 millionaires and 41 billionaires live inside Switzerland's borders, and Gianluigi Aponte is the wealthiest with a fortune of US$33.1 billion. Aponte and his wife founded the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the largest shipping line on the planet.
Over on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea boasts a massive 1,290,000 millionaires and 36 billionaires. The richest is Jay Y. Lee, the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics that has made him a fortune of US$11.5 billion.
In ninth place is Italy, which hosts 1,413,000 millionaires and 73 billionaires. With a net worth of US$43.8 billion, the country’s wealthiest person is Giovanni Ferrero. He made his fortune by being the executive chairman of Ferrero Group, the confectionery company famous for brands like Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder.
New Zealand’s neighbor also managed to make the list with an astounding 2,177,000 millionaires and 48 billionaires. Gina Rinehart is the richest in the nation, and she inherited most of her US$30.8 billion fortune from her father's mining company, Hancock Prospecting.
The North American continent certainly has a lot of rich people, with 2,291,000 millionaires and 67 billionaires living in Canada alone. With a collective net worth of US$67.8 billion, David Thomson and his family are the richest as they control a media and publishing empire.
Back over in Europe, Germany is home to 2,683,000 millionaires and 132 billionaires, while the wealthiest is Klaus-Michael Kuehne with a US$39.2 billion fortune. He owns roughly 30% of Hapag-Lloyd, a renowned shipping and logistics company.
In fifth place is France, which boasts a shocking 2,796,000 millionaires and 53 billionaires. Bernard Arnault is the nation’s richest, with an astounding net worth of US$191 billion. He is the chairman and CEO of the world's largest luxury goods company that oversees brands like Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, and Hennessy.
The third place on the list goes to Japan, where a truly astonishing 3,366,000 millionaires and 41 billionaires live. The country’s richest person is Tadashi Yanai, who amassed his US$42.8 billion fortune after becoming the founder and president of Fast Retailing, a global apparel retailer.
Second place is reserved for China, which is home to 6,190,000 millionaires and 406 billionaires. The wealthiest person in China is Zhong Shanshan, with a net worth of US$43.4 billion. He is the founder of Nongfu Spring, a bottled water company, and he also controls Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy, a vaccine manufacturer.
The country with the most millionaires and billionaires in the world is the United States, which boasts a jaw-dropping 24,480,000 millionaires and 813 billionaires. The richest person in the US and also the richest in the world is Elon Musk, who has a net worth of US$257.7 billion.
Sources: (Credit Suisse) (Forbes) (World Population Review) (New World Wealth) (CEOWORLD magazine) (Fortune India)
The UK is also in the top five, with 2,849,000 millionaires and 55 billionaires inside its borders. The country’s richest person is Michael Platt, the CEO of an investment firm called BlueCrest Capital Management. His net worth is US$18 billion.
With an astounding 589,000 millionaires and 10 billionaires, the country of Belgium is next on the list. The nation’s richest person is Eric Wittouck, who is the heir to a Belgian sugar fortune that has put his net worth at US$8.5 billion. Pictured is his great-grandfather, Félix-Guillaume Wittouck.
Money might not make the world go around in a literal sense, but it certainly does give it a helping hand. Between investments, inheritances, and good business, there are cities around the world that have accumulated a nice list of wealthy people. But we’re here to look at which countries most of them call home.
Curious? Click through the gallery to see which nations boast the highest number of millionaires and billionaires.
Countries with the most millionaires and billionaires
Did your country make the top 30?
LIFESTYLE Wealth
Money might not make the world go around in a literal sense, but it certainly does give it a helping hand. Between investments, inheritances, and good business, there are cities around the world that have accumulated a nice list of wealthy people. But we’re here to look at which countries most of them call home.
Curious? Click through the gallery to see which nations boast the highest number of millionaires and billionaires.