How Many People Own Stocks? Global Stock Market Participation Rates Revealed
A new report from Visual Capitalist highlights striking differences in stock market participation rates across major economies.
Based on the latest available data from 2023–2024, the numbers reveal where investing is deeply ingrained in the culture — and where it still remains rare.
The United States Leads By a Wide Margin
Unsurprisingly, the United States tops the list, with 55% of its population involved in the stock market. That’s approximately 185.4 million Americans either owning stocks directly or participating through financial vehicles like pensions and insurance funds.
Following the U.S.:
- Canada comes second at 49% participation.
- Australia claims third with 37%.
- The UK and New Zealand round out the top five at 33% and 31% respectively.
- These high figures reflect strong retirement systems, widespread financial literacy, and robust stock market ecosystems in these countries.
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Europe, Asia, and Emerging Markets Lag Behind
In much of Europe and Asia, stock ownership remains far less common:
- Countries like Sweden (22%), Finland (19%), and Switzerland (18%) show moderate levels of participation.
- In powerhouse economies like Japan (15%) and France (15%), the rates are surprisingly lower.
- Germany, Netherlands, and Spain hover around 14%–13%, despite their large, developed economies.
Meanwhile, in emerging markets:
- China (7%) and India (6%) show huge absolute numbers of investors (98.7 million and 85.8 million respectively) but very low percentages relative to their vast populations.
- Brazil (8%), South Africa (14%), and Vietnam (16%) demonstrate growing but still limited engagement.
- At the bottom of the list, countries like Philippines (2%), Mexico (1%), and Morocco (1%) show how inaccessible or culturally unfamiliar stock investing remains for much of the global population.
Why It Matters: A Global Investment Gap
The data underscores a major global divide. In many developed countries, stock ownership is almost a normal part of adult life. In contrast, billions of people in emerging markets remain outside the financial markets, often missing out on long-term wealth-building opportunities.
As access to investing platforms improves, and as younger generations become more financially literate worldwide, this participation gap could narrow.
Still, for now, wealth generation through stocks remains highly concentrated in just a few parts of the world.
Final Thought
With more democratization of finance underway — from mobile apps to Bitcoin ETFs — the question isn’t if stock market participation will rise globally, but how fast and who will lead the next wave.
Kosta Gushterov
Reporter at Coindoo
Kosta has been a part of the team since 2021 and has solidified his position with a thirst for knowledge, incredible dedication to his work and a “detective-like” mindset. He not only covers a wide range of trending topics, he also creates reviews, PR articles and educational content. His work has also been referenced by other news outlets.
