Number of billionaires in Europe in 2026, by country

Number of billionaires in selected European countries in 2026

Germany has the most billionaires in Europe in 2026, about 211, followed by Russia on about 147 and Italy on about 96. The United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Switzerland make up the rest of the leading group, and Europe holds about 820 billionaires in total. The map of Europes billionaires is a map of the continents largest economies and financial centres, and in 2026 it is led by Germany to a degree that sets it apart from every other European country. On the 2026 figures, Germany has about 211 billionaires, Russia about 147, Italy about 96, the United Kingdom about 58, France about 52, Sweden about 45 and Switzerland about 42. The distribution of great wealth across Europe is one of the clearest maps of the continents economic geography, tracing the industrial power of Germany, the financial pull of Switzerland and Britain, and the luxury fortunes of France and Italy.

Europe is the third-largest region for billionaires after Asia-Pacific and North America. The regional picture sits in our billionaire share by region, billionaire population by region and top billionaire countries coverage.

Germany leads, Italy surges: Germany has about 211 billionaires in 2026, far ahead of Russia on 147 and Italy on 96, with Italy nearly doubling its total since 2022.

The rankings track the size of each economy but not perfectly, since financial hubs such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom hold more billionaires than their populations alone would suggest, a pattern our largest economies by GDP coverage frames.

A note on the data. The figures show the number of billionaires in selected European countries in 2026, from the Forbes list. Counts are by country of citizenship, and Russian fortunes are valued on February 2022 ownership, before the invasion of Ukraine and later asset transfers. A billionaire is defined here as an individual with a net worth of at least one billion US dollars, and the counts are drawn from the Forbes World Billionaires list, the most widely used annual ranking. Counts are by country of citizenship rather than residence, which can cause some overlap for individuals who live outside their home country, and different lists assign a few countries, notably Turkey and Russia, to different regions.

Billionaires in Europe by Country

The table sets out the number of billionaires in the leading European countries in 2026. It shows Germany, Russia and Italy far ahead, followed by a cluster of Western and Northern European economies, with a steep drop after the top few. Reading down the column shows the steep drop after the top three, with Germany, Russia and Italy far ahead of the cluster of Western and Northern European economies that follows. Because the figures are annual snapshots tied to share prices and exchange rates, the exact totals can move over the course of a year, though the broad ranking of European countries is stable.

Where Do Europes Billionaires Live?

Germany leads Europe with about 211 billionaires in 2026, far more than any other country on the continent. Their combined wealth is about 1.01 trillion dollars, and the number has grown rapidly, up from about 134 in 2022. Germanys lead among European billionaires is built on the same foundations as its economy, a large industrial base and an unusually high number of substantial family-owned companies that have created and preserved wealth over generations. Germany about 211 billionaires lead Europe with combined wealth of about 1.01 trillion dollars, up from about 134 billionaires in 2022, a rise of more than half in four years. Germany has pulled decisively clear of the rest of Europe over the past few years, and its lead now rests on a broad base of manufacturing, retail and family-controlled industrial groups rather than on any single sector or fortune.

The German lead reflects the countrys large industrial base and its many family-owned companies, from carmakers to retailers, a depth our biggest companies by value coverage frames through the firms behind the fortunes.

Germany dominates: Germany holds about a quarter of Europes billionaires, ahead of Russia and Italy, with the top three countries accounting for well over half the total.

Famous German billionaire families include the Quandts, who control BMW, the Reimanns of JAB Holding and the Schwarz family behind the Lidl and Kaufland retail empire, reflecting the industrial and consumer roots of German wealth. The prominence of these industrial and consumer dynasties, many of them controlling companies founded generations ago, is what gives German billionaire wealth its distinctive character, rooted in long-established family firms.

Why Is Russia Counted in Europe?

Russia is second in Europe with about 147 billionaires, though the figure carries an important caveat. Forbes values Russian fortunes on their February 2022 ownership, before the invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions and asset transfers that followed. The place of Russia in a European billionaire ranking is one of the more complicated questions in the data, since the fortunes are frozen at a 2022 valuation and the reality of who now controls them is far from clear. The Russian figure should therefore be read differently from the others in this ranking, since it reflects a frozen 2022 valuation rather than a current assessment of who owns the wealth.

The Russian total has been broadly stable since 2022, held in place by the freezing of ownership data, even as sanctions have complicated the real picture of who now controls the wealth held under those 2022 valuations.

Whether Russian billionaires belong in a European ranking is itself debated, since much of the wealth is now held abroad or through intermediaries, but on the Forbes grouping Russia remains the second-largest European source of great fortunes. For the purposes of this ranking Russia is included in Europe on the Forbes grouping, but readers should treat its total with more caution than any other, given the frozen valuations and the opacity of current ownership.

Which Country Is Growing Fastest?

Italy is third with about 96 billionaires, one of the fastest-growing totals in Europe, up from about 52 in 2022. The growth reflects strong performance in luxury goods, food and industry, the sectors behind many Italian fortunes. Italys rapid climb up the European billionaire ranking is one of the clearest success stories in the data, driven by the enduring global appeal of its luxury and consumer brands. Italy about 96 billionaires have grown from about 52 in 2022, a rise of about 85 percent, one of the fastest of any European country over the period. The Italian surge is one of the most remarkable trends in the European data, and it reflects both a strong run for the luxury and food sectors and the broader recovery of southern European markets since the difficult years of the early decade.

Italian wealth is spread across family firms in fashion, food and manufacturing, from Ferrero to Prada, a diversity rooted in the countrys deep base of family-owned industrial and consumer firms.

Germany and Italy lead: Germany added about 77 billionaires since 2022 and Italy about 44, the strongest gains of any European country.

European billionaire numbers have grown strongly since 2022. Germany added about 77 billionaires, Italy about 44 and the United Kingdom about 8, as European markets recovered and inflation eased. The growth of European billionaire numbers since 2022 has been strong and broad-based, reversing the stagnation of earlier years and lifting the continents total to a new high.

The growth reflects the rebound in European equity markets after a weak 2024, a recovery our asset markets coverage frames through the rally that lifted fortunes across the region.

The rapid rise of the Italian total, nearly doubling since 2022, is one of the strongest gains of any European country, reflecting the recovery of European markets and the enduring value of Italian luxury and consumer brands. The strength of the Italian gain, among the largest of any European country since 2022, reflects both the recovery of European markets and the particular resilience of the luxury and food sectors that underpin many Italian fortunes.

The fastest growth has been in Germany and Italy, whose billionaire populations have risen by more than half since 2022, while the United Kingdom and some smaller countries have grown more slowly. The unevenness of the growth, concentrated in Germany and Italy, has widened the gap between the leading European economies and the smaller countries, reinforcing the concentration at the top of the ranking.

Which Countries Follow?

Below the top three, the United Kingdom has about 58 billionaires, France about 52, Sweden about 45 and Switzerland about 42. These four together with the top three account for most of Europes billionaires. Below the leading three, a tight cluster of Western and Northern European economies holds the bulk of the remaining billionaires, with financial hubs punching well above their economic weight. The United Kingdom about 58 billionaires, France about 52, Sweden about 45 and Switzerland about 42 make up the next tier, followed by Spain on about 34 and Turkey on about 32. The countries just below the leading three form a tight and stable band, and small movements in stock prices or exchange rates are enough to reorder them from one year to the next.

The United Kingdom and Switzerland punch above their weight as financial hubs, holding more billionaires than their populations alone would suggest, a pattern our financial markets coverage frames through the role of capital markets.

Growth across the top: almost every leading European country added billionaires between 2022 and 2026, with Germany and Italy adding the most.

France is home to the two richest people in Europe, Bernard Arnault of luxury group LVMH and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of LOreal, even though it ranks only fifth by number, showing that billionaire count and billionaire wealth are different measures. That France, fifth by number of billionaires, is home to the two richest people in Europe is the clearest illustration of the gap between counting billionaires and measuring their wealth.

Who Are the Richest Europeans?

Europes richest billionaires are worth far more than its most numerous. Bernard Arnault of France leads with about 171 billion dollars, followed by Amancio Ortega of Spain and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France. The gap between the countries with the most billionaires and those with the richest is one of the most striking features of the European picture, and nowhere is it clearer than in France. Bernard Arnault of France about 171 billion dollars leads Europe, ahead of Amancio Ortega of Spain and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France, the three largest European fortunes. The concentration of Europes largest fortunes in France and Spain, rather than in the countries with the most billionaires, is one of the clearest illustrations of the difference between counting billionaires and measuring their wealth.

The largest European fortunes are built on luxury and consumer brands, from LVMH and LOreal to Zara owner Inditex, a concentration our leading global billionaires and wealthiest women coverage explores.

France holds the fortunes: Bernard Arnault of France leads Europe on about 171 billion dollars, ahead of Amancio Ortega of Spain and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France.

Arnault and Ortega are the only two centibillionaires in Europe, each worth more than 100 billion dollars, and both consistently rank among the ten richest people in the world, well ahead of any other European. The presence of two centibillionaires in France, each worth more than a hundred billion dollars, gives the country a share of European billionaire wealth far larger than its share of billionaire numbers.

Number of Billionaires vs Their Wealth

European billionaire wealth is concentrated in a few countries. Germany leads on combined wealth with about 1.01 trillion dollars, followed by France, whose smaller number of billionaires includes the two largest fortunes on the continent. Measuring European wealth by combined fortune rather than by headcount reorders the ranking, and it shows how much a small number of very large fortunes can outweigh a larger number of smaller ones.

The gap between the number of billionaires and their combined wealth is clear in Europe, where France ranks fifth by number but near the top by wealth, a distinction our euro to dollar exchange rate coverage frames through the value of European assets.

Germany and France lead: Germany holds about 1.01 trillion dollars of billionaire wealth, but France, with fewer billionaires, holds the two largest fortunes in Europe.

Because billionaire wealth is tied to share prices and exchange rates, the wealth rankings can shift substantially over a year, even as the number of billionaires in each country changes only slowly. The sensitivity of the wealth rankings to markets and exchange rates means they should be read as snapshots, since a strong or weak year for European equities or for the euro can move the figures substantially.

Which Country Has the Most Per Person?

Measured against population, the ranking changes completely. Monaco has by far the most billionaires per head, with dozens per million residents, followed by Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, small countries with concentrated wealth. Ranking European countries by billionaires per head rather than by absolute number produces an entirely different order, one dominated by small, wealthy states rather than the large economies. The per-capita ranking is dominated by small, wealthy states whose absolute billionaire numbers are modest but whose populations are so small that even a handful of fortunes produces an extraordinary density.

Billionaire density reflects financial hubs and tax regimes as much as economic size, which is why small, wealthy countries such as Monaco and Switzerland top the per-capita ranking, a pattern our wealth and economy coverage frames.

Monaco tops per capita: Monaco has by far the most billionaires per million residents, followed by Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, small countries with concentrated wealth.

The large economies of Germany, France and the United Kingdom rank far lower by density, since their billionaire counts, though high in absolute terms, are spread across much larger populations. The contrast between the absolute and per-capita rankings is a reminder that a country can hold a large number of billionaires without being especially dense in them, and vice versa.

How Concentrated Is European Wealth?

European billionaire wealth is highly concentrated by country. The top five countries, Germany, Russia, Italy, the United Kingdom and France, together hold about two thirds of all the billionaires in Europe. The concentration of European billionaires in a handful of countries is one of the most consistent features of the data, and it closely tracks the distribution of the continents largest economies. The top five countries, Germany about 211, Russia about 147, Italy about 96, the United Kingdom about 58 and France about 52, together hold about 564 of Europes roughly 820 billionaires, about two thirds of the total. The concentration of European billionaires in a few large economies has, if anything, deepened in recent years, as the fastest growth has come in the countries that already led the ranking.

The concentration reflects the location of Europes largest economies and financial centres, a pattern our global stock markets coverage frames through the markets that create great fortunes.

Two thirds of Europe: the top five countries, Germany, Russia, Italy, the United Kingdom and France, hold about two thirds of all the billionaires in Europe.

Eastern and Southern Europe hold far fewer billionaires, with Spain, Turkey and Norway leading the next tier and much of the continent home to only a handful each, reflecting the smaller scale of their economies and markets. The thinness of great wealth across much of Eastern and Southern Europe reflects the smaller scale of those economies and their capital markets rather than any absence of prosperity.

How Has Europe Changed?

Europes billionaire population has grown steadily over the past decade, rising from about 490 in 2015 to about 820 in 2026, driven by the growth of Germany, Italy and the financial hubs. The steady growth of Europes billionaire population over the past decade tells a story of rising wealth, even as the continents share of the global total has slipped in the face of a faster-rising Asia.

The growth has lifted Europe to about a quarter of the worlds billionaires, though it has slipped in relative terms as Asia-Pacific has risen faster in the same years, a shift that has reshaped the global ranking.

A steady climb: Europes billionaire population has grown from about 490 in 2015 to about 820 in 2026, driven by Germany, Italy and the financial hubs.

Europes share of the worlds billionaires has fallen even as its absolute number has risen, reflecting the faster growth of Asia rather than any decline in European wealth, which has continued to grow throughout the period.

How Does Europe Compare Globally?

In global terms Europe is the third-largest region for billionaires, with about 820, behind Asia-Pacific on about 1,229 and North America on about 1,071. Together the three regions hold more than 90 percent of the worlds billionaires. Placed in a global context, Europe is a clear third among the regions, holding fewer billionaires than either Asia-Pacific or North America but still far more than the rest of the world combined. Europes position as a clear third among the worlds regions reflects both the enduring wealth of its largest economies and the faster rise of Asia, which has pushed the continent down the global ranking even as its own numbers have grown.

Europes position behind Asia-Pacific and North America reflects the rise of China, India and the United States, a shift our billionaires around the world and high net worth individuals by country coverage frames.

Europe is third: Europe holds about 820 billionaires, behind Asia-Pacific on about 1,229 and North America on about 1,071, together more than 90 percent of the world total.

Although Europe trails on numbers, its billionaires include some of the very richest in the world, so the continent holds a larger share of billionaire wealth than its share of billionaire numbers alone would suggest. The combination of fewer billionaires but some of the very largest fortunes gives Europe a distinctive profile, holding a larger share of global billionaire wealth than of global billionaire numbers.

Billionaires in Europe in Numbers

A few figures capture the picture. Germany leads Europe with about 211 billionaires, Russia has about 147 and Italy about 96, out of a European total of about 820, the third-largest of any region in the world. These figures together map the geography of great wealth in Europe, concentrated in the large economies of the west and the financial hubs, and led by Germany. Taken together, the numbers describe a European wealth map led decisively by Germany on count, by France on the size of its largest fortunes, and concentrated overwhelmingly in the west and north of the continent.

These figures matter because the distribution of billionaires maps the location of great wealth in Europe, a picture our billionaire wealth by gender coverage complements through the source of the largest fortunes.

Together they describe a Europe where billionaires are concentrated in a handful of large economies and financial hubs, led by Germany, with the two richest individuals in France. For now, Germany leads the European billionaire ranking by a wide margin, but the richest European fortunes sit in France, a split that defines the continents wealth.

Billionaires in Europe: The Big Picture

Taken together, the number of billionaires in European countries in 2026 shows Germany far ahead, a strong Western and Northern core, and a long tail across the rest of the continent, a distribution that closely tracks the size of each European economy.

Whether Germany extends its lead and whether Europe holds its share against a rising Asia will shape the picture for years, but great European wealth remains concentrated in a few large economies and financial centres.

Frequently Asked Questions: Billionaires in Europe