- Australia near the top of developed markets for on-exchange investor participation.
- Median income for people with investments is $110,000 p.a.
- Almost half (42%) of all investors have portfolios under $100,000.
- About 10 per cent of non-investors plan to start investing in the next year with a median amount of $690.
- Advice from AI, investment in crypto and doubling of ETF ownership among key emerging trends.
A record 11.5 million Australian adults now hold investments outside traditional superannuation and their primary home, according to the ASX Australian Investor Study 2026 released today.
Investors now represent 54% of the Australian adult population, up from 10.2 million people in 2023. An estimated 2.5 million Australians have joined the investor population since the beginning of the decade.
There are now 39% of Australian adults holding shares, ETFs or other listed investments. Excluding superannuation and the primary home, this places Australia near the top of developed markets, ahead of the United Kingdom (35%) and Germany (around 20%).
Most investors are middle income earners and middle aged, with a median gross income of $110,000 and an average age of 46. Younger people (aged 18-29) make up 21% of investors.
The survey – which polled almost 4,500 people in January and February this year – found the most commonly held assets are (in order) shares, residential property, ETFs, term deposits and cryptocurrency.
The findings point to a continuing shift not only in the number of Australians investing, but in who is preparing to enter the market and how investors are finding information.
An estimated 950,000 Australians who don’t currently invest plan to start within the next 12 months. Women represent 61% of this group, the first time in the study’s history that women have significantly outnumbered men among intending investors. Australians aged 18 to 29 account for almost four in 10 of ‘investors in waiting’.
Demand for financial advice is also increasing, with knowledge listed as the number one barrier to entering the market. Thirtyseven per cent of investors intend to seek advice within the next 12 months, up from 32% in 2023. Younger people are driving this trend, with the proportion of investors aged 18 to 29 seeking advice rising from 28% to 46%.
ASX Managing Director and CEO, Anthony Attia said:
“Australia is a nation of investors. With 11.5 million Australians now investing beyond their home and superannuation, and participation among the highest in developed markets, this is one of our country's great economic strengths.
“When Australians invest, they are not only building their own financial futures, they are also helping provide the capital that enables businesses to innovate, grow and create jobs.
“Investing also requires Australians to take considered and measured risks in pursuit of their long-term financial goals, which is why access to trusted information and well-functioning markets remains important.
“What is particularly encouraging is the next generation of investors entering the market. Almost one million more Australians are looking to start investing, while the rapid growth of ETFs, with ownership more than doubling since 2020, shows how innovation is opening new opportunities for investors.
“As we mark 40 years of the Australian Investor Study, our ambition at ASX is clear: to build on this extraordinary foundation by delivering trusted, accessible and innovative markets that serve investors, support Australian businesses and strengthen Australia's position in global capital markets.”
The ASX Australian Investor Study 2026 also found:
- On-exchange participation is at its highest level since the global financial crisis, with 39% of Australian adults holding an investment available through an Australian or international regulated exchange.
- Women now represent 41% of on-exchange investors, up from 38% in 2023.
- An estimated 2.82 million Australians hold exchange traded funds (ETFs), more than double the number in 2020.
- ETFs are becoming an important pathway into investing, with around one-third of intending investors considering ETFs over the next 12 months, compared with 41% considering Australian listed-shares.
- An estimated 2.79 million Australians currently hold cryptocurrency or have traded it in the past 12 months, with participation strongest among younger investors.
- Knowing which information to trust remains investors’ leading investment challenge, as Australians draw on a broader mix of advisers, brokers, digital platforms, family and friends, podcasts and AI tools.
Australian investors embrace new technology
The 2026 study is the first in the series to examine in detail how investors are using AI tools for investment information and advice.
The use of AI was strongest among younger investors with 14% of investors aged 18 to 29 reporting the use of AI tools as a source of investment information.
AI is entering an already diverse information environment. Investors continue to use professional advisers, brokers, online investment platforms, family and friends, social media, podcasts and other digital sources.
The development comes as interest in professional financial advice is also increasing, particularly among younger investors.
Overall, 37% of investors intend to seek advice in the next 12 months. Among investors aged 18 to 29, 46% intend to seek advice, compared with 28% in 2023.
The findings show that technology is expanding the ways investors research products and obtain guidance while demand for professional advice continues to strengthen
Forty years of Australian investing
The release of the 2026 study marks the 40th anniversary of ASX research into Australian investor participation and behaviour.
The 2026 publication is the 19th report in a series that began with the Australian Share Ownership Study in 1986. It is being released with the companion report, A nation of investors: 40 years of the ASX Australian Investor Study.
The companion report charts the broadening of investor participation and the changes that have reshaped Australian investing, including electronic markets, online broking, investor education, self-directed investing, ETFs and access to a wider range of Australian and international investments.
Over four decades, investing has become accessible to a broader and more diverse group of Australians. Technology has changed how people trade, access information and manage investments, while new products have expanded the choices available to retail investors.
The ASX Australian Investor Study 2026 and A nation of investors: 40 years of the ASX Australian Investor Study are available at www.asx.com.au/australian-investor-study
About the research
The ASX Australian Investor Study 2026 is based on an online survey conducted by Investment Trends in January and February 2026. The nationally representative sample comprised 4,495 Australian adults aged 18 and over, including 3,246 current investors and 1,249 non-investors. The maximum sampling error for the investor sample at the 95% confidence level is plus or minus 1.7 percentage points at the centre of the range. International comparisons exclude retirement savings and the family home. Sources: Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Lives Survey 2024 (UK); Deutsches Aktieninstitut, 2025 (Germany).
