Top 10 countries home to the most billionaires in 2025–26: India ranks in the top 3

Top 10 countries home to the most billionaires in 2025-26 list: About 196 self-made billionaires increased global wealth by $386.5 billion, bringing it to a new record of $15.8 trillion in 2025 — an increase of 13% in 12 months and the second-highest yearly growth in the report's history.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 9, 2026 05:58 AM IST

Top 10 countries home to the most billionaires in 2025–26: US and China lead the list. (Image: Freepik)

Top 10 countries home to the most billionaires in 2025–26: Last year, in 2025, global billionaire wealth reached a record high, driven by business innovation and the largest wave of multi-generational inheritance on record, according to the UBS Billionaire Ambition Report published last December.

About 196 self-made billionaires increased global wealth by $386.5 billion, bringing it to a new record of $15.8 trillion in 2025 — an increase of 13 per cent in 12 months and the second-highest yearly growth in the report’s history.

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As the number of billionaires rose by 8.8 per cent, increasing from 2,682 in 2024 to nearly 3,000 in 2025, the global billionaire map continues to shift as wealth creation accelerates in certain countries while stagnating in others.

In 2025, the US billionaire population expanded rapidly — from 89 to 924 individuals — while total billionaire wealth grew by 18 per cent to $6.9 trillion, accounting for 31.7 per cent of the global total.

Furthermore, China recorded the largest increase in billionaire wealth, adding $321.4 billion to reach $1.8 trillion and increasing its total to 470 billionaires with 70 new entrants, second only to the US.

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While the United States and China continue to lead, several smaller economies recorded rapid percentage growth in their billionaire populations in 2025, notably Singapore (+66% year-on-year), Germany (+26.7% YoY), and Saudi Arabia (+113.2% YoY).

Top 10 countries home to the most billionaires in 2025

~3,000

Global Billionaires

$15.8T

Total Wealth

13%

Growth in 12 Months

United States

North America

Total Billionaires

924

Wealth: $6.89 Trillion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 11%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 18%

Global Share: 31.7% of total

China

East Asia

Total Billionaires

470

Wealth: $1.77 Trillion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 10%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 22%

New Entrants: 70 billionaires

India

South Asia

Total Billionaires

188

Wealth: $888 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 2%

Wealth Growth: ↓ -1.9%

Wealth 2025: $888.2 billion

Germany

Central Europe

Total Billionaires

156

Wealth: $692 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 33%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 26.7%

Wealth 2025: $692.1 billion

United Kingdom

Western Europe

Total Billionaires

Wealth: $456 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 11%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 9.3%

Wealth 2025: $456.4 billion

Switzerland

Central Europe

Total Billionaires

Wealth: $518 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↓ -1%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 4.4%

Wealth 2025: $518.4 billion

Hong Kong SAR

East Asia

Total Billionaires

Wealth: $328 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 3%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 0.6%

Wealth 2025: $328 billion

Italy

Southern Europe

Total Billionaires

Wealth: $197 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↓ -2%

Wealth Growth: ↓ -1.3%

Wealth 2025: $197.3 billion

Singapore

Southeast Asia

Total Billionaires

Wealth: $259 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 17%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 66.4% (Highest)

Wealth 2025: $258.8 billion

#10

Taiwan

East Asia

Total Billionaires

Wealth: $164 Billion

Billionaire Growth: ↑ 9%

Wealth Growth: ↑ 19.2%

Wealth 2025: $163.6 billion

Source: UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report 2025 / PwC Database • US holds 31.7% of global billionaire wealth

Indian Express InfoGenIE

Source: UBS – Billionaire Ambitions Report 2025 / PwC Billionaires database and wealth assessment methodology

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Where does India stand among global billionaire hotspots?

Ranked third globally, India’s billionaire wealth remained broadly stable last year, with the number of billionaires edging up from 185 to 188.

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Total wealth declined slightly (-1.9% YoY), from $905.6 billion to $888.2 billion in 2025, with the fortunes of India’s two richest billionaires falling by a combined $51.2 billion.

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Cherry Gupta

Cherry Gupta is an Assistant Manager – Content at The Indian Express. She leads the Top 10 section, curating list-based features on key national and international developments, and manages daily news content. She also produces SEO-driven articles and collaborates with the Lifestyle team to conduct interviews with notable artists and write workplace culture features. ... Read More