What’s the total amount of money in the world right now?

While you may think calculating billionaires' net worth may lead you to the total amount of money in the world right now, you will be wrong.

This is because a lot of private wealth is tied up in assets like real estate, stocks, and businesses, which aren't immediately accessible as cash.

To determine how much money is available in the world, you have to use information given by central banks and other financial institutions.

Let’s get into it:

The total amount of cash in the world

As of November 28, 2022, the global M1 supply - basically all of the money in circulation, like banknotes and coins, as well as traveller's checks and demand deposits like checking and savings accounts—was $48.9 trillion.

The M2 (which includes M1 plus assets) supply was worth $82.6 trillion in total.

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The total amount of investments and digital money

Money can also be found in investments and derivatives. According to Visual Capitalist, there are about 80 main stock exchanges worldwide, and their combined value is $110.2 trillion.

The entire value of the cryptocurrency market adds almost $2.08 trillion to that sum. The overall value of the stock market, cryptocurrencies, and M2 money supply is $194.88 trillion.

Total amount of money in the world [freepik] Pulse Nigeria

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Global GDP

The World Bank estimates that the global GDP (gross domestic product) is about $100 trillion.

We can't use GDP to determine how much money is in the world. GDP measures the total value of all goods and services produced in a country, but it doesn't tell us about the overall wealth or money supply.

It doesn't consider factors like people's living standards or the amount of money they have.

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The total amount of private wealth

In case you are wondering how much private all billionaires and millionaires own, the UBS "Global Wealth Report 2023" also reports that total net private wealth stood at $454.4 trillion at the end of 2022.

As countries grow their economies and move towards virtual or digital currencies, the future of money is predicted to change. Many central banks like China, Japan, and Sweden are already creating digital currencies.