ISA statistics: How many people have an ISA in the UK?

An ISA (individual savings account) is a great way to save your money in a tax-efficient account. A stocks and shares ISA allows you to invest, usually based on the level of risk you are comfortable with. We look at the latest ISA statistics to see how the UK uses these tax-efficient accounts.

ISA statistics UK: Highlights

• 15% of UK adults have a stocks and shares ISA as of 2025, while 3 in 10 Brits (29%) have a cash ISA.
• 4.1 million stocks and shares ISAs and 9.9 million cash ISAs were subscribed to in 2023/2024.
• The average stocks and shares ISA deposit in 2023/2024 was £7,594, while the average cash ISA deposit was £6,993.
• A quarter (27%) of subscriptions were stocks and shares ISAs, while two-thirds (66%) were cash ISAs.
• The average annual return on a stocks and shares ISA over the past 10 years has been 9.64%, compared to 1.2% for cash ISAs.

How many people have a stocks and shares ISA?

According to a 2025 Finder survey, 15% of UK adults currently have a stocks and shares ISA.

4.1 million people subscribed to a stocks and shares ISA in the 2023/2024 tax year, up from 3.8 million people in 2022/2023. A quarter (25%) of all ISA subscriptions in 2022/2023 made were to stocks and shares ISAs.

The number of subscriptions has grown by 69% since the 2018/ 2019 financial year when just 2.4 million stocks and shares ISAs were subscribed to.

If you want to know more about opening a stocks and shares ISA, we’ve compiled a list of the best trading apps to help you decide which is best for you.

How many people have a cash ISA?

A 2025 Finder survey revealed that 3 in 10 Brits (29%) have at least one cash ISA.

9.9 million people subscribed to a cash ISA in 2023/2024, up 26% from 7.9 million in the previous year. Two-thirds (66%) of all ISA subscriptions were to cash ISAs. In total, around 15 million ISAs were subscribed to in the 2023/2024 tax year.

• Graph
• Number of adult ISAs

What is the average return on a stocks and shares ISA?

The average annual return on a stocks and shares ISA over the past 5 years has been 6.37%, compared to 2.08% for a cash ISA. Over the past 10 years, it has been 9.64% annually compared to 1.2% for a cash ISA.

However, the performance of this type of ISA can vary significantly, seeing losses as well as returns over the course of a year. For example, the average stocks and shares ISA experienced a loss of 3.27% between February 2022 and February 2023. The table below highlights the variation in performance year-on-year.

• Average stocks and shares ISA returns

How much are Brits paying into ISAs?

Overall, UK adults placed an impressive £31.1 billion in stocks and shares ISA during the 2023/2024 tax year, around £3 billion more than in 2022/2023.

People also significantly increased the amount they were putting into cash ISAs, likely as a result of higher interest rates. £69.5 billion was put into these accounts in 2023/2024 – 67% more than the £41.6 billion subscribed in 2022/2023.

• Graph
• Table

What is the average stocks and shares ISA balance?

Over the last 5 years, the average amount deposited in a stocks and shares ISA was £8,389. In the 2023/2024 financial year, this was slightly lower than the average, at £7,594.

What is the average cash ISA balance?

The average deposit per account for a cash ISA over the past 5 years is lower than a stocks and shares ISA, at just £5,242. However, the average subscription in 2023/2024 was higher than this, at £6,993. This year’s figure was 32% higher than the average deposit of £5,296 in 2022/2023.

• Graph
• Average ISA subscription

Methodology

Finder commissioned Censuswide in January 2025 to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.