THE world's richest are getting younger and richer with more Russians and Indians cropping up among the 946 people on Forbes magazine's 2007 billionaires list unveiled last week.

The number of billionaires is 19 percent higher than last year when there were 793, and their total net worth grew 35 percent to $3.5 trillion, the magazine said.

The average billionaire's age fell by two years to 62, and 60 percent started with very little. Two-thirds of those on the list were richer, with net worth up for nearly everyone in the top 50.

"This is the richest year ever in human history," said Forbes Chief Executive Steve Forbes. "Never in history has there been such a notable advance."

Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates was the richest man for the 13th straight year, with US$56 billion, followed by Warren Buffett, chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., with US$52 billion. Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim remained No. 3, with US$49 billion.

In China, Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, chairman of Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa, has climbed a notch higher to rank as the world's ninth-wealthiest individual, with an estimated net worth of US$23 billion.

Zhang Yin, chairwoman of Nine Dragons Paper, made history as the mainland's richest person and was one of three self-made women born in the country to debut this year. She is worth US$2.4 billion and is 390th on the list.

Russia climbed to No. 3 in country rankings with 53 billionaires, two less than Germany, which has long held the runner-up spot in the billionaire stakes behind the United States.

But the total worth of the Russians surpassed the Germans, at US$282 billion versus US$245 billion, Forbes said. The average age of Russia's billionaires was 46.

In Asia, India had the highest number of billionaires, overtaking Japan, which for two decades had held the region's top spot.

India had 36 billionaires worth a total US$191 billion while Japan's 24 billionaires were worth US$64 billion, the magazine said. The number of billionaires in China growed to 20 from seven in 2005, the magazine said.

Two newcomers climbed into the top 10. Spaniard Amancio Ortega of retailer Zara rose to No. 8 with $24 billion, and Canadian David Thomson and his family were at No. 10, replacing his father, the late media baron Kenneth Thomson.

There were 178 new billionaires and 53 nations were represented on the list. Of the 83 billionaire women, 10 were self-made, it said.

(SD-Agencies)