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It's raining billionaires in these countries, India ranks third!

February 12, 2015 11:11 IST

Image: A worker displays a miniature 22 carat gold replica of the historic Taj Mahal. Photograph: Babu/Reuters

The world is home to a record number of 2,089 billionaires. The past year saw an addition of 222 new billionaires.

While United States and China make up half of world’s billionaires, India has stormed into the top 3 for the first time.

Take a look at the nations with the maximum number of billionaires…

Image: Fulton Center train station in lower Manhattan, New York. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

United States
Rank: 1

Total number of billionaires: 537

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 56

Technology, media and telecom generated the maximum number of American billionaires, followed by retail.

The combined wealth of the US billionaires was $2.2 trillion.

Image: A sales assistant displays a gold accessory in the shape of Buddhist goddess Guanyin at a gold store in Jiujiang. Photograph: Phil McCarten/Reuters

China
Rank: 2

Total number of billionaires: 430

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 72

Chinese billionaires’ together own a net wealth of $1.2 trillion. Real estate has generated most number of billionaires.

Image: Number of billionaires rise in India

India
Rank: 3

Total number of billionaires: 97

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 27

India zoomed ahead of Russia and the United Kingdom to bag the third place.

Manufacturing, pharma, technology, media, and telecommunications boast of the maximum number of billionaires respectively. Combined wealth of the Indian billionaires stands at $266 billion.

Image: Moscow sees a fall in the number of billioanires. Photograph: NVO/Wikimedia Commons

Russia
Rank: 4

Total number of billionaires: 93

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): -10

Russia’s billionaires are from sectors like energy, real estate and financial. The combined wealth of the Russian billionaires is $365 billion.

Image: A young girl tests a Union flag bowler hat in south west London. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters

United Kingdom
Rank: 3

Total number of billionaires: 80

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 3

United Kingdom has slipped to rank 5 this year.

Retail, real estate, technology, media, and telecommunications are the biggest wealth creators.

Image: Fireworks illuminate the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Germany
Rank: 6

Total number of billionaires: 72

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 6

Germany’s billionaires belong to food & beverages, technology, media, and telecommunications and retail sector.

Image: Christoffe Jonin of the FF Blue Sky Team jumps out of a helicopter with a parachute, 1,300 meters above city of Geneva. Photograph: Frederic Lucas/Reuters

Switzerland
Rank: 7

Total number of billionaires: 60

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 4

Switzerland’s billionaires belong to manufacturing and pharma. The combined wealth of the Swiss billionaires stand at $188.3 billion.

Image: Women shop at a mall in Refice, northeast Brazil. Photograph: Bruno Domingos/Reuters

Brazil
Rank: 8

Total number of billionaires: 56

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 8

In Brazil, the combined wealth of the billionaires stood at $148 billion.

Financial services and real estate accounts for maximum number of billionaires.

Image: A woman shops in a Louis Vuitton store. Photograph: Carlos Barria /Reuters

Chinese Taipei
Rank: 9

Total number of billionaires: 48

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 11

Manufacturing sector has the highest number of billionaires.

Image: Disneyland Paris. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

France
Rank: 10

Total number of billionaires: 46

Rise in the number of billionaires (yoy): 9

The combined wealth of the French billionaires is $265 billion.

Luxury goods and Food & Beverages have the highest number. Paris is the preferred city for billionaires.