The jump in dividends paid in 2013 represents an increase of more than 40 per cent on the $717bn in dividends paid out in 2009.
Analysts have called the breaking of the $1tn payout mark 'a huge milestone' for equity investors.
The two regions with the fastest-growing dividend payout totals between 2009-2013 were the Emerging Markets area at 107 per cent, followed by Asia Pacific at 79 per cent.
Dividends from firms in developing countries in 2013 more than doubled the combined payments they made in 2009, while contributions from Europe (not including the UK) fell from 30 per cent in 2009 to just over 20 per cent, last year.
Emerging markets made up $1 in every $7 of global dividend payouts, in spite of some emerging economy countries - such as the Brazilian real and the South African rand - falling sharply against the USD, last year.
Two star performers were China Mobile and China Construction Bank Corporation which paid $2.7bn in dividends in 2009 against $10.4bn in 2013.
North American businesses - including ExxonMobil and General Electric - continued to pay out the most in dividends, equalling one-third of the global total. European-listed companies took second place.
Three of the top 10 dividend payers globally in 2013 were British companies, with FTSE 100 companies Shell, Vodafone, and HSBC featuring among the top 10 biggest payers.
Nearly 10 per cent of all dividends paid out came from just 10 companies within the the oil, banking and telecoms sectors; while, the top 20 global dividend payers provided 16 per cent of all shareholder payouts.
Dividend concentration - Top stocks 2013
Rank Company
2. Exxon Mobil
3. Apple
5. HSBC
6. China Mobile
7. Vodafone
8. AT&T
10. General Electric
Global dividends by industry 2013
Industry US$bn % Change
Basic Materials 56.3 -8.1
Consumer Basics 102.5 2.8
Consumer Discretionary 66.5 1.1
Financials 217.6 14.2
Healthcare & Pharma 71.2 -4.7
Industrials 74.3 -2.0
Oil, Gas & Energy 124.9 5.8
Technology 62.2 15.5
Telecommunications 81.8 -12.4
Utilities 53.9 0.7
TOTAL 911.3 2.8
Outside top 1200 115.7
GRAND TOTAL 1,027 2.8
The quarterly Henderson Global Dividend Index (HGDI) measures the income paid by the world’s largest companies on a five-year view and is provided by the City investment management firm Henderson Global Investors.
