Largest sovereign wealth funds worldwide 2022 | Statista (2024)

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What is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world 2022? ›

Norway is home to the biggest sovereign wealth fund globally, valued at nearly $1.4 trillion.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, was established in the 1990s to invest the surplus revenues of the country's oil and gas sector. To date, the fund has put money in more than 8,500 companies in 70 countries around the world.

OSLO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Norway's $1.6 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, reported on Tuesday a record profit of 2.22 trillion crowns ($213 billion) in 2023, driven by strong returns on its investments in technology stocks.

There are roughly 100 sovereign wealth funds worldwide and they include those launched even by cash-poor countries. Some run assets, such as state-owned airlines or telecoms, while others facilitate foreign investment at home. The top 10, dominated by oil wealth, control 90% of the assets.

Some countries may have more than one SWF. Also, while the United States does not have a federal sovereign wealth fund, several of its states have their own SWFs. The list does not include pension funds that do not meet the SWF criteria.

A sovereign wealth fund is owned by the general government, which includes both central government and sub-national governments. Includes investments in foreign financial assets. They invest for financial objectives.

As of the second quarter 2023, the average American household had wealth of $1.09 million. The average wealth of households in the top 1 percent was about $33.4 million. In the top 0.1 percent, the average household had wealth of more than $1.52 billion.

The funding for a SWF can come from a variety of sources. Popular sources are surplus reserves from state-owned natural resource revenues, trade surpluses, bank reserves that may accumulate from budgeting excesses, foreign currency operations, money from privatizations, and governmental transfer payments.

Sovereign wealth funds are not a recent invention – Kuwait created the first modern one in 1953. Nor are they un-American: the state governments of Alaska and Texas both have sovereign funds designed to manage the revenues that have arisen from their energy booms.

Status, Ownership and Control – 'Very Strong': TWF is a fully state-owned entity and directly affiliated to the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye.

Does China have a sovereign wealth fund? ›

China is home to one of the world's largest sovereign funds, China Investment Corporation. CIC's total assets under management reached about $1.24 trillion at the end of 2022, bigger than Saudi Arabia's 2022 GDP (about $1.1 trillion). Saudi Arabia was the 17th largest economy in the world in 2022.

Background. Norway has experienced economic surpluses since the development of its hydrocarbon resources in the 70s. This reality, coupled with the desire to mitigate volatility stemming from fluctuating oil prices, motivated the creation of Norway's Oil Fund, now the Government Pension Fund-Global (GPF-G).

Despite the advantages, SWFs are not without their drawbacks. One concern is the potential for mismanagement and corruption. Poor governance and lack of transparency can lead to funds being misappropriated or invested in risky ventures, resulting in significant financial losses.

Although any nation-state can create a sovereign wealth fund, it's simply not viable for all of them. You'll usually find SWFs in countries with a trade surplus, like China, or ones that have large oil exports, such as Saudi Arabia and Norway.

Russian national wealth fund rises to $135.7 bln as of April 1.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA; Arabic: جهاز قطر للإستثمار) is Qatar's sovereign wealth fund. The QIA was founded by the State of Qatar in 2005 to strengthen the country's economy by diversifying into new asset classes. In October 2023, the QIA has an estimated $475 billion of assets under management.

The head of Qatar's $450 billion sovereign wealth fund — a prolific buyer of European property — said he's concerned about the commercial real estate market but will continue to support London's Canary Wharf Group project as a long-term shareholder.