Money
Visualizing the World’s Growing Millionaire Population (2012-2022)
Visualizing the World’s Growing Millionaire Population
Reaping the rewards of tech revolutions, market booms, and more, the last decade has seen a remarkable increase in the global number of millionaires.
In 2022, 1.1% of all of the world’s adults were millionaires, up from 0.6% in 2012.
In today’s visualization, we dive into the world’s growing millionaire population using data from this year’s Global Wealth Report by Credit Suisse.
The Global Millionaire Population, Then and Now
In 2022, total millionaire wealth stood at $208.3 trillion, accounting for 45.8% of global wealth. That represents a 138% increase from 2011, when millionaires held $87.5 trillion in wealth.
While the rise can be attributed to a number of factors, financial assets have accounted for most of the increase in total wealth since the 2008 Financial Crisis, according to Credit Suisse.
Here’s a look at the explosive growth in the number of millionaires from 2012 to 2022:
Wealth range | Number of adults (2012) | Number of adults (2022) |
---|---|---|
$1-5M | 25.6 million | 51.5 million |
$5-10M | 1.9 million | 5.1 million |
>$10M | 1.0 million | 2.8 million |
At the very apex of these pyramids, the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (all holding $50 million or more in wealth) has nearly tripled over the last decade.
Where are the world’s millionaires mostly found?
- 42%: North America
- 27%: Europe
- 16%: Asia-Pacific (ex. China and India)
- 10%: China
- 5%: Rest of the World
In total, the world’s millionaire population amounted to 59.4 million adults in 2022.
Despite inflation, interest rates, and current market conditions hampering wealth creation for many in 2022 and 2023, Credit Suisse forecasts that the number of millionaires will still grow to 86 million by 2027, a 45% increase from 2022.
The Outlook for Wealth Inequality
Although wealth inequality fell slightly in 2022, a significant chunk of overall global wealth still belongs to the wealthiest parts of the population.
In stark contrast to millionaires, 52.5% of the world’s adults had less than $10,000 in wealth, and combined for just 1.2% of global wealth.
From a big picture perspective, however, worldwide wealth inequality has trended downward over the last two decades. That is, before the 2020–2021 period when the wealth gap was exacerbated due to the pandemic and the subsequent boom in share and house prices.
Looking ahead to 2027, Credit Suisse forecasts that the share of adults with less than $10,000 in wealth will fall, with more adults moving into the middle and upper income levels. It’ll be interesting to see if global wealth inequality continues its long-term downward trajectory.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report (2022 and 2012 versions)
Money
Ranked: Top Countries for Foreign Direct Investment Flows
Take a look at changes in foreign direct investment flows over a decade, analyzing the top destinations and biggest investors.

One of the most significant phenomena in 21st-century globalization, driven by the ascent of multinational corporations and the removal of investing barriers, is the vast cross-border flow of foreign capital.
To analyze recent trends, Samidha Nayak utilized World Bank data spanning 2012–2022, charting the top 10 destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI) and the leading investing countries annually.
Countries With the Most FDI Inflows (2012–2022)
In 2012, the United States had the highest FDI inflow, attracting about $250 billion in investment from the rest of the world.
At second place, China’s FDI inflows stood about $9 billion lower at $241 billion.
The middle ranks have representatives from Europe (Netherlands, Cyprus), from Asia (Hong Kong) and from South America (Brazil).
Towards the bottom, three OECD countries—Germany, Ireland, and Australia—all attracted an average of $60 billion in foreign investment.
Unexpectedly, the British Virgin Islands came in 8th. Their lack of corporate tax makes it a popular place for companies to headquarter, in turn attracting FDI inflows.
2012 | Country | 2012 Inflows (USD Billion) | 2022 | Country | 2022 Inflows (USD Billion) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $250.35 | 1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $388.08 |
2 | 🇨🇳 China | $241.21 | 2 | 🇨🇳 China | $180.17 |
3 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $239.67 | 3 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $140.84 |
4 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $92.57 | 4 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $120.95 |
5 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $74.89 | 5 | 🇫🇷 France | $105.42 |
6 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $69.97 | 6 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $91.50 |
7 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $65.44 | 7 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $67.12 |
8 | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | $61.12 | 8 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $53.71 |
9 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | $58.09 | 9 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $50.05 |
10 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $57.55 | 10 | 🇮🇳 India | $49.94 |
Ten years later however, the top 10 saw a shuffle. The U.S. and China retained their top spots, but the difference grew much larger—with the U.S. attracting nearly 50% more foreign investment ($388 billion) than China ($180 billion).
Singapore, which first appeared in the rankings in 2014, took third place with $141 billion.
Meanwhile the bottom half changed almost entirely with France, Canada, Sweden, and India replacing Cyprus, Germany, the British Virgin Islands, and Ireland.
Countries With the Most FDI Outflows (2012–2022)
Unlike the ranks of net inflows, the top 10 countries with the highest FDI outflows have stayed essentially the same.
The U.S. topped the list in both ends of the decade, despite briefly falling out of the top 10 entirely in 2018. There were only three new entrants (France, Australia, and the UK) in 2022 compared to 10 years prior, with Cyprus, Switzerland, and the British Virgin Islands dropping out of top spots.
2012 | Country | 2012 Outflows (USD Billion) | 2022 | Country | 2022 Outflows (USD Billion) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $377.24 | 1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $426.25 |
2 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $237.94 | 2 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $178.87 |
3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $117.63 | 3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $175.40 |
4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $99.08 | 4 | 🇬🇧 UK | $158.93 |
5 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $88.12 | 5 | 🇨🇳 China | $149.69 |
6 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $75.25 | 6 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $125.89 |
7 | 🇨🇳 China | $64.96 | 7 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $123.36 |
8 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $62.25 | 8 | 🇫🇷 France | $118.76 |
9 | 🇨🇭Switzerland | $54.30 | 9 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $106.86 |
10 | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | $53.94 | 10 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $83.11 |
Many of the countries who are in the top ranks for inflows (U.S., China, Canada, Australia) are also in the top ranks for outflows both in 2012 and 2022.
-
Misc1 day ago
Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters (2000-2022)
-
Retail3 weeks ago
Visualizing the Number of Costco Stores, by Country
-
Markets2 weeks ago
Charted: Market Volatility at its Lowest Point Since 2020
-
Green6 mins ago
Ranked: The Most Carbon-Intensive Sectors in the World
-
Culture3 weeks ago
Ranked: Which Countries Drink the Most Beer?
-
Markets2 weeks ago
Mapped: The Migration of the World’s Millionaires in 2023
-
Maps3 weeks ago
Mapped: The Deadliest Earthquakes of the 21st Century
-
Countries1 week ago
Charted: The World’s Biggest Oil Producers