Investing statistics: How many people invest in the stock market?

Investing in stocks and shares has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years thanks to the rise of fee-free trading apps and interest in “meme” stocks. We look into just how many people in the UK invest, with breakdowns of who is investing and what they have invested in.

UK investing statistics: Highlights

Over half of UK adults (51%) have invested as of 2024, an estimated 27 million people, up from 2 in 5 (42%) in 2023.
Almost a quarter of Brits (23%) have invested in the stock market as of 2024, making it the most popular investment type.
68% of generation Z has invested before, up from 60% in 2023.
3 in 5 men (60%) have invested before, compared to 2 in 5 women (42%).
7 in 10 Londoners (72%) have invested at some point.
1 in 10 millennials (9%) have placed money in ethical investments, more than any other generation.

How many people invest in the UK?

In 2024, an estimated 27 million Brits (42%) have invested, a 21% increase from the number who had invested in 2023. There is still a gender gap in investing, as around two-fifths of women (42%) have invested, compared to three-fifths of men (60%).

However, the number of women investing has risen by 10 percentage points to 42% compared to 32% at the start of 2023.

How many people invest in the stock market?

Almost a quarter of Brits (23%) have invested in the stock market as of 2024, making it the most popular investment type. This equates to around 12.5 million UK adults and is a 34% increase from 2023, when 18% of Brits said they had owned stocks and shares.

What are the most common investment types?

Stocks and shares are the most common investment type, followed by bonds, which are chosen by 13% of UK adults. Funds are also relatively popular, with 1 in 10 UK adults (11%) opting to invest in one. Although it is a more volatile and high-risk investment type, 1 in 10 Brits (10%) have also invested in cryptocurrency.

Less popular investment types include ready-made portfolios (7%), exchange-traded funds or ETFs (6%), ethical investment and ESG (5%), options or futures (5%), forex (4%) and CFDs. Other investment types mentioned by respondents included property and gold.

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What have you invested in?	Percentage
Stocks and shares	23.48%
Bonds	13.41%
Funds	11.12%
Cryptocurrencies	10.52%
Ready-made portfolios	6.53%
ETFs	5.58%
Ethical investments	4.99%
Options/Futures	4.84%
Forex	4.09%
CFDs	3.14%

Gen Z is investing more than any other generation

68% of generation Z has invested at some point in their lives, the highest percentage of all the generations. This is interesting, considering they have had the least amount of time to invest and could speak to the increasing popularity of trading apps (link).

Millennials are also keen investors, with 65% having placed money into an investment of some kind. Less than half of generation X have invested (48%), and this drops again for baby boomers (36%). Interestingly, more of the silent generation has invested than baby boomers, at 46%.

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Generation	% that has invested
Gen Z	67.61%
Millenials	64.75%
Gen X	48.51%
Baby boomers	36.46%
Silent generation	45.54%

Gen Z investing trends

Generation Z is the most keen on investing, but what are they investing in? Our survey found that 1 in 5 (20%) had invested in stocks and shares, which is tied in popularity with funds (20%). 12% have invested in bonds, and 1 in 10 (11%) have invested in cryptocurrencies.

Which part of the UK has the most investors?

Londoners lead the way, with an impressive 7 in 10 (72%) investing as of 2024. The other regions of the UK are fairly similar – the North East comes in second place with 54%, followed by Northern Ireland in third place with 52%.

Wales is at the bottom of the table with 43% investing, and Scotland is very close behind, also with 43%.

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Table

What have you invested in?	Percentage
Stocks and shares	23.48%
Bonds	13.41%
Funds	11.12%
Cryptocurrencies	10.52%
Ready-made portfolios	6.53%
ETFs	5.58%
Ethical investments	4.99%
Options/Futures	4.84%
Forex	4.09%
CFDs	3.14%

Sources and methodology

Finder commissioned Censuswide in January 2024 to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,006 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.
We used ONS figures for the UK adult population.

UK investing statistics: Highlights

Almost 1 in 5 (18%) Brits have invested in the stock market as of 2023, making it the most popular investment type.
In 2023, around 2 in 5 Brits (42%) invest, equalling around 22 million, up from 36% in 2021.
3 in 5 (60%) members of gen Z say they have invested before, making them the most active cohort, closely followed by millennials (54%).
Only around 1 in 3 (37%) baby boomers, 33% of gen X and 30% of the silent generation have invested before.
Only 39% of people with an income below £35,000 have invested before, compared to 77% of those with an income of over £100,000.
1 in 10 (10%) from gen Z have placed money into ethical investments, more than any other cohort.
11% of millennials have invested in cryptocurrencies, making this cohort the most active in cryptocurrency investing.
Only about one-third (32%) of women invest compared to slightly over half (52%) of men.

How many people invest in the UK?

In 2023, around 22 million Brits (42%) invest, which represents a 5% increase from 2021. There is still a significant gender gap in investing, as only about one-third (32%) of women have invested, compared to slightly over half (52%) of men.

How many people invest in the stock market?

Almost 1 in 5 (18%) Brits have invested in the stock market as of 2023, making it the most popular investment type. This is a 13% increase from 2021, when 16% of Brits said they had owned stocks and shares.

This percentage looks likely to grow as well, with 2 in 3 people (67%) saying they plan to buy stocks and shares at some point in the future. Despite these high figures, only 3.5 million people (2021) subscribed to a stocks and shares ISA, meaning many investors could be missing out on the tax benefits that ISAs bring.

What are the most common investment types?

In 2023, the most common investment type among investors is shares, with 30% saying they have bought stocks. Bonds followed in second place, with 17% of investors choosing this investment type. This is followed by funds at 14% and cryptocurrencies at 11%.

The least common investment types were CFDs (4%), options/futures (6%) and ETFs (6%).

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Investment type	Percentage
Stocks/ shares	30%
Bonds	17%
Fund	14%
Cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin)	11%
Ready-made portfolios (such as Moneybox, Nutmeg, etc.)	9%
Ethical investments	9%
Forex	7%
ETFs	6%
Options/Futures	6%
Contracts for difference (CFDs)	4%
Other, please specify	4%

How many people invest in crypto?

According to our 2023 survey, fewer than 1 in 10 (6%) investors have bought cryptocurrency. Millennials are the most avid crypto investors, with 11% of the cohort having bought decentralised currencies. Gen z are the second most active cohort in crypto investing, with 8% buying digital currency.

The most commonly owned cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin (47%), Ethereum (33%) and Dogecoin (21%).

Do rich people invest more?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, income levels are correlated with investing activity in the UK. The most active investors are those with an income above £100,000 a year. Out of this income group, 77% say they have invested before. Around two-thirds (64%) of those earning between £100,000 and £75,000 say they have invested before, closely followed by those earning between £75,000 and £35,000 (62%).

The group that has invested the least is those with the lowest income. Only around 2 in 5 (39%) people with an income below £35,000 have invested.

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Income bracket	Percentage of people that have invested
£100,000+	77%
£75,001-£100,000	64%
£35,001-£75,000	63%
£0-£35,000	39%

What generation invests the most?

Younger generations tend to have invested more than older generations, perhaps due to the recent rise in share trading apps targeted at younger segments. 3 in 5 (60%) members of gen Z say they have invested before, closely followed by millennials (54%). Baby boomers are the third most active generation, with 37% saying they have invested.

Surprisingly, the silent generation leads gen X in investing, with 33% of the former cohort saying they have invested compared to 30% of the latter.

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Generation	Percentage of people that have invested
Gen Z	60%
Millenials	54%
Gen X	30%
Baby boomers	37%
Silent generation	33%

How do different generations invest?

Below is a breakdown of the investment types each generation invests in, with stocks leading the race across all cohorts and baby boomers having the highest share (24%) of investors active in stocks. Gen Z (10%) invests more in ethical investments than any other cohort.

The silent generation leads the bonds category, with 13% saying they have invested in bonds. Gen X is the least active in funds, with only 5% of the cohort saying they have invested in funds. Millennials lead the cryptocurrency category, with 11% saying they have invested in cryptocurrency.

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Investment type	Gen Z	Millenials	Gen X	Baby Boomers	Silent Generation
Invested in stocks	15%	15%	15%	24%	20%
Invested in bonds	11%	11%	11%	11%	13%
Invested in funds	13%	10%	5%	7%	10%
Invested in cryptocurrency	9%	11%	5%	3%	0%
Invested in ready-made portofolios	13%	9%	2%	2%	3%
Invested in ethical investments	10%	8%	4%	2%	3%
Invested in CFDs	6%	4%	1%	0%	0%
Invested in fund ETFs	7%	6%	1%	1%	0%
Invested in forex	7%	9%	1%	0%	7%
Invested in options/futures	6%	6%	3%	1%	3%

Which region invests the most?

London has the most residents who invest of all the regions, with almost 3 in 5 people (59%) having made an investment of some kind before. This is closely followed by the North East of England, where half of all residents (50%) have invested.

Northern Ireland has the lowest number of investors in the UK, with just over a third (35%) of people who have made an investment. They are followed by those in the South East (36%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (39%).

Quick overview

Two-thirds (67%) of the population say they plan to buy stocks and shares in the future.
75% of Gen Z plan to buy stocks and shares in the future, compared to just 41% of the silent generation.
13.5% of UK shares are owned by individuals.
2.2 million people in the UK (that’s just over 3%) were subscribed to a stocks & shares ISA account in 2019.
Investors now hold onto their shares for 0.8 years on average before selling them. In 1980, the average was 9.7 years, representing a decline of 91.75%.
Men are currently more likely to invest, with 73% planning to do so versus 61% of women.

The generation most likely to invest

While share trading was once the preserve of an elite minority, the democratisation of trading via online trading and investing apps is leading to a huge number of people now considering investing. Finder’s survey shows that three-quarters of both generation Z and millennials (75% and 74%) already have or would consider investing during or after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being the generation that you might typically associate with share trading, only 60% of baby boomers said that they would consider investing in the future, while the figure drops to just 41% for the silent generation.

Generation	Percentage
Postmillennial/Generation Z (Born after 1996)	75%
Millennials (Born 1981-1996)	74%
Generation X (Born 1965-1980)	69%
Boomers (Born 1946-1964)	60%
Silent (Born 1928-1945)	41%

Why do people invest?

The most popular reason for investing overall (55%) was because savings accounts offer poor interest rates. 33% are intrigued by companies that do well and would be more likely to invest if they saw one doing well. 22% found that it was a good time to get involved in investing while many companies aren’t doing well.

Reason to invest	Percent
I think savings account interest rates are poor	54.90%
I want to earn dividend income	51.38%
I would invest if I saw that a company was doing well	33.43%
I have easy access to investing platforms	28.87%
I want to invest in ethical companies	27.30%
I would invest if I saw that a company wasn't doing well	22.21%
More people appear to be investing now and I want to get involved	16.68%

Generational: why do people invest?

Why is the interest in investing higher now than before? Fundamental shifts are happening in retail investing: younger generations seem to embrace the idea as it becomes more accessible via apps.

Of those planning to invest, over a quarter of both generation Z and millennials (28% and 26%) say the market crash has made them more likely to invest over the next 12 months. This is almost 3 times higher than the silent generation (10%) and significantly higher than baby boomers (16%).

Many generation Z and millennials said that dedicated platforms and apps had made them more likely to invest (27% and 32%, respectively).

Generation	It's more accessible due to apps	The apps are cheaper	I want to invest while prices are cheaper
Postmillennial/Generation Z (Born after 1996)	27%	17%	25%
Millennials (Born 1981-1996)	32%	24%	23%
Generation X (Born 1965-1980)	16%	11%	12%
Boomers (Born 1946-1964)	11%	8%	10%
Silent (Born 1928-1945)	8%	9%	4%

Millennials are also the group most attracted to dividends; 42% cited them as a reason to invest. Freetrade’s Viktor Nebehaj says, “We’ve noticed that the vast majority of those investing in [dividend stocks] are millennials. They really, really love dividends.”

Gender differences

There’s a bit of a gender gap in investing, with women being less keen than men to try it out. 59% of men are either already investing their money or would consider doing it, against only 43% of women.

Gender	Would invest	Would not invest
Women	43%	57%
Men	59%	41%

Investor behaviour

The stock market is in constant transition, and over time, investor behaviour has changed.

Investors are now holding onto their shares for 0.8 years on average before selling them. In 1980, the average was 9.7 years, representing a decline of 91.75%.
What method has worked out the best so far in 2020? We decided to start the year with £1,000* placed in some of the most popular investments from last year and in the best savings account available on Finder. Follow our live tracker to see which method is currently on top.

Individuals vs Companies: Who owns UK shares?

Shares in the UK are traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). These shares are available to buy by any individual or company around the world. So who owns the most?

The number of UK shares owned by individuals has been increasing, with individuals now owning 13.5%.
The majority of shares are owned by people or businesses overseas, at 54.9%.

Owner	2018	2016	2014	2012
Rest of the world	54.90%	53.90%	53.70%	53.30%
Individuals	13.50%	12.30%	12.40%	10.60%
Unit trusts	9.60%	9.50%	9.10%	9.50%
Other financial institutions	8.10%	8.10%	7.10%	6.60%
Insurance companies	4.00%	4.90%	5.90%	6.20%
Private non-financial companies	2.60%	2.20%	2.00%	2.30%
Pension funds	2.40%	3.00%	3.00%	4.70%
Banks	2.10%	1.80%	1.40%	1.90%
Investment trusts	1.40%	2.10%	1.80%	1.70%
Public sector	0.90%	1.10%	2.60%	2.50%
Charities	0.50%	1.00%	1.10%	0.60%

Google search volume for “buy shares”

A good way of following the rise in share trading interest is to look at the popularity of Google searches. Over the last 5 years, the volume of searches in the UK for the term “buy shares” has risen 165%. The most significant rise occurred between 2019 and 2020, when search interest grew by 129%. So far in 2021, the interest has held fairly steady, with just a 2% decline from the 2020 high.

	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021 (first 6 months)
Search interest	13	16	16	16	36	35

Most traded stocks in the UK

Data from Degiro revealed that the most popular stock for UK investors in 2020 was Tesla, thanks to its meteoric rise in value and charismatic founder, Elon Musk. This was followed by another EV company, Nio, and then Apple. The top 5 stocks were all American or Chinese, but the following 5 are all listed on the London Stock Exchange, with IAG (British Airways and other airlines) being the most popular British stock following its dramatic fall in value due to Covid.

1	Tesla Motors Inc
2	NIO Inc
3	Apple Inc
4	Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc
5	Microsoft Corporation
6	International Consolidated Airlines Group
7	Rolls-Royce Holdings
8	easyJet
9	Cineworld Group
10	Lloyds Banking Group

Coronavirus and investing

After COVID-19 hit the world and made most of us housebound, many people used their time to invest – or at least to consider it. The results from a Finder survey done in May 2020 revealed that 20% of Brits thought the pandemic was a good time to invest, while equally as many thought to wait a bit longer.