Wealth of world’s millionaires climbs

The wealth of the world’s millionaires swelled at the fastest pace in seven years in 2006, led by growth in emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil and Russia, a survey found.

A four-year rally in stocks, underpinned by global economic growth, boosted the number of people with at least $1 million in liquid assets to 9.5 million worldwide, up 8.3% from the year before, according to the survey by Merrill Lynch & Co. and consulting firm Capgemini. The overall wealth of such millionaires jumped 11.4% to $37.2 trillion.