AUM of state-owned investors worldwide 2024, by region
In 2024, Asia emerged as a leading region when it comes to state-owned investors (SOIs), with the second-highest level of assets under management (AUM) through public pension funds (PPFs). Meanwhile, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had the highest number of assets managed through sovereign wealth funds (SWF), totaling nearly 5.4 trillion U.S. dollars.
The Regional Breakdown of State-Owned Investor Assets
The distribution of state-owned investor assets varied significantly across regions. In North America, the vast majority of state-owned assets were managed through public pension funds. The Middle East and North Africa held the largest allocation to sovereign wealth funds, reaching over five trillion U.S. dollars. Europe and Asia had a slightly more balanced approach; however, central banks accounted for the largest portion of AUM in both regions. Oceania held among the lowest levels of AUM overall; however, the region excelled in sustainability, having led the ranking in Governance, Sustainability, and Resilience (GSR) scores.
Global Sovereign Investment Shifts
In recent years, there has been a slight decrease in the level of annual state-owned investment deals made. In 2024, public pension funds invested just over 80 billion U.S. dollars, while sovereign wealth funds invested around 136 billion U.S. dollars compared to 2022, when a peak total investment value was observed. Yet, certain regions accounted for a significant share of global sovereign investments. Funds from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region occupied most of the spots among the leading sovereign investors worldwide by capital deployed in 2024. During this year, Mubadala, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), led the ranking, investing approximately 29 billion U.S. dollars. Moreover, the People's Bank of China stands as the largest SOI globally, managing over 3.3 trillion U.S. dollars in assets, followed by Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund with roughly 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars.
