For the first-time investor, the share market can be daunting. But with savings interest rates dwindling in line with a record-low cash rate, more Aussies are turning to shares to boost their returns.
One in three Australians currently hold money in shares
Investing in shares has seen a surge in the past few years, thanks to the rise of platforms with low fees and small deposit amounts. We surveyed a nationally representative group of over 1,010 Australians to see how many people are investing in shares, how much they have invested in the market, as well as breakdowns on the types of people who are investing.
Key Share Trading Statistics
- A third (34%) of Australian adults, or roughly 7,106,515 people currently hold shares, according to Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker.
- 41% of Australian men are investors, compared to just 27% of women.
- On average, Australians have $24,020 invested in shares each.
- Nearly a quarter (8%) of Aussies plan to buy stocks in 2025.
A third of Australian adults currently hold shares
- Around 34% of Aussie adults hold shares as of January 2025.
- Men (42%) are more likely to invest in shares than women (27%).
- Gen Y Australians are the most likely to invest (45%) of all age groups, followed by Gen Z (36%), Gen X (29%), and the Baby Boomers (27%).
Australians have invested around $24,020 in shares each
- On average, Australians have around $24,020 invested in shares.
- Australian men invest nearly two times as much money than women. On average, Aussie men have $33,104 invested in shares compared to $14,360 for women.
- Boomers are the biggest investors among all the generations, with an Aussie Boomer having around $37,826 on average invested in shares.
- They are followed by Gen X investors at $20,510, Gen Y at $16,769, and Gen Z at $6,907.
Building Wealth in 2025: Growing Your Investment Portfolio
As we step into 2025, many individuals are prioritizing different aspects of their financial health. Among the diverse goals, growing an investment portfolio has emerged as a significant focus, capturing the attention of 8% of respondents in a recent survey. This priority, though not at the top of the list, highlights a growing awareness of the importance of long-term financial growth through investments such as shares and cryptocurrencies.
Are Australians Shifting Their Investment Strategies?
Survey results indicate that Australians' investment approaches have remained relatively stable over the past six months.
A majority of respondents in both periods reported no significant changes in their investment strategies. The proportion of those investing "about the same" rose slightly from 65% in July 2024 to 69% in January 2025, reflecting a consistent preference for stability among most Australians.
Meanwhile, the percentage of Australians adopting more conservative strategies declined from 30% in July 2024 to 24% in January 2025.
Conversely, the proportion of those taking a more adventurous investment approach saw a modest increase, rising from 5% to 6% over the same period.
Covid-19 Share Trading Statistics
Tips when buying shares in Australia
Want to get more out of your online share trading? Keep the following tips in mind when buying shares online:
- Do your homework. Making informed trading decisions is crucial to the success of your investments. Research the financial health and growth prospects of companies by poring over annual reports, keeping an eye out for company alerts, reading share prospectuses and accessing research reports.
- Stay up to date with the Australian economy. Keep an eye on the health of the Australian economy, Reserve Bank interest rate decisions, government policy changes, levels of investor confidence, exchange rates and the performance of share markets in Australia and overseas. All of these can influence when is and is not a good time for you to invest.
- Start with blue chip companies. One of the safest options for anyone starting out in the share market is to invest in blue chip companies. These are Australia's top 50 companies, as listed on the S&P/ASX 50, and are typically well-established companies. They usually offer the best chance for minimising your risk and providing steady returns.
- What about speculative shares? Speculative companies are not in the top 100 Australian companies and have a shorter history doing business. Some investors are attracted to buying shares in these companies because they offer the potential for large returns, but be aware that they also have the potential to suffer large losses.
- Buy what you know. Rather than diving in at the deep end and investing in a company that operates in a field you have little or no understanding of, start with industries and businesses you have some sort of background knowledge of.
- Diversify. If you want to minimise your exposure to risk, diversify your portfolio across a range of different industries. If you buy shares across five or six industries instead of just one or two, you can be better protected against losses if one particular industry experiences a sharp downturn.
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