These are the 19 countries with the most billionaires in the world

• According to the 2018 edition of UBS and the PwC's Billionaires Report, the number of billionaires in the world is very much on the rise.
• There were 2,158 people to join the ultra-rich club last year, up from 1979 in 2016.
• The total wealth among billionaires has also grown from 19% in 2017 to a record total of $8,900 billion.

The number of billionaires in the world may already have been pretty impressive but it just keeps on growing.

According to the 2018 edition of UBS and the PwC's Billionaires Report, there were 2,158 people to join the ultra-rich club last year, up from 1979 in 2016. Of these, only 11% are women.

The total wealth among billionaires has also grown from 19% in 2017 to a record total of $8,900 billion. China's growth in wealth has been particularly impressive, with a rise of 39% recorded last year, against 12% on the whole of the American continent and 19% in Europe.

Billionaires have on average just over $4.1 billion each. Of the 332 new businesses recorded in 2017, 119 are independent contractors, 89 of which are from China. Among these neo-billionaires, you can find "innovators involved in everything from blockchain and lending to genomics and green energy," according to the study.

These are the 19 countries with the most billionaires in the world, according to UBS and PWC.

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16. Thailand

According to UBS and PwC, there are now 30 billionaires in Thailand — that's a 43% increase in the number of billionaires since the previous year.

15. Sweden

The ranking shows there are currently 32 billionaires in Sweden, which equates to a 3% increase in the quantity of billionaires living there compared with the preceding year.

14. Taiwan (joint with Japan)

Following on from the previous year, Taiwan saw a 13% increase in the number of billionaires living in the country — there are 35 billionaires living there presently.