Global public investors’ assets rose 1.4% to $33.5 trillion at the end of 2016 from $33.05 trillion at the end of 2015, according to a report published Monday by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.
Pension fund assets increased $435 billion, or 2.9%, to $13.8 trillion, while sovereign wealth funds rose $143 billion, or 1.9%, to end 2016 at $7.4 trillion in assets, the think thank said in its Global Public Investor report, which surveyed 750 public investors consisting of pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and central banks. Global central bank’s assets declined by 0.8%, or $103 billion, to $12.3 trillion.
The assets of European public investors were up by 3.2%, expanding by $197 billion to $6.41 trillion. Pension funds added more than $45 billion to this figure.
North American public investors increased total assets by 2%, or $152 billion, to $8.1 trillion, while Asian public investors saw a 1.2% increase, or $155 billion, to $12.7 trillion in the same period. Africa’s public investor assets saw a 10.8% decrease, equal to $89 billion, to $700 billion.
The survey results showed that 38% of respondents planned to increase green bond investments and 35% plan to invest in renewables over the next 12 to 24 months.
Some 35% of the survey respondents were each based in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. Investors from North America and the Middle East constituted 10% of the respondents each, and the remaining investors came from Africa and Latin America.