Thursday, September 30, 2010

Japan still boasts the most number of millionaires in Asia

The number of US$ millionaires in Asia surged to almost 26 percent, that's three million in the region, with combined wealth of US$9.7 trillion.

This is because the rich transferred their assets to stock markets as equity value sharply improved.

Japan still commands the Asia-Pacific region having 1.65 million millionaires, with mainland China in the second place with 477,000 tycoons.

Australia, China, and Japan as a group have 76 percent of millionaires in Asia-Pacific who own 70 percent of wealth.
In Hong Kong, there are 76,000 millionaires, that's more than twice the number last year, but still falls short of 2007's 96,000.

Whatever these numbers mean, the gap between the rich and poor widens sharply. Read more below.

Mandy Lo 
Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The number of US-dollar millionaires in Hong Kong more than doubled to 76,000 last year as the stock and property markets rebounded.

Although the 104 percent increase was the highest in the world, the number of local millionaires was still 21 percent lower than in 2007, a survey by Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management and Capgemini showed.

In that year, 96,000 Hongkongers were members of the exclusive club.

Their assets do not include their primary homes. Their combined wealth jumped 108.9 percent - the world's fastest growth rate - to US$379 billion (HK$2.95 trillion).

"Wealth accumulation in Hong Kong resumed last year as its economy and assets benefited from rising investment from China," said Merrill's interim head of Asia-Pacific wealth management Wilson So.

"Wealth generation is set to continue growing strongly as capital continues to flow into Hong Kong."

He forecast the number of Hong Kong high net worth individuals will rise modestly because of the positive trend in the stock market and home prices.

Millionaires made up 1.08 percent of the population of just over seven million.

Japan had a slightly higher concentration of super rich at 1.27 percent, while in the mainland - which has the world's largest population - millionaires accounted for less than 0.04 percent.

Japan had 1.65 million tycoons - the most in Asia Pacific - accounting for 54.6 percent of high net worth individuals in the region.

The mainland was second with 477,000.

China, Japan and Australia had 76.1 percent of millionaires in the region and 70 percent of wealth.

In Asia as a whole, the number of tycoons surged 25.8 percent to three million. Their combined fortunes soared 30.9 percent to US$9.7 trillion.

The affluent shifted more assets to the stock markets as equity value improved sharply. They held 27 percent of their assets in stocks, up from 23 percent a year ago.

Twenty-six percent of their wealth was parked in real estate, up from 22 percent.

Asset allocation on cash-based instruments was slashed to 22 percent from 29 percent.


This blog entry was originally posted here
allvoices

No comments:

Post a Comment