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18 May, 2018

Female billionaires grew 18% in 2018, Wealth-X report reveals

New York, 15 May 2018 (Wealth-X media release) – The fifth edition of the Wealth-X Billionaire Census reveals that billionaire wealth surged by 24% to a record level in 2017, and the billionaire population rebounded by 15% to 2,754 individuals, surpassing the previous peak of 2,473 in 2015.

The report attributes this significant increase in wealth to a synchronized upturn in the world economy and climbing equity markets.  In a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment, the influence on the world economy of this most exclusive group of individuals is continuing to rise.

According to the Wealth-X Billionaire Census 2018 there are now more global billionaires than ever before, powered by a vibrant technology sector, as well as dynamic growth in the number of ultra-wealthy individuals in Asia – which, for the first time, overtook North America as the home of the most billionaires.

In addition to this dramatic rise in population and wealth, the Billionaire Census 2018 uncovers numerous trends among this exclusive population, including:

  • Billionaire wealth grew at a much faster pace than population size across all regions
  • While the US remained the dominant force for this increase, six of the top ten countries recorded faster growth than the US in their respective billionaire populations
  • The number of female billionaires rose by 18%, outpacing the growth of the male billionaire population
  • A growing trend for billionaires to give more, with significant portions of the population focusing at least part of their philanthropic activity on education, health and social causes, as well as art and cultural organizations

The findings of the Billionaire Census 2018 are derived from Wealth-X’s global database of dossiers ultra-high net worth individuals, which provides unrivaled insight into the status of the world’s wealthy, the constantly changing structure of the billionaire population, and the emerging trends for future wealth creation.

Download the complete Wealth-X Billionaire Census 2018 which includes:

  • Analysis of the main asset holdings, industry concentration and sources of wealth in the billionaire population
  • Ranking of the leading billionaire countries and cities of the world
  • The leading interests and passions of the world’s ultra wealthy population
  • Insight into the world’s leading educational institutions for producing billionaires
  • Trends that are influencing the philanthropic behavior of the world’s wealthiest individuals