ISA statistics: Stocks and shares and cash ISAs

An ISA (individual savings account) is a great way to save your money in a tax-free account. A stocks and shares ISA allows you to invest, usually based on the level of risk you are comfortable with. If you want to know more, we’ve compiled a list of the best trading apps to help you decide which is best for you.

Below, we’ve looked into the latest ISA statistics to see how the UK uses these tax-free accounts.

ISA statistics: Highlights

6% of UK adults have a stocks and shares ISA in 2024.
A quarter of Brits (26%) plan to open at least one ISA in the 2024/2025 tax year.
3.9 million stocks and shares ISAs and 7.1 million cash ISAs were subscribed to in the 2021/2022 financial year.
The average return on a stocks and shares ISA over the past 10 years has been 9.64%.
In 2021/2022, a third (33%) of ISA subscriptions were to stocks and shares ISAs.
UK adults placed more money in stocks and shares ISAs than cash ISAs in 2021/2022.
The annual ISA allowance stands at £20,000 for the tax year 2023/2024.

How many people have an ISA?

3.9 million people subscribed to a stocks and shares ISA in the 2021/2022 tax year, up from around 3.6 million people in 2021/2022, a 10% increase. Just over 7% of UK adults paid some money into a stocks and shares ISA during 2021/2022.

The number of subscriptions has grown by over a million since the 2019/2020 financial year when just 2.7 million stocks and shares ISAs were subscribed to.

7.1 million people subscribed to a cash ISA in 2021/2022, down from a high of 9.7 million in 2019/2020.

In total, just over 11.7 million ISAs were subscribed to in the 2021/2022 tax year. A third (33%) of all ISA subscriptions made were to stocks and shares ISAs during this period.

Graph
Number of adult ISAs

Number of credit and debit cards in issue UK 2023

Year	Number of stocks and shares ISAs	Number of cash ISAs
2021/2022	3.9 million	7.1 million
2020/2021	3.6 million	8 million
2019/2020	2.7 million	9.7 million
2018/2019	2.4 million	8.5 million
2017/2018	2.9 million	7 million
2016/2017	2.6 million	8.5 million

How many Brits are planning to open an ISA?

Our survey found that a quarter of Brits (26%) plan to open at least one ISA in the 2024/2025 tax year. A fifth of those (20%) already have an ISA and intend to open another, while a further 5% do not currently have an ISA but intend to open one.

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

The average return on a stocks and shares ISA over the past 10 years has been 9.64%. However, the performance of this type of ISA can vary significantly, seeing losses as well as returns.

The average stocks and shares ISA experienced a loss of 3.27% between February 2022 and February 2023. This is down from an average return of 6.92% between 2021 and 2022 and an average return of 13.55% between 2020 and 2021, when the stock market saw a boom after the pandemic.

Average stocks and shares ISA returns

Year	Average stocks and shares ISA returns	Average cash ISA returns
2022/2023	-3.27%	1.71%
2021/2022	6.92%	0.51%
2020/2021	13.55%	0.63%
2019/2020	-13.33%	1.18%

How much are Brits paying into ISAs?

Overall, UK adults placed an impressive £34 billion in stocks and shares ISA during the 2021/2022 tax year, around £334 million more than they did in 2020/2021 and almost £12 billion more than they did 5 years earlier in the 2016/2017 tax year.

Meanwhile, a total of £30.9 billion was placed into cash ISAs by UK residents in 2021/2022

Interestingly, in 2021/2022, more money was subscribed to stocks and shares ISAs than cash ISAs. The amount subscribed to cash ISAs has been decreasing steadily over the past 3 years, perhaps because interest rates were lower, making cash ISAs less attractive.

Graph
Table

Year	Value of stocks and shares ISA subscriptions	Value of cash ISA subscriptions
2021/2022	£34.2 billion	£30.9 billion
2020/2021	£33.9 billion	£36.8 billion
2019/2020	£24.2 billion	£48.7 billion
2018/2019	£22.6 billion	£44 billion
2017/2018	£27.8 billion	£36.7 billion
2016/2017	£22.3 billion	£39.2 billion

What is the average ISA subscription?

Over the last 5 years, the average amount subscribed to a stocks and shares ISA was £9,203. In the 2021/2022 financial year, this was slightly lower at £8,690, less than half (43%) of the total £20,000 ISA allowance.

The average subscription per account for a stocks and shares ISA was far higher than that for a cash ISA, which was just £4,330. This may be related to a number of reasons, such as the disposable income of those subscribing to a stocks and shares ISA, a larger number of people subscribing to cash ISAs, or worse than typical interest rates on cash ISAs during this period.

Graph
Average ISA subscription

Year	Average subscription (stocks and shares ISA)	Average subscription (cash ISA)
2021/2022	£8,690	4,330
2020/2021	£9,432	4,568
2019/2020	8,875	5,024
2018/2019	9,331	5,187
2017/2018	9,685	5,228
2016/2017	8,623	4,622

Sources

GOV.UK
Moneyfacts.co.uk
Moneyfarm

- Less than 5% of Brits currently have a stocks and shares ISA.
- 12 million adult ISA accounts were subscribed to from 2020 to 2021.
- In 2021, £72 billion was subscribed to adult ISAs.
- In 2020-21, the average subscription per account for cash ISAs was £9,432 and for stocks and shares ISAs was £4,568.
- 943,000 Junior ISA accounts were subscribed to from 2020 to 2021. Out of which, 668,000 were cash and 275,000 were stocks and shares.
- The total amount subscribed to junior ISAs reached the over £1 billion in 2021.
- The average amount invested for junior cash ISAs in 2020/2021 is £913, with junior stocks and shares ISAs being £1,665 in 2020/2021.
- The annual ISA allowance stands at £20,000 for the tax year 2024/2025, unchanged from 2021-22.
Adult ISAs
An ISA (individual savings account) is the most popular type of savings account thanks to its tax-free benefits. But how many Brits are taking advantage of these tax-free savings accounts, whether in the form of a cash ISA or a stocks and shares ISA?
If you’re unfamiliar with stocks and shares ISAs, they’re savings accounts that allow you to invest in stocks and shares, usually based on the level of risk you are comfortable with. If you want to know more, we’ve compiled a list of the best trading apps to help you decide which is best for you.
Cash ISAs have become less popular over the years from 2015 to 2021, while stocks and shares ISAs have become more popular. Read on to find out more about the changes in adult ISAs in the UK.
Number of adult ISAs
In 2021, the number of adult ISA accounts decreased to 11.55 million, 880,000 less than in 2020. There are over 8.05 million cash ISAs, 1.65 million less than in 2020. However, stocks and share ISAs have increased from 2021 to 3.5 million, 770,000 more than in 2021
Total amount subscribed to adult ISAs
Cash ISAs
In 2020/2021, the total amount subscribed to cash ISAs was £37 billion, £12 billion less than in 2019/2020.
Stocks and shares ISAs
In 2020/2021, the total amount subscribed to stocks and share ISAs was £34 billion, £10 billion more than in 2019/2020.
Average amount subscribed to adult ISAs
From 2020 to 2021, the average subscription per account for cash ISAs is £9,432 and for stocks and shares ISAs is £4,568.
Junior ISAs
A junior cash ISA is a tax-free long-term savings account for under-18s in the UK. The current savings limit for the 2024/2025 year is £9,000.
Number of junior ISAs
By 2021, the number of Junior ISA accounts subscribed grew to 943,000, from 706,00 in 2020, representing an increase of 34% in the year. From this, 668,000 were cash ISA accounts and 275,000 were stocks and shares ISA accounts.
Total amount subscribed to junior ISAs
The total amount subscribed to junior ISAs in 2020/2021 reached over £1 billion (£1.068 billion), which is £97 million in 2019/2020.
The total amount in stocks and shares ISAs increased by £84 million in a single year, where Cash ISAs increased by £13 million. Junior cash ISAs hold 57% of total junior ISAs, with stocks and shares making up the remaining 43%.
Average amount subscribed to junior ISAs
Interestingly, the average amount invested in junior stocks and shares ISAs is more than in junior cash ISAs. The average amount invested into a stocks and shares ISA was £1,665 in 2021, 82% more than the average amount invested into a junior cash ISA (£913). Explore the graph below to find out more.
Sources
GOV.UK
Moneyfacts.co.uk

- Less than 5% of Brits currently have a stocks and shares ISA.
- The number of adult ISAs in the UK is up from 11 million in 2018/2019 to over 12 million in 2019/2020.
- The average amount in adult cash ISAs has fallen from £5,187 in 2018/2019 to £5,024 in 2019/2020, with stocks and shares ISAs falling from £9,331 in 2018/2019 to £8,875 in 2019/2020.
- The number of junior ISAs has increased by 7% from 954,000 in 2018/2019 to 1,023,000 in 2019/2020.
- The average amount invested for junior cash ISAs in 2019/2020 is £846, with junior stocks and shares ISAs being £1,180 in 2019/2020.
Adult ISAs
Number of adult ISAs
The total number of ISAs has seen a resurgence in recent years. Over 2020, the number of ISAs has increased to 12.43 million, 1.27 million more than in 2019. There are over 9.7 million cash ISAs, 1.22 million more than in 2019. There was also an increase of 310,000 more stocks and shares ISAs in 2020, with 2.73 million accounts open in 2020. Explore the graph below to find out more about adult ISAs.
Total amount subscribed to adult ISAs
Cash ISAs
In 2019/2020, the total amount subscribed to cash ISAs increased 7.4% to £73 billion. The growing number of cash ISAs in 2020 also caused the total amount invested in cash ISAs to spike from £44 billion in 2018/2019 to just under £49 billion in 2019/2020. Despite this growth, this figure was still much lower than in 2015/2016 when nearly £60 billion subscribed to cash ISAs.
Stocks and shares ISAs
In 2020, over £24 billion was invested in stocks and shares ISAs – an increase of just under £1 million from 2019. This was also 14% higher than the amount invested in stocks and shares ISAs since 2015/2016. Check out the graph below to find out more.
Average amount subscribed to adult ISAs
Cash ISAs
The average amount subscribed to adult ISAs has remained fairly consistent since 2015/2016. The average amount in a cash ISA in 2019/2020 was £5,024, which is the lowest amount in a cash ISA since 2016/2017.
Stocks and shares ISAs
The average amount in a stocks and shares ISA in 2019/2020 was £8,875. This is also the lowest average amount since 2016/2017.
Junior ISAs
A junior cash ISA is a tax-free long-term savings account for under-18s in the UK. The current savings limit for the 2024/2025 year is £9,000.
Number of junior ISAs
By 2020, the number of junior ISAs grew to over 706,000 cash ISAs and 317,00 stocks and shares ISAs. In total, this amounted to over 1 million junior ISAs, an increase of 38% since 2015/2016.
Total amount subscribed to junior ISAs
The total amount subscribed to junior ISAs was £971 million in 2019/2020 – £3 million less than in 2018/2019. While the total value of cash ISAs increased by £42 million in 2019, the total amount in stocks and shares ISAs dropped by £45 million in a single year. This means that cash ISAs hold 61% of this total, with stocks and shares making up the remaining 39%.
Average amount subscribed to junior ISAs
Interestingly, the average amount invested in junior stocks and shares ISAs is more than in junior cash ISAs. The average amount invested into a stocks and shares ISA was £1,180 in 2020, 39% more than the average amount invested into a junior cash ISA (£846). Explore the graph below to find out more.
Quick overview
- Less than 5% of Brits currently have a stocks and shares ISA.
- The average annual rate of return for stocks and shares ISAs from April 1999 to April 2020 was 5.14% (past performance is no guarantee of future results).
- Over 2.4 million adult accounts and 286,000 junior accounts were open in 2018–2019.
- The average adult stocks and shares ISA has £9,331.
- The average junior stocks and shares ISA has £1,465.
- In total, there is £22.6 billion in adult stocks and shares ISAs.
- In junior stocks and shares ISAs, there is more than £419 million.
- The average amount of money per subscription for 2017/18 was £6,409, of which cash ISAs made up £5,114 (80%)
- As of December 2018, the average interest rate on cash ISAs was 0.92%
- As of 2017/18, approximately 15% of UK adults had a cash ISA account
All investing should be regarded as long term. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Your capital is at risk.
Adult ISAs: Number of accounts
The number of adult stocks and shares ISAs reached 2.9 million accounts in 2017–2018. However, the number of accounts dropped by 445,000 in 2018–2019 to 2.4 million. This means that less than 5% of British adults currently utilise a stocks and shares ISA.
Gender and age: Number of accounts
Older men and women are far more likely to put money in stocks and shares ISAs. For example, there are almost the same number of people over the age of 65 with a stocks and shares ISA as those under 45 (740,000 vs 777,000). Across all ages, more men than women invested in stocks and shares ISAs.
Regional: Number of accounts
The number of people with stocks and shares ISA differs across the UK. The South East is the region with the largest number of stocks and shares ISAs, with 522,000 accounts. Following this was London (435,000), East of England (294,000), the South West (288,000) and the North West (262,000). Northern Ireland had the lowest number of stocks and shares ISA subscriptions out of the UK (51,000), followed by the North East (83,000).
Adult ISAs: Total amount invested
Brits have £23 billion invested in stocks and shares ISAs in 2018–2019. This is down £5 billion from the high of £28 billion in 2017–2018. However, despite this drop, this is still the second-highest amount subscribed to stocks and shares ISAs and is up 133% since 2008–2009.
Adult ISAs: Average amount per account
The average amount invested in adult stocks and shares ISAs in the UK per account is currently at £9,331, the second-highest amount since 2008. The average amount subscribers have put into their stocks and shares ISAs has almost tripled since 2008. However, the average amount invested by stocks and shares ISA subscribers is down from 2017–2018, where it reached an all-time high of £9,685.
Junior ISAs: Number of accounts
Since their inception in November 2011, the number of junior ISA stocks and shares accounts has been steadily increasing. After a slight dip in 2016–2017, the number of junior stock and shares ISAs have bounced back, with 271,000 accounts open in 2017–2018. In 2018-2019, the number of junior stocks and shares ISAs hit an all-time high, with 286,000 accounts now open.
Junior ISAs: Total amount invested
The total amount invested in junior stocks and shares ISAs hit an all-time high in 2018–2019, with £419 million in accounts. This is more than 4 times more than in 2012–2013 when only £99 million was invested in junior stocks and shares ISAs.
Junior ISAs: Average amount per account
The average amount per account has dropped from £1,656 in 2015–2016 to £1,465 in 2018–2019. However, the average amount invested in junior stocks and shares ISAs has increased by 36% from 2012. Explore the graphs and tables below for more insights.
Cash ISAs over time
The graphs below plot the number of cash ISA account subscriptions, the overall amount subscribed in cash ISA accounts and the average amount per subscription.
Unsurprisingly, the values for junior cash ISAs are significantly lower than the corresponding adult accounts over the given time frames. However, the trends presented for adult accounts often differ from those for junior accounts.
The overwhelming trend among adult accounts is that, up to 2018, the number of accounts has decreased while the overall subscription amount has remained fairly constant. As the final graph supports, there are fewer accounts overall, but of those people who own cash ISA accounts, more money is being transferred in.
In 2018, the average amount held in an account was £5,114 for adults and £813 for juniors. During the 2012–2018 period, this was the lowest amount for juniors; in fact, it’s a 44% decrease from the 2012 numbers. In comparison, the 2018 average amount held for adult accounts was greater than the average value over the period. Therefore, more juniors are deciding to open cash ISA accounts but hold less in them in 2018. Meanwhile, the same accounts are becoming less popular among adults, but these adults are saving more in their accounts.