Nigeria Emerges Third Among World’s Poorest Countries

Nigeria has been named the third nation with the poorest people in the world, according to an annual global wealth report compiled by the Swiss bank, Credit Suisse.

The nation came third with 35 million Nigerians classified among the poorest people in the world, after China's 72 million while India tops the list with 246 million people.

According to the report, nearly three quarters of the world's poorest billion live in Asian and African countries. Other countries contributing significantly to the bottom wealth bracket are Russia with 28 million of the world's poorest, Ukraine with 25 million and the United States with 21 million.



In the report published on DPA website, many of the world's richest and poorest people live in Asian countries, highlighting the unequal distribution of wealth.

Here are some key data about the world's most and least well-off people according to the Swiss bank:

THE VERY RICH

There are an estimated 33 million people in the world who own between 1 million and 50 million dollars, known in the banking industry as high-worth individuals.

Wealthy people in the United States make up 45 per cent in this group - the largest regional share, followed by 30 per cent of Europeans.

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region account for 18 per cent, excluding India and China.

With 1.6 million such millionaires, communist China fields 5 per cent of the total.

THE VERY, VERY RICH

The club of so-called ultra-high net worth individuals who own more than 50 million dollars includes some 140,900 people.

China is home to 11,000 super-rich people, ranking second place after the United States with 70,400. Germany comes third with 6,100 people belonging to this exclusive club.

THE WORLD'S WEALTHIEST NATION

With an average net worth of 500,000 dollars per adult, the Swiss are the world's richest people, 11 times wealthier than the average world citizen.
The people of Switzerland make up only 0.1 per cent of the global population, but they own 1.4 per cent of the world's assets.

THE BOTTOM BILLION

The poorest 20 per cent of the global population is estimated at 1 billion people.

In this group, adults own no more than 248 dollars.

THOSE WITH LESS THAN NOTHING

Among this bottom billion, 44 per cent are net debtors, owing an average 2,628 dollars.