More than one in five of the world’s wealthiest people studied engineering at university, new analysis has shown. Twenty two per cent of the world’s wealthiest people have engineering degrees; almost double the number of those with the next most popular choice, business. Engineering Degree World's WealthiestApproved Index, experts in the area of business-to-business buying and selling, analysed the educational background of billionaires by studying Forbes’ list of the wealthiest 100 people on the planet. The impressive performance of engineering graduates supports the Engineers Ireland's STEPS programme, which was established in 2000 to encourage primary and post-primary students to explore the world of science and engineering. In comparison to their affluent peers, engineering graduates are the wealthiest, with an average wealth of €23.5 billion, compared to a net worth of €21.9 billion for billionaires without a degree and €20.5bn for those who studied business. Ireland accounts for just one per cent of the top 100 billionaires while 39 per cent are American. Interestingly, 19 per cent of those listed by Forbes made their fortune through technology.