A record 11.5 million Australian adults now hold investments outside their superannuation and primary home, highlighting a major shift in how households are building wealth as property affordability deteriorates.
The ASX Australian Investor Study 2026 found investors now account for 54% of the adult population, with an estimated 2.5 million Australians joining the market since 2020.
Another 950,000 non-investors expect to start investing within the next 12 months, suggesting participation could climb further.
Shares remain the most widely owned investment, followed by residential property, exchange-traded funds, term deposits and cryptocurrency.
ETF ownership doubles
Exchange-traded funds have emerged as one of the biggest growth areas, with ownership more than doubling since 2020.
Australia’s ETF industry has now reached around A$388 billion in assets under management, while quarterly inflows recently hit a record A$21 billion.
Younger Australians are also changing how investment decisions are made.
For the first time, the ASX study examined the use of artificial intelligence for financial information, finding 14% of investors aged 18 to 29 were already using AI tools.
Young people represented 21% of the overall investor population, while women accounted for 61% of people planning to enter the market during the next year.
The numbers suggest investing is increasingly becoming an alternative wealth-building strategy for Australians struggling to enter the housing market.
With property values falling and digital platforms making financial markets easier to access, shares, ETFs and cryptocurrencies are becoming a much larger part of household wealth creation.
