Forbes magazine announced its annual list of the world's richest people on Monday. Bill Gates has returned to the top of the tally, as rising stock markets swelled the ranks of billionaires, which included a record number of women.

A record 1,645 billionaires with a total net worth of $6.4 trillion made Forbes' list, up from 1,426 last year.

Just over 10 percent were female, with 172 women compared with 138 a year earlier.

Roughly two-thirds of the world's billionaires, or 1,080, were self-made. The United States had the most billionaires, with 492, followed by China at 152 and Russia at 111. Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania and Uganda joined the list with one each.

No. 1: Bill Gates

Net Worth: $76 billion

Source of wealth: Microsoft

Microsoft founder Bill Gates attends a session at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in this file photo from January 24, 2014. With a net worth of $76 billion, the Microsoft Corp co-founder reclaimed the top spot after a four-year hiatus, and has topped the list in 15 of the last 20 years. [Photo/Agencies]