According to the study...
The Ranks of Millionaire Households Swell
Wealth became slightly more concentrated as it grew. Less than 1 percent of all households were millionaires, but they owned about 38 percent of the world’s wealth, up from about 36 percent in 2008. Households with more than $5 million in wealth represented 0.1 percent of households but owned about 21 percent, or $23 trillion, of the world’s wealth, up from 19 percent in 2008.
- The number of millionaire households rose by about 14 percent in 2009, to 11.2 million—about where it stood at the end of 2007.
- The United States had by far the most millionaire households (4.7 million) followed by Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
- Singapore saw the highest growth in millionaire households, up 35 percent, followed by 33 percent for Malaysia, 32 percent for Slovakia, and 31 percent for China.
- Smaller markets had the highest concentrations of millionaire households. In Singapore and Hong Kong, millionaire households accounted for 11.4 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively, of all households.
- Switzerland had the highest concentration of millionaire households in Europe and the third-highest overall at 8.4 percent.
- Three of the six densest millionaire populations were in the Middle East—in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Despite its large population, the United States had the seventh-highest density of millionaire households at 4.1 percent.
