The 10 Countries With the Most Billionaires in 2026
Ranked by the number of billionaires on Forbes' 2026 list. See where the world's ten-figure fortunes are concentrated, which entries recorded the largest net increases, and where Canada stands.
Quick Answer
The United States has the most billionaires in the world, with 989 on Forbes' 2026 list, about 29% of the record 3,428 worldwide. China is second with 539 (or 610 if Hong Kong is counted with it), followed by India with 229. Canada ranks 7th with 82. The 10 entries in this ranking together account for 2,494 billionaires, roughly 73% of the global total.
This ranking counts people with a net worth of at least $1 billion, as estimated by Forbes in its 2026 World's Billionaires list, with net worths as of March 1, 2026. Forbes counted a record 3,428 billionaires across 80 countries and territories. Figures for 2025 come from the same Forbes table and show who gained or lost ground. Billionaire counts depend heavily on stock prices and exchange rates on the snapshot date, so they can move quickly from one year to the next. See the callout below for how Forbes treats Hong Kong.
Why is Hong Kong listed separately from China?
Forbes lists Hong Kong as its own entry and notes that it is an autonomous territory of China, so this ranking follows the same split: China has 539 billionaires and Hong Kong has 71. Combined, the two have 610, which is the figure Forbes gives for China including Hong Kong. Either way, China stays second, behind the United States (989) and ahead of India (229). Keeping them separate also means Hong Kong ranks 8th in its own right.
Billionaires by Country, March 2026 · Number of People
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026Tap any country to jump to its full breakdown below.
Ranked #10 to #1
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 66 billionaires
- Category:
- Asia-Pacific
Taiwan takes the #10 spot with 66 billionaires, up from 54 in 2025, an increase of about 22%. Forbes puts their combined net worth at $245 billion, up from $105 billion a year earlier, the largest percentage jump in this top 10. Forbes ties Taiwan's fortunes to its dominance in electronics manufacturing.
Taiwan has the fewest billionaires in this top 10 but the sharpest rise in their combined wealth: Forbes' rounded figures show it more than doubling, from $105 billion to $245 billion.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 70 billionaires
- Category:
- Americas
Brazil has 70 billionaires, up from 56 in 2025. That is a gain of 14 people, or 25%, the biggest percentage increase in the top 10. Their combined net worth is $265 billion, up from $212 billion.
Brazil is only one billionaire behind Hong Kong (71) and four ahead of Taiwan (66), so this part of the ranking is tight and could change with next year's list.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 71 billionaires
- Category:
- Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong has 71 billionaires, up from 66 in 2025. Forbes lists it separately from China and notes it is an autonomous territory of China. Combined net worth is $420 billion, up from $335 billion.
Counted together, Hong Kong's 71 and China's 539 give 610 billionaires, which is the figure Forbes uses for China including Hong Kong.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 82 billionaires
- Category:
- Americas
Canada ranks 7th with 82 billionaires, up from 76 in 2025. Their combined net worth is $457 billion, up from $349 billion, an increase of roughly 31%. Italy overtook Canada this year, moving Canada down from 6th to 7th in Forbes' table.
Canada has 11 more billionaires than Hong Kong in 8th, and its billionaires' combined net worth of $457 billion is more than Hong Kong's $420 billion.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 89 billionaires
- Category:
- Europe
Italy moves up from 7th to 6th with 89 billionaires, up from 74 in 2025, an increase of about 20%. Their combined net worth is $483 billion, up from $339 billion, a rise of roughly 42%, the second-largest percentage rise in the top 10 after Taiwan.
Italy has seven more billionaires than Canada in 7th, and its billionaires hold about $26 billion more in combined net worth.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 147 billionaires
- Category:
- Europe/Asia
Russia has 147 billionaires, up from 140 in 2025, a gain of 7 people or 5%, the smallest increase in the top 10. Their combined net worth is $649 billion, up from $580 billion.
Russia has 58 more billionaires than 6th-place Italy, while 4th-place Germany has 65 more than Russia.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 212 billionaires
- Category:
- Europe
Germany is the country with the most billionaires in Europe, with 212, up from 171 in 2025. The gain of 41 people, or 24%, is the largest in the top 10 outside the United States and China. Their combined net worth is about $1 trillion, up from $793 billion.
Germany has 17 fewer billionaires than India in 3rd, yet Forbes' rounded figures put both countries' billionaires at about $1 trillion in combined net worth.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 229 billionaires
- Category:
- Asia-Pacific
India ranks 3rd with 229 billionaires, up from 205 in 2025, an increase of 24 people or about 12%. Their combined net worth is about $1 trillion, up from $941 billion, a rise of roughly 6% on Forbes' rounded figures. Forbes attributes India's growth to a robust year for its stock market.
India has about 1.6 times as many billionaires as Russia in 5th and about 2.6 times as many as Italy in 6th.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 539 billionaires
- Category:
- Asia-Pacific
China ranks 2nd with 539 billionaires, up from 450 in 2025. The net increase of 89 people, or about 20%, is the largest of any entry in the top 10. Their combined net worth is $2.2 trillion, up from $1.7 trillion. Forbes ties China's gains to the artificial intelligence boom and consumer goods. This figure excludes Hong Kong.
The United States has about 1.8 times as many billionaires as China, but its billionaires' combined net worth of $8.4 trillion is about 3.8 times China's $2.2 trillion.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
- Billionaires (March 2026):
- 989 billionaires
- Category:
- Americas
The United States has 989 billionaires, up from 902 in 2025, an increase of 87 people or about 10%. Their combined net worth is $8.4 trillion, up from $6.8 trillion, which is roughly 42% of the $20.1 trillion Forbes counted worldwide.
The US has about 15 times as many billionaires as Taiwan at #10, and nearly 29% of all 3,428 billionaires on Forbes' list live there.
Source: Forbes World's Billionaires list, 2026
What the numbers tell us
The US has about 15 times as many billionaires as #10 Taiwan. The United States and China (not counting Hong Kong) together hold about 45% of all 3,428 billionaires on Forbes' list, and the 10 entries in this ranking hold about 73%. Every entry in the top 10 had a higher billionaire count than in 2025. Brazil had the fastest percentage growth in count (+25%), while China recorded the largest net increase (+89).
- Data period:
- Net worths as of March 1, 2026, with 2025 figures for comparison
- Last updated:
- October 14, 2026
- Sources:
- Forbes, The Countries With The Most Billionaires (March 11, 2026) and Forbes' 2026 World's Billionaires list; counts cross-checked against Wikipedia's table of billionaires by country (Forbes, March 2026)
Entries are ranked by the number of billionaires on Forbes' 2026 World's Billionaires list, which covers 80 countries and territories and lists Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate entries, with net worths as of March 1, 2026. A billionaire here is a person Forbes estimates to have a net worth of at least $1 billion; Forbes assigns each person to a country on its list. Hong Kong is listed separately from China, as Forbes does; China including Hong Kong would have 610. Combined net worth figures are Forbes' rounded totals in US dollars, so percentage changes calculated from them are approximate. Billionaire counts depend on stock prices and exchange rates on the snapshot date and on Forbes' estimates of private wealth, so they are estimates rather than audited figures. Counts for 2025 come from the same Forbes table. Other lists, such as Altrata's Billionaire Census, use different methods and report different counts.
Figures marked as estimates are based on publicly available information and may vary from other published sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
The United States, with 989 billionaires on Forbes' 2026 list, about 29% of the record 3,428 worldwide. China is second with 539, or 610 if Hong Kong is counted with it.