The wealth of the world’s richest people saw its biggest decline in 10 years in 2022 due to falling stock markets, according to international research by Capgemini.

Globally, the number of affluents – people who have more than $1 million in cash, based on Capgemini’s criteria – fell by 3.3% in 2022, to 21.7 million.

At the same time, the value of their total property also decreased, which in 2022 was estimated at 83 trillion. dollars, a decrease of 3.6% compared to the previous year.

“This is the biggest decline in ten years due to macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties,” Capgemini underlined in its annual report covering 71 countries.

His outburst war in Ukraine and its effects on the planet, as well as increase in inflation and the rise in interest rates of central banks did in 2022 very hard from an economic point of view.

In addition, last year the indices of the world stock markets also decreased.

“There is a strong relationship” between the evolution of stock market indices and assets, estimated Elias Ganem, Capgemini’s director of economic research.

Some of the world’s richest people saw their fortunes grow at a slower pace last year, including the world’s richest man, LVMH owner Bernard Arnault, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

North America saw the largest decline in the value of the assets of the wealthy (-7.4%), followed by Europe (-3.2%) and the Asia-Pacific region (-2.7%).

By contrast, the rich in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America have seen their fortunes grow thanks to rising oil and gas prices.