ETFGI reports that the European ETF industry recorded record net inflows in the first quarter, as the industry celebrated its 26th anniversary on April 11th. During March the ETFs industry in Europe gathered net inflows of US$13.62 billion, bringing year-to-date net inflows to US$128.71 billion, according to ETFGI's March 2026 European ETFs industry landscape insights report, the monthly report which is part of an annual paid-for research subscription service. ETFGI, is a 14 year old leading independent research and consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, 6 annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits, and ETF TV on global ETF industry trends. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)
- The European ETF industry marked its 26th anniversary on April 11.
- Assets invested in the ETFs industry in Europe stood at $3.29 trillion at the end of March, down from the record high of $3.53 trillion at the end of February 2026.
- Net inflows reached $13.62 billion in March 2026.
- Year‑to‑date net inflows of $128.71 billion are the highest on record, surpassing the previous highs of $99.04 billion in 2025 and $59.30 billion in 2021.
- March marked the 42nd consecutive month of net inflows into European ETFs.
During March the S&P 500 declined 4.98% in March and is down 4.33% year‑to‑date in 2026. Developed markets excluding the United States fell 10.99% in March but remained up 0.18% for the year. Within developed markets, Korea (‑24.15%) and Luxembourg (‑21.47%) recorded the largest declines during the month. Emerging markets declined 10.13% in March and were down 2.84% year‑to‑date. Egypt (‑19.42%) and South Africa (‑17.24%) experienced the steepest losses among emerging markets in March. According to Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner, Founder, and Owner, ETFGI
Growth in assets in the ETFs industry in Europe as of the end of March
The ETFs industry in Europe had 3,683 products, with 15,350 listings, assets of $3.29 Tn, from 149 providers listed on 32 exchanges in 25 countries at the end of March.
iShares is the largest provider by assets, with $1.31 trillion, representing a 39.8% market share. Amundi ETF ranks second, with $407.38 billion in assets and a 12.4% market share, followed by Xtrackers with $331.99 billion and a 10.1% market share. Together, the top three providers—out of 149—account for 62.3% of total assets in the European ETF industry, while the remaining 146 providers each hold less than 8% market share.
Net Flows highlights
During March, ETFs attracted net inflows of $13.62 billion. Equity ETFs led flows, gathering $9.62 billion during the month and bringing year‑to‑date net inflows to $95.39 billion, significantly higher than the $72.15 billion recorded at the same point in 2025.
Fixed income ETFs experienced net outflows of $424.08 million in March. Despite this, year‑to‑date net inflows reached $21.86 billion, exceeding the $13.67 billion attracted by fixed income ETFs through March 2025.
Commodity ETFs reported net inflows of $456.64 million in March, although they remained in net outflow territory year‑to‑date at $1.99 billion, compared with $5.46 billion of net inflows at the same point in 2025.
Active ETFs continued to gain traction, attracting $3.68 billion of net inflows during March. This brought year‑to‑date net inflows in Europe to $11.08 billion, well above the $6.65 billion recorded year‑to‑date in 2025.
Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 20 ETFs by net new assets, which collectively gathered $18.24 Bn in March. Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (VWRD LN) gathered $2.46 Bn, the largest individual net inflow.
Top 20 ETFs by net new assets March 2026: Europe
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Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: This report is based on the most recent data available at the time of publication. Asset and flow data may change slightly as additional data becomes available. |
The top 10 ETPs by net new assets collectively gathered $1.69 Bn during March. WisdomTree Agriculture (AIGA LN) gathered $355.35 Mn, the largest individual net inflow.
Top 10 ETPs by net new assets March 2026: Europe
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Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: This report is based on the most recent data available at the time of publication. Asset and flow data may change slightly as additional data becomes available. |
Investors have tended to invest in Equity ETFs during March.
