Money
The Richest Person on Each Continent
The Richest Person on Each Continent
With a stock price surge of 13% after Amazon’s most recent quarterly filing, Wall Street analysts were reportedly “shocked” by the company’s rapid growth. The e-commerce juggernaut beat both quarterly revenue and earnings forecasts, and continues to trailblaze with a 34% revenue growth rate.
This boded well for the net worth of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, which fluctuates wildly based on Amazon stock price movements. In fact, the recent jump in price on October 27 helped catapult him past Bill Gates (again) to become the richest person in North America, as well as the entire world.
As of publication time, according to Forbes’ real-time wealth tracker, his wealth stands at $92.6 billion.
Net Worth Leaders by Continent
Today’s graphic comes to us from HowMuch.net and it shows the richest person on each continent.
Here is the full breakdown:
| Person | Continent | Net Worth | Source of Wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bezos | North America | $92.6B | Technology |
| Jorge Paulo Leman | South America | $30.8B | Food and beverage |
| Amancio Ortega | Europe | $77.8B | Fashion, real estate, investing |
| Aliko Dangote | Africa | $13.7B | Cement, sugar, flour, salt |
| Mukesh Ambani | Asia | $41.9B | Oil an gas |
| Gina Rinehart | Oceania | $16.6B | Mining |
Net worth figures from HowMuch.net as of November 3, 2017
To be thorough, HowMuch.net also “nominated” a person to represent the continent of Antarctica, even though it has no permanent residents.
Chosen for this title? It’s none other than Arnold W. Donald, the CEO of Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, which monetizes the icy continent for its Antarctic cruises on a regular basis.
This graphic has been amended since initial publication. Just yesterday, Mukesh Ambani climbed up the list to become the richest person in Asia, and it now reflects that. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out.
Debt
Visualizing $97 Trillion of Global Debt in 2023
Global debt has soared since the pandemic. Which countries have the biggest stockpile of debt outstanding in 2023?
Visualizing $97 Trillion of Government Debt in 2023
Global government debt is projected to hit $97.1 trillion this year, a 40% increase since 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments introduced sweeping financial measures to support the job market and prevent a wave of bankruptcies. However, this has exposed vulnerabilities as higher interest rates are amplifying borrowing costs.
This graphic shows global debt by country in 2023, based on projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Debt by Country in 2023
Below, we rank countries by their general government gross debt, or the financial liabilities owed by each country:
| Country | Gross Debt (B) | % of World Total | Debt to GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | $33,228.9 | 34.2% | 123.3% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $14,691.7 | 15.1% | 83.0% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $10,797.2 | 11.1% | 255.2% |
| 🇬🇧 UK | $3,468.7 | 3.6% | 104.1% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $3,353.9 | 3.5% | 110.0% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $3,141.4 | 3.2% | 143.7% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $3,056.7 | 3.1% | 81.9% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $2,919.3 | 3.0% | 65.9% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $2,253.3 | 2.3% | 106.4% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $1,873.7 | 1.9% | 88.1% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $1,697.5 | 1.7% | 107.3% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $954.6 | 1.0% | 52.7% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $928.1 | 1.0% | 54.3% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $875.9 | 0.9% | 51.9% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $835.0 | 0.9% | 167.9% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | $665.2 | 0.7% | 106.0% |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | $556.5 | 0.6% | 89.5% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $552.8 | 0.6% | 39.0% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $540.9 | 0.6% | 49.5% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | $419.4 | 0.4% | 49.8% |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | $407.2 | 0.4% | 168.0% |
| 🇹🇷 Türkiye | $397.2 | 0.4% | 34.4% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | $394.8 | 0.4% | 21.2% |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | $393.6 | 0.4% | 74.8% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $369.3 | 0.4% | 92.7% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $357.7 | 0.4% | 39.5% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $314.5 | 0.3% | 61.4% |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | $303.6 | 0.3% | 58.2% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | $299.4 | 0.3% | 108.3% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $288.3 | 0.3% | 66.9% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $280.7 | 0.3% | 73.7% |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $260.9 | 0.3% | 76.6% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $257.7 | 0.3% | 24.1% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $251.7 | 0.3% | 42.7% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | $250.9 | 0.3% | 57.6% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | $225.0 | 0.2% | 73.6% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $204.5 | 0.2% | 37.4% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | $200.1 | 0.2% | 55.0% |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $200.0 | 0.2% | 26.6% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $192.9 | 0.2% | 32.3% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | $178.7 | 0.2% | 51.0% |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | $175.9 | 0.2% | 39.4% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $152.8 | 0.2% | 88.1% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $152.2 | 0.2% | 45.4% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $151.3 | 0.2% | 38.8% |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | $149.7 | 0.2% | 29.4% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | $147.3 | 0.2% | 34.0% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | $140.0 | 0.1% | 68.7% |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | $132.2 | 0.1% | 38.4% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $126.7 | 0.1% | 30.1% |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | $125.5 | 0.1% | 49.2% |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | $123.5 | 0.1% | 55.1% |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $115.0 | 0.1% | 46.1% |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | $112.1 | 0.1% | 30.6% |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | $102.7 | 0.1% | 69.7% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | $97.5 | 0.1% | 41.4% |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | $89.7 | 0.1% | 33.9% |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | $79.6 | 0.1% | 84.9% |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | $79.1 | 0.1% | 70.2% |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | $75.4 | 0.1% | 56.7% |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | $72.1 | 0.1% | 59.8% |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | $65.9 | 0.1% | 55.5% |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | $65.5 | 0.1% | 256.0% |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | $65.1 | 0.1% | 84.9% |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | $60.7 | 0.1% | 23.4% |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | $59.0 | 0.1% | 37.9% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $54.5 | 0.1% | 121.2% |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | $53.9 | 0.1% | 63.0% |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | $51.2 | 0.1% | 63.8% |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | $47.0 | 0.0% | 61.6% |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | $46.9 | 0.0% | 93.8% |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | $46.8 | 0.0% | 68.5% |
| 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire | $45.1 | 0.0% | 56.8% |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | $43.5 | 0.0% | 52.8% |
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | $43.0 | 0.0% | 57.5% |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | $41.4 | 0.0% | 38.2% |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | $39.9 | 0.0% | 77.8% |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | $38.5 | 0.0% | 51.3% |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | $37.8 | 0.0% | 80.8% |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | $35.8 | 0.0% | 42.6% |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | $31.7 | 0.0% | 35.1% |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | $30.9 | 0.0% | 95.4% |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | $30.4 | 0.0% | 44.1% |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | $29.1 | 0.0% | 28.3% |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | $28.7 | 0.0% | 36.1% |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | $25.8 | 0.0% | 73.0% |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | $25.3 | 0.0% | 48.3% |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | $25.2 | 0.0% | 81.0% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $25.2 | 0.0% | 78.6% |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $24.6 | 0.0% | 27.6% |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | $23.5 | 0.0% | 6.1% |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | $21.7 | 0.0% | 21.0% |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | $20.6 | 0.0% | 41.9% |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | $19.7 | 0.0% | 89.7% |
| 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | $19.6 | 0.0% | 16.7% |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | $19.3 | 0.0% | 46.7% |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | $18.9 | 0.0% | 40.6% |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | $18.7 | 0.0% | 61.2% |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | $18.1 | 0.0% | 40.9% |
| 🇱🇦 Lao P.D.R. | $17.3 | 0.0% | 121.7% |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | $15.7 | 0.0% | 46.3% |
| 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | $15.7 | 0.0% | 49.5% |
| 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | $14.6 | 0.0% | 52.5% |
| 🇦🇱 Albania | $14.5 | 0.0% | 62.9% |
| 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | $14.1 | 0.0% | 97.8% |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | $14.1 | 0.0% | 18.2% |
| 🇾🇪 Yemen | $14.0 | 0.0% | 66.4% |
| 🇯🇲 Jamaica | $13.6 | 0.0% | 72.3% |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | $13.1 | 0.0% | 69.9% |
| 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | $12.7 | 0.0% | 61.2% |
| 🇬🇦 Gabon | $12.5 | 0.0% | 64.9% |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | $11.9 | 0.0% | 39.6% |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | $11.8 | 0.0% | 79.7% |
| 🇦🇲 Armenia | $11.8 | 0.0% | 47.9% |
| 🇧🇸 Bahamas | $11.7 | 0.0% | 84.2% |
| 🇲🇱 Mali | $11.0 | 0.0% | 51.8% |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | $11.0 | 0.0% | 54.1% |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | $10.9 | 0.0% | 35.3% |
| 🇧🇯 Benin | $10.6 | 0.0% | 53.0% |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | $10.4 | 0.0% | 78.6% |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | $9.0 | 0.0% | 21.6% |
| 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | $9.0 | 0.0% | 13.3% |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | $8.8 | 0.0% | 63.3% |
| 🇳🇦 Namibia | $8.5 | 0.0% | 67.6% |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | $8.5 | 0.0% | 54.0% |
| 🇳🇪 Niger | $8.3 | 0.0% | 48.7% |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | $8.2 | 0.0% | 51.6% |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | $7.7 | 0.0% | 28.6% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $7.7 | 0.0% | 110.3% |
| 🇬🇳 Guinea | $7.3 | 0.0% | 31.6% |
| 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | $7.2 | 0.0% | 41.5% |
| 🇧🇧 Barbados | $7.2 | 0.0% | 115.0% |
| 🇹🇬 Togo | $6.1 | 0.0% | 67.2% |
| 🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Republic | $6.0 | 0.0% | 47.0% |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | $5.6 | 0.0% | 35.1% |
| 🇹🇩 Chad | $5.4 | 0.0% | 43.2% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $5.4 | 0.0% | 3.4% |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | $5.1 | 0.0% | 49.5% |
| 🇭🇹 Haiti | $5.1 | 0.0% | 19.6% |
| 🇬🇾 Guyana | $4.9 | 0.0% | 29.9% |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | $4.6 | 0.0% | 65.8% |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | $4.6 | 0.0% | 83.6% |
| 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | $4.2 | 0.0% | 5.1% |
| 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | $4.0 | 0.0% | 33.5% |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana | $3.9 | 0.0% | 18.7% |
| 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | $3.8 | 0.0% | 38.3% |
| 🇸🇷 Suriname | $3.8 | 0.0% | 107.0% |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudan | $3.8 | 0.0% | 60.4% |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | $3.3 | 0.0% | 123.4% |
| 🇦🇼 Aruba | $3.2 | 0.0% | 82.9% |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | $3.1 | 0.0% | 88.9% |
| 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | $2.9 | 0.0% | 113.1% |
| 🇧🇮 Burundi | $2.3 | 0.0% | 72.7% |
| 🇱🇷 Liberia | $2.3 | 0.0% | 52.3% |
| 🇽🇰 Kosovo | $2.2 | 0.0% | 21.3% |
| 🇸🇿 Eswatini | $2.0 | 0.0% | 42.4% |
| 🇧🇿 Belize | $1.9 | 0.0% | 59.3% |
| 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | $1.8 | 0.0% | 74.2% |
| 🇬🇲 Gambia | $1.7 | 0.0% | 72.3% |
| 🇩🇯 Djibouti | $1.6 | 0.0% | 41.8% |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | $1.6 | 0.0% | 80.5% |
| 🇸🇲 San Marino | $1.5 | 0.0% | 74.0% |
| 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | $1.5 | 0.0% | 73.9% |
| 🇱🇸 Lesotho | $1.5 | 0.0% | 61.3% |
| 🇦🇩 Andorra | $1.4 | 0.0% | 37.7% |
| 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | $1.4 | 0.0% | 50.1% |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | $1.3 | 0.0% | 60.8% |
| 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $0.9 | 0.0% | 86.2% |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | $0.8 | 0.0% | 60.2% |
| 🇩🇲 Dominica | $0.7 | 0.0% | 93.9% |
| 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | $0.6 | 0.0% | 53.2% |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | $0.5 | 0.0% | 46.8% |
| 🇰🇲 Comoros | $0.5 | 0.0% | 33.3% |
| 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe | $0.4 | 0.0% | 58.5% |
| 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | $0.4 | 0.0% | 22.2% |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam | $0.3 | 0.0% | 2.3% |
| 🇼🇸 Samoa | $0.3 | 0.0% | 36.2% |
| 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | $0.3 | 0.0% | 16.4% |
| 🇵🇼 Palau | $0.2 | 0.0% | 85.4% |
| 🇹🇴 Tonga | $0.2 | 0.0% | 41.1% |
| 🇫🇲 Micronesia | $0.1 | 0.0% | 12.5% |
| 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | $0.1 | 0.0% | 18.1% |
| 🇳🇷 Nauru | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 29.1% |
| 🇰🇮 Kiribati | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 13.1% |
| 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 8.0% |
| 🇲🇴 Macao SAR | <$0.1 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 🌐 World | $97,129.8 | 100% | 93.0% |
With $33.2 trillion in government debt, the U.S. makes up over a third of the world total.
Given the increasing debt load, the cost of servicing this debt now accounts for 20% of government spending. It is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2028, surpassing the total spent on defense.
The world’s third-biggest economy, Japan, has one of the highest debt to GDP ratios, at 255%. Over the last two decades, its national debt has far exceeded 100% of its GDP, driven by an aging population and social security expenses.
In 2023, Egypt faces steep borrowing costs, with 40% of revenues going towards debt repayments. It has the highest debt on the continent.
Like Egypt, several emerging economies are facing strain. Lebanon has been in default since 2020, and Ghana defaulted on the majority of its external debt—debt owed to foreign lenders—in 2022 amid a deepening economic crisis.
Global Debt: A Regional Perspective
How does debt compare on a regional level in 2023?
| Region | Gross Debt (B) | % of World Total | Debt to GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $36,451.8 | 37.5% | 117.6% |
| Asia and Pacific | $34,257.4 | 35.3% | 92.5% |
| Europe | $20,123.4 | 20.7% | 79.1% |
| South America | $3,164.9 | 3.3% | 77.2% |
| Africa | $1,863.6 | 1.9% | 65.2% |
| Other/Rest of World | $1,269.1 | 1.3% | 31.4% |
We can see that North America has both the highest debt and debt to GDP compared to other regions. Just as U.S. debt has ballooned, so has Canada’s—ranking as the 10th-highest globally in government debt outstanding.
Across Asia and the Pacific, debt levels hover close to North America.
At 3.3% of the global total, South America has $3.2 trillion in debt. As inflation has trended downwards, a handful of governments have already begun cutting interest rates. Overall, public debt levels are projected to stay elevated across the region.
Debt levels have also risen rapidly in Africa, with an average 40% of public debt held in foreign currencies—leaving it exposed to exchange rate fluctuations. Another challenge is that interest rates are also higher across the region compared to advanced economies, increasing debt-servicing costs.
By 2028, the IMF projects that global public debt will exceed 100% of GDP, hitting levels only seen during the pandemic.
-
Markets1 week agoRecession Risk: Which Sectors are Least Vulnerable?
-
Revenue2 weeks agoRanked: The Biggest Retailers in the U.S. by Revenue
-
Globalization2 weeks agoThe Top 50 Largest Importers in the World
-
Maps2 weeks agoMapped: Which Countries Recognize Israel or Palestine, or Both?
-
Education2 weeks agoRanked: America’s Best Universities
-
Countries1 week agoRanked: Share of Global Arms Imports in 2022
-
Countries1 week agoRanked: Share of Global Arms Exports in 2022
-
Globalization1 week agoCharted: The Industries Where Asian Companies are the Strongest