WASHINGTON, June 10 (RIA Novosti, Arkady Orlov) - In the past year, thanks to the successfully developing Russian economy, the number of millionaires in Russia grew by 4,000 and now totals 88,000 people, according to a report Thursday compiled by Merrill Lynch and the consulting firm Capgemini.

The report underscores that Russia, together with Brazil, China and India belong to a special group of countries where GDP growth is the highest in the world and which, according to the estimates of the Goldman Sachs financial company, will outstrip the remaining G8 countries in 2040 in terms of GDP.

According to the report, GDP growth in 2004 in Russia equaled 7.1%, 5.2% in Brazil, 6.8% in India and 9.5% in China.

These countries are geographically huge and their economic growth is ensured by big foreign investments. As they are implementing ambitious reforms programs, they are also rapidly becoming regional economic powers, the report says.

The document, however, warns about the danger of destabilizing forces like the Yukos affair, which ensued in a dip in foreign investment interest.

According to the report, in 2004 the number of world millionaires increased by 600,000 and currently amounts to 8.3 million people.

The aggregate fortune of all millionaires in the world increased last year by $8.2 trillion to reach $30.8 trillion.

The greatest number of millionaires, 2,498,000, live in the United States, followed by Germany's 760,000 and Britain's 418,000.