WEF-2024 Global Retail Investor Outlook

March 25, 2025--Key insights
Global capital markets have undergone a sustained fundamental shift, increasingly integrating individual investors into the financial ecosystem. This transformation has revolutionized how markets operate, establishing more accessible pathways for individuals to participate in spaces traditionally reserved for institutional and professional investors.

The 2024 Global Retail Investor Outlook identified four key structural trends shaping the retail investing landscape:

1. Investors are becoming increasingly diverse across age, geography, gender and income, demonstrating earlier interest and engagement in markets. Younger generations learn and engage in capital markets earlier than previous generations. Overall, 30% of Gen Z began investing in university or early adulthood, compared to 15% of Millennials, 9% of Gen X and 6% of Baby Boomers.

2. Between 2021 and 2024, rising inflation eroded the purchasing power of disposable income, shifting investor focus to short-term goals. Market cycles and inflation can create uncertainty and constraint for individuals; despite stocks' potential as an inflation hedge, their volatility remains a deterrent. Across asset classes, 21% of investors avoid certain products due to unpredictability, and 40% of individuals choose not to invest because they are fearful of losing money in the market.

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Source: World Economic Forum (WEF)