金融危機後富人更富

The rich grew richer last year, even as the world endured the worst recession in decades.

A stock market rebound helped the world's ranks of millionaires climb 17 percent to 10 million, while their collective wealth surged 19 percent to $39 trillion, nearly recouping losses from the financial crisis, according to the latest Merrill Lynch-Capgemini world wealth report.

Stock values rose by half, while hedge funds recovered most of their 2008 losses, in a year marked by government stimulus spending and central bank easing.

"We are already seeing distinct signs of recovery and, in some areas, a complete return to 2007 levels of wealth and growth," Bank of America Corp wealth management chief Sallie Krawcheck said.

The fastest growth in wealth took place in India, China and Brazil, some of the hardest hit markets in 2008. Wealth in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific soared to record highs.

Asia's millionaire ranks rose to 3 million, matching Europe for the first time, paced by a 4.5 percent economic expansion.

Asian millionaires' combined wealth surged 31 percent to $9.7 trillion, surpassing Europe's $9.5 trillion.

In North America, the ranks of the rich rose 17 percent and their wealth grew 18 percent to $10.7 trillion.

The United States was home to the most millionaires in 2009 -- 2.87 million -- followed by Japan with 1.65 million, Germany with 861,000, and China with 477,000.

Switzerland had the highest concentration of millionaires: nearly 35 for every 1,000 adults.

Yet as portfolios bounced back, investors remained wary after a collapse that erased a decade of stock gains, fueled a contraction in the global economy and sent unemployment soaring.

The report, based on surveys with more than 1,100 wealthy investors with 23 firms, found that the rich were well served by holding a broad range of investments, including commodities and real estate.

儘管全球經歷了幾十年來最嚴重的經濟衰退，但去年富人們的財富仍出現了增長。

據美林-凱捷最新發布的世界財富報告，在股市反彈的推動下，去年全球的百萬富翁數量增加了17%，達到1000萬人，他們的財富總量增長了19%，達到39萬億美元，基本上收回了在金融危機中所受的損失。

去年，由於多國政府實行經濟刺激計劃，中央銀行放寬貨幣政策，全球股票價值上升了一半，對衝基金也收回了在2008年的大部分損失。

美國銀行財富管理業務主管薩利•克勞切克說：“我們已經看到明顯的復甦跡象，部分地區的財富和經濟增長已經完全恢復到了2007年的水平。”

其中，印度、中國和巴西是全球財富增長最快的地區，這幾個國家同時也是2008年遭受金融危機衝擊最爲嚴重的市場。拉丁美洲和亞太地區的財富總量暴漲，創歷史新高。

去年亞洲的富翁數量增至300萬，首次與歐洲持平，該地區的經濟增幅達到4.5%。

去年，亞洲富翁的財富總量增長了31%，達到9.7萬億美元，超過了歐洲的9.5萬億美元。

北美地區的富翁數量增加了17%，財富總量增長18%，達到10.7萬億美元。

美國是去年富翁數量最多的國家，達到287萬；其次是日本，達165萬人；德國爲86.1萬；中國爲47.7萬。

瑞士則是富翁密度最高的國家，每1000個成年人中就有近35個富翁。

然而儘管股市反彈，剛經歷了金融風暴的投資者們仍然較爲謹慎。這場金融危機讓十年的股票收益化爲烏有，導致全球經濟萎縮、失業率高漲。

這一報告基於對23個企業的1100多名富翁投資者開展的多項調查。調查發現，富人們通過多領域的投資獲得較高收益，其中包括商品和房地產等。

Vocabulary:

recoup: to get back an amount of money that you have spent or lost 收回（成本）；彌補（虧損）

hedge fund: an investment fund that invests large amounts of money using methods that involve a lot of risk 對衝基金

portfolio: a list of the financial assets held by an individual or a bank or other financial institution 有價證券，投資組合