The rankings were compiled by Visual Capitalist based on public data for 2026.
Sovereign wealth funds are public investment organizations that invest in stocks, bonds, real estate, precious metals and other assets. Such funds are usually formed from export earnings or currency reserves of central banks.
According to Visual Capitalist, the total assets of sovereign wealth funds in the world exceed $13 trillion. Most of the capital is concentrated in Asia and the Middle East due to positive trade balance and income from the energy sector.
The largest sovereign fund in the world remains the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, with assets exceeding $2.1 trillion. The fund was established in 1990 to invest the country’s oil revenues in long-term projects. According to the authors of the rating, each resident of Norway accounts for more than $350 thousand of the fund’s assets.
The second place is occupied by SAFE Investment Company, the Hong Kong division of the Chinese sovereign fund, with assets of $1.99 trillion. The third place is occupied by China Investment Corporation with assets of $1.57 trillion.
The top 10 also included sovereign funds of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Singapore, Qatar and the UAE. The assets of UAE funds, including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Dubai Investment Corporation and Mubadala, together exceed $2.6 trillion.
Not only oil-producing countries
The authors of the rating note that in recent years sovereign wealth funds have begun to actively create and countries that are not major oil exporters. In particular, the Turkish Wealth Fund, established in 2016, manages more than $360 billion in assets, including stakes in Turkish Airlines and the port of Izmir.
In April 2026, Canada also announced the launch of its own sovereign fund. Canada Strong Fund with assets of $18 bln took 55th place in the world ranking. The country’s authorities expect to use it to finance strategic projects and reduce dependence on trade with the United States.
Separately, the authors mention the $88 billion Alaska Permanent Fund, which is formed at the expense of oil and gas revenues and annually pays dividends to the residents of the state. Visual Capitalist calls it one of the few successful examples of practical application of basic income.
“Samruk-Kazyna” – the state fund of national welfare of Kazakhstan, created in 2008 by presidential decree. The sole shareholder of the fund is the government of Kazakhstan. “Samruk-Kazyna manages the largest state assets of the country, including stakes in KazMunaiGas, KTZ, KEGOC, Kazatomprom and other national companies, writes Forbes.
