Markets
Ranked: The 10 Wealthiest Countries in the World
The 10 Wealthiest Countries
The Chart of the Week is a weekly Visual Capitalist feature on Fridays.
According to market research company New World Wealth, the world has accumulated $215 trillion in private wealth, a 12% increase over the last year.
Incredibly, the vast majority of this wealth – about 73.5% – is held by just 10 countries:
| Rank | Country | Wealth ($ Trillions) | Change (2007-2017, %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | United States | $62.6 | 20% |
| #2 | China | $24.8 | 198% |
| #3 | Japan | $19.5 | 22% |
| #4 | United Kingdom | $9.9 | -2% |
| #5 | Germany | $9.7 | 0% |
| #6 | India | $8.2 | 160% |
| #7 | France | $6.6 | -11% |
| #8 | Canada | $6.4 | 25% |
| #9 | Australia | $6.1 | 83% |
| #10 | Italy | $4.3 | -19% |
Over the last decade, China and India have more than doubled their wealth. Meanwhile, developed economies like the United States and Japan have increased wealth at modest rates – and some, like Italy and France, even lost modest amounts of private wealth over that duration of time.
Finally, it should be noted that the United Kingdom’s decrease above is mainly due to the depreciation of the GBP, which dropped in dollar terms from roughly $2.00 to $1.35 over the decade in question.
Future Projections
How is global wealth expected to shift in the future?
According to New World Wealth, the same 10 countries will dominate the landscape – but the order will change considerably over the next decade:
| Proj. Rank | Country | Proj. Wealth ($ Trillions, 2027) | Change (2017-2027, %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | United States | $75.1 | 20% |
| #2 | China | $69.4 | 180% |
| #3 | Japan | $25.4 | 30% |
| #4 | India | $24.7 | 200% |
| #5 | United Kingdom | $10.9 | 10% |
| #6 | Germany | $10.6 | 10% |
| #7 | Australia | $10.4 | 70% |
| #8 | Canada | $8.3 | 30% |
| #9 | France | $7.3 | 10% |
| #10 | Italy | $4.7 | 10% |
While the ranking order of the top three wealthiest countries will remain the same, India is expected to shoot up 200% to claim the #4 position with $24.7 trillion in private wealth.
Meanwhile, France and Australia are two other significant movers – and they are going opposite directions.
France will continue its descent down the ranking to 9th place with just 10% growth in a decade, and Australia will increase wealth at a rate that is very impressive for a developed economy. By 2027, it’s expected to be the world’s seventh richest country in terms of private wealth, with a total of $10.4 trillion. That will rival powerhouses like Germany and the United Kingdom, each with private wealth near the $11 trillion mark.
For more on private wealth, see the 15 wealthiest cities as well the countries that are gaining (or losing) wealth at the fastest rates.
Markets
The Top Google Searches Related to Investing in 2022
What was on investors’ minds in 2022? Discover the top Google searches and how the dominant trends played out in portfolios.
The Top Google Searches Related to Investing in 2022
It was a turbulent year for the markets in 2022, with geopolitical conflict, rising prices, and the labor market playing key roles. Which stories captured investors’ attention the most?
This infographic from New York Life Investments outlines the top Google searches related to investing in 2022, and offers a closer look at some of the trends.
Top Google Searches: Year in Review
We picked some of the top economic and investing stories that saw peak search interest in the U.S. each month, according to Google Trends.
| Month of Peak Interest | Search Term |
|---|---|
| January | Great Resignation |
| February | Russian Stock Market |
| March | Oil Price |
| April | Housing Bubble |
| May | Value Investing |
| June | Bitcoin |
| July | Recession |
| August | Inflation |
| September | US Dollar |
| October | OPEC |
| November | Layoffs |
| December | Interest Rate Forecast |
Data based on exact searches in the U.S. from December 26, 2021 to December 18, 2022.
Let’s look at each quarter in more detail, to see how these top Google searches were related to activity in the economy and investors’ portfolios.
Q1 2022
The start of the year was marked by U.S. workers quitting their jobs in record numbers, and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. For instance, the price of crude oil skyrocketed after the war caused supply uncertainties. Early March’s peak of $125 per barrel was a 13-year high.
| Date | Closing Price of WTI Crude Oil (USD/Barrel) |
|---|---|
| January 2, 2022 | $76 |
| March 3, 2022 | $125 |
| December 29, 2022 | $80 |
While crude oil lost nearly all its gains by year-end, the energy sector in general performed well. In fact, the S&P 500 Energy Index gained 57% over the year compared to the S&P 500’s 19% loss.
Q2 2022
The second quarter of 2022 saw abnormal house price growth, renewed interest in value investing, and a bitcoin crash. In particular, value investing performed much better than growth investing over the course of the year.
| Index | Price Return in 2022 |
|---|---|
| S&P 500 Value Index | -7.4% |
| S&P 500 Growth Index | -30.1% |
Value stocks have typically outperformed during periods of rising rates, and 2022 was no exception.
Q3 2022
The third quarter was defined by worries about a recession and inflation, along with interest in the rising U.S. dollar. In fact, the U.S. dollar gained against nearly every major currency.
| Currency | USD Appreciation Against Currency (Dec 31 2020-Sep 30 2022) |
|---|---|
| Japanese Yen | 40.1% |
| Chinese Yuan | 9.2% |
| Euro | 25.1% |
| Canadian Dollar | 7.2% |
| British Pound | 22.0% |
| Australian Dollar | 18.1% |
Higher interest rates made the U.S. dollar more attractive to investors, since it meant they would get a higher return on their fixed income investments.
Q4 2022
The end of the year was dominated by OPEC cutting oil production, high layoffs in the tech sector, and curiosity about the future of interest rates. The Federal Reserve’s December 2022 economic projections offer clues about the trajectory of the policy rate.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Longer Run | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Projection | 4.9% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.3% |
| Median Projection | 5.1% | 4.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Maximum Projection | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3.3% |
The Federal Reserve expects interest rates to peak in 2023, with rates to remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels for the foreseeable future.
The Top Google Searches to Come
After a year of volatility across asset classes, economic uncertainty remains. Which themes will become investors’ top Google searches in 2023?
Find out how New York Life Investments can help you make sense of market trends.
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