At the end of last month, Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management released the 2011 World Wealth Report.

The study covers the key trends that affect high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) throughout the world.

Key findings of the latest study include:

• Global HNWI population and wealth growth reached more stable levels in 2010, with the population of HNWIs increasing 8.3 per cent to 10.9 million and HNWI financial wealth growing 9.7 per cent to reach $42.7 trillion. The global population of Ultra-HNWIs grew by 10.2 per cent in 2010 and its wealth by 11.5 per cent.
• In an environment of relatively stable, but uneven recovery, equities and commodities markets, as well as real-estate (specifically in the Asia-Pacific region), performed solidly throughout 2010. By the end of 2010, HNWIs held 33 per cent of all their investments in equities, up from 29 per cent in 2009.
• The US is still home to the single largest high-net-worth segment in the world, with 3.1 million HNWIs accounting for 28.6 per cent of the global HNWI population. The Asia-Pacific region posted the strongest regional rate of HNWI population growth in 2010 and has now surpassed Europe in terms of HNWI population, expanding 9.7 per cent to 3.3 million, while Europe grew 6.3 per cent to 3.1 million.

Download the full report here.

The two firms will release the 2011 Asia Pacific Wealth Report in fall of this year.