Wealthiest in the World
World's Wealthiest Individuals or Families
by Country
Sorted by Number and Total Wealth
| Country | 1994 No. |
1996 No. |
% Change |
1994 Billions |
1996 Billions |
% Change | |
| United States | 41 |
172 |
420% |
$248.5 |
$372.1 |
150% | |
| Hong Kong | 8 |
20 |
250 |
41.9 |
68.7 |
164 | |
| France | 4 |
16 |
400 |
21.1 |
38.2 |
181 | |
| Switzerland | 3 |
12 |
400 |
19.7 |
37.9 |
192 | |
| Indonesia | 3 |
10 |
333 |
10 |
29.8 |
298 | |
| Taiwan | 4 |
8 |
200 |
15.9 |
26.7 |
168 | |
| Mexico | 7 |
27 |
386 |
44.1 |
26.6 |
60 | |
| Malaysia | 3 |
11 |
367 |
7.5 |
26 |
347 | |
| Philippines | -- |
9 |
* |
6.2 |
23.8 |
384 | |
| Korea | 3 |
7 |
233 |
10.3 |
23.5 |
228 | |
| Thailand | 3 |
11 |
367 |
14.1 |
21.1 |
150 | |
| Brazil | 2 |
12 |
600 |
11 |
18.4 |
167 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 |
8 |
400 |
10.1 |
18 |
178 | |
| Scandinavia | 2 |
5 |
250 |
12.5 |
16.9 |
135 | |
| Italy | 2 |
6 |
300 |
10 |
16.2 |
162 | |
| Canada | 3 |
6 |
200 |
13.5 |
15.8 |
117 | |
| United Kingdom | 2 |
6 |
300 |
10.5 |
14 |
133 | |
| Greece | 2 |
5 |
250 |
10 |
13.3 |
133 | |
| Singapore | 1 |
4 |
400 |
4.9 |
12 |
245 | |
| The Netherlands | 1 |
4 |
400 |
9 |
11.4 |
127 | |
| Argentina | 1 |
4 |
400 |
6.7 |
6.7 |
100 | |
| Turkey | 1 |
3 |
300 |
3.9 |
8.9 |
228 | |
| Chile | -- |
4 |
* |
4.7 |
7.5 |
160 | |
| China | -- |
1 |
* |
-- |
5.5 |
* | |
| India | 1 |
3 |
300 |
3.2 |
4.7 |
147 | |
| Lebanon | 1 |
2 |
200 |
3.8 |
4.3 |
113 | |
| Colombia | -- |
3 |
* |
3.5 |
4.2 |
120 | |
| Spain | -- |
3 |
* |
4.1 |
4.1 |
100 | |
| Israel | -- |
3 |
* |
2.9 |
4 |
138 | |
| South Africa | -- |
2 |
* |
1.5 |
4.1 |
273 | |
| Venezuela | -- |
2 |
* |
2.5 |
2.4 |
96 | |
| Kuwait | -- |
1 |
* |
1.5 |
3 |
200 | |
| Australia | 1 |
1 |
100 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
100 | |
| Liechtenstein | -- |
1 |
* |
-- |
1.5 |
* | |
| Bahrain | -- |
1 |
* |
-- |
1 |
* | |
| Ecuador | -- |
1 |
* |
-- |
1.2 |
* | |
| Totals | 147 |
490 |
333% |
$763 |
$1,120 |
147% |
Note: The above chart reflects the wealthy people with $1 billion or more. The 1993 edition of Forbes did not list all those who had $1 to $2 bil.. It would be very revealing if we had the ability to compare '93, '94 and
'96 for those with $1 billion or more. It is very clear from the above that
* There is no mathematical percentage value when going from 0 to a positive or negative value. (According to present math theory, any number divided by zero, results in an answer of zero, which is illogical, because an increase or decrease in value should result in a positive or negative percentage increase, and according to this theory, it does not.)