The growing coterie of really, really rich people around the world: By the numbers

Planet Earth is now home to 12 million "high net worth individuals." Go ahead, roll your eyes

Mark Zuckerberg
(Image credit: RICK WILKING/Reuters/Corbis)

Monday, the G-8, a group of leaders from eight of the world's 11 largest economies, convened in Northern Ireland to discuss global finances. Their conclusion: Though downside risks have been reduced, "world economic prospects remain weak."

Not everyone is struggling, though. While growth in the employment rate remains sluggish and many countries are still struggling to regain a sure footing after 2008, growth in equity and real estate markets in some regions has thickened the ranks of the world's wealthiest.

In 2012, another million individuals joined the elite group of earthlings who have $1 million or more in investable assets, according to the yearly World Wealth Report from Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management. The world now has nearly 10 percent more High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI — they get their own acronym) than it did in 2011.

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Here, a numerical look at the elite group:

12 million

The current world population of HNWIs

$46.2 trillion

The net worth of all HNWIs combined in 2012: That's greater than the combined GDP of the E.U., the U.S., China, and Japan.

$14.99 trillion

The United States' GDP

9.2

Percent increase in the world's HNWIs from 2011 to 2012

.8

Percent increase of the world's HNWIs from 2010 to 2011

10

Percent by which global wealth grew in 2012

3.73 million

Millionaires in North America, the region with the most HNWIs

$12.7 trillion

HNWIs' total wealth in North America

140,000

Millionaires in Africa, the region with the least HNWIs

$1.26 trillion

HNWIs' total wealth in Africa

28.2

Percent of wealth HNWIs held in cash and deposits in 2012

26.1

Percent of wealth HNWIs invested in equities (most popular for North American HNWIs)

20

Percent of wealth HNWIs put in real estate

$54.57 trillion

Total value of world equities at the end of 2012

$26.6 trillion

Global real estate value

33

Percent of HNWIs more focused on preserving than growing their wealth

26

Percent of HNWIs more focused on growing than preserving their wealth

75

Percent of HNWIs who feel confident about continuing to generate wealth in the future

$55.8 trillion

Projected global wealth of HNWIs in 2015

Sources: AEIdeas, FX-MM, Prudential Real Estate Investors, WhiteHouse.gov

Carmel Lobello is the business editor at TheWeek.com. Previously, she was an editor at DeathandTaxesMag.com.