NEW DELHI: The world has never had more billionaires. Forbes has counted a record 3,428 10-figure fortunes across the globe this year, spread across 80 countries and territories. This number keeps climbing as technology, markets and geopolitical shifts continue to concentrate wealth at the top. But despite that geographic spread, the picture is strikingly lopsided. More than half of all billionaires — 51% — are concentrated in just three countries: the United States China and India.
The United States of America: 989 billionaires, $8.4 trillion in combined wealth
No country comes close to America when it comes to producing and retaining billionaires. The US is home to a record 989 billionaires this year, worth a combined $8.4 trillion. That includes 15 of the 20 richest people in the world, and the richest person of all: Elon Musk, who emigrated to the US from South Africa via Canada more than three decades ago.
The country added 106 new billionaires in 2026. At the time of writing, Forbes ‘Real-Time Billionaires List’ suggests top 8 of the top 10 spots are taken by tech executives: Elon Musk, Larry Page (Google cofounder), Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder), Sergey Brin (Google cofounder), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder), Larry Ellison (Oracle founder), Jensen Huang (Nvidia founder) and Michael Dell (Dell founder).
China: 539 billionaires, thanks to AI and consumer goods
China follows in second place with 539 billionaires worth a collective $2.2 trillion, which is the highest number of Chinese citizens Forbes has ever recorded on the list, surpassing the previous record of 495 set in 2024.
As a group, Chinese billionaires are $500 billion richer than they were a year ago, buoyed by the country’s growing presence in artificial intelligence (AI) and a strong year for the consumer goods sector. China’s richest person is Zhang Yiming, who is the co-founder of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
India: 229 billionaires, crossing $1 trillion in combined wealth
India, the world’s most populous country, holds third place with 229 billionaires worth an aggregate $1 trillion, which is up from $941 billion the previous year, driven by a robust performance from the country’s stock market.
The rest of the Top 5: Germany and Russia round out the top five, with 212 and 147 billionaires respectively. The broader top ten is largely unchanged from last year, with nine of the same countries or territories retaining their positions. The notable exception is the UK, which slipped from 10th to 12th place, ceding the final top-ten spot to Taiwan.
The top ten countries and territories by the number of billionaires in 2026 are as follows:
1. The United States has the most billionaires, with 989 individuals, up from 902 in 2025, and their total wealth has increased from $6.8 trillion to $8.4 trillion. The richest person in the US is Elon Musk, with a net worth of $839 billion.
2. China ranks second, with 539 billionaires in 2026, an increase from 450 in 2025, and their combined wealth has grown from $1.7 trillion to $2.2 trillion. The wealthiest Chinese billionaire is Zhang Yiming, with $69.3 billion.
3. India is in third place, with 229 billionaires in 2026, up from 205 in 2025, and their total wealth has risen from $941 billion to $1 trillion. Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian billionaire, with a net worth of $99.7 billion.
4. Germany holds the fourth position, with 212 billionaires in 2026, an increase from 171 in 2025, and their total wealth has grown from $793 billion to $1 trillion. The richest German is Dieter Schwarz, worth $67.2 billion.
5. Russia ranks fifth, with 147 billionaires in 2026, up from 140 in 2025, and their total wealth has increased from $580 billion to $649 billion. The wealthiest Russian is Alexey Mordashov & family, with $37 billion.
6. Italy is sixth, with 89 billionaires in 2026, up from 74 in 2025, and their combined wealth has grown from $339 billion to $483 billion. Giancarlo Devasini is Italy’s richest, with $89.3 billion.
7. Canada is seventh, with 82 billionaires in 2026, an increase from 76 in 2025, and their total wealth has risen from $349 billion to $457 billion. Changpeng Zhao holds the top spot among Canadian billionaires with $110 billion.
8. Hong Kong, an autonomous territory of China, ranks eighth with 71 billionaires in 2026, up from 66 in 2025, and their total wealth has increased from $335 billion to $420 billion. Robin Zeng is the richest Hong Kong billionaire, with $53.2 billion. Hong Kong is an autonomous territory of China.
9. Brazil is ninth, with 70 billionaires in 2026, up from 56 in 2025, and their total wealth has grown from $212 billion to $265 billion. Eduardo Saverin is the wealthiest Brazilian, with $35.9 billion.
10. Taiwan rounds out the top ten, with 66 billionaires in 2026, an increase from 54 in 2025, and their total wealth has increased from $105 billion to $245 billion. Terry Gou is Taiwan’s richest billionaire, with $15.3 billion.
Agencies