The latest Henderson Global Dividend Index has also predicted further growth in total global dividends in 2015, with dividends estimated to rise by 4.2 per cent to $1.24 trillion.
However, the investment company estimated there will be a decline for Australian dividends for 2014 from the previous year, with dividends expected to fall to $17.5 billion.
Henderson said this, however, is mainly due to a number of technical changes in Australia, including the restructuring of Westfield.
The fact that Westpac did not repeat its special dividend also reduced Australia’s headline growth rate, said Henderson.
The banks, along with BHP Billiton saw the biggest increases in dividends.
Henderson estimated that underlying dividends in Australia, which exclude the impact of exceptional events such as special dividends that occurred in 2013, will likely have risen by 7.3 per cent for 2014 by the end of December.
According to the Henderson Global Dividend Index, special dividends in the third quarter of 2014 globally were half what they were for the same quarter the previous year.
This dragged the global headline growth rate down 1.7 percentage points, the group said.
Henderson Global Investors’ head of global equity income, Alex Crooke, said the third quarter of 2014 has, however, extended the rapid growth in income investors have been enjoying from their shares in 2014.
Mr Crooke said he was confident of double digit growth for the full year.
“The US is particularly impressive, as American firms increase dividend payouts helped by rising profits,” he said.
“Globally, investors should reap US$133 billion more in dividends this year than last.”
Despite the uncertain outlook for economic growth in 2015, Mr Crooke said Henderson Global Investors expects another good year of dividend growth, albeit at a slower rate than this year.
He said a global approach to income investing will continue to offer investors an “attractive mix of opportunity and diversification”.
