72 percent of investors describe themselves as moderately risk tolerant. 41 percent still rank a market crash as their primary fear. Data across attitudes, habits, demographics, and returns shows where stated views diverge from observed actions.
Key Takeaways
- 72% of investors moderately risk-tolerant in 2023
- 41% feared market crash most among risks in 2023 survey
- 67% optimistic about stocks over next 5 years per 2024 poll
- 45% of U.S. investors checked portfolios daily in 2023
- In 2022, 67% of retail investors traded via mobile apps
- 52% of investors rebalanced portfolios annually, per 2023 survey
- In 2023, 59% of U.S. individual investors were men, while 41% were women
- As of 2022, the average age of retail investors in the U.S. was 51 years old
- 28% of U.S. millennials (born 1981-1996) owned stocks in 2023, compared to 52% of baby boomers
- 39% equities, 25% bonds, 20% cash, 16% alternatives in average U.S. portfolio 2023
- Tech stocks comprised 28% of retail portfolios in 2022
- 15% of global portfolios allocated to ESG funds in 2023
- Average U.S. investor annual return was 7.2% over past 10 years to 2023
- S&P 500 beat 88% of active funds over 15 years ending 2023
- Robo-advised portfolios averaged 6.8% annualized returns 2018-2023
In 2023, investors stayed cautiously optimistic, prioritizing growth, diversification, and research to manage crash fears.
Related reading
01 · Category
Attitudes and Sentiments26 stats
01
72% of investors moderately risk-tolerant in 2023
02
41% feared market crash most among risks in 2023 survey
03
67% optimistic about stocks over next 5 years per 2024 poll
04
55% prioritized growth over preservation in bull market 2023
05
Inflation concerns drove 49% to alternatives in 2022
06
62% trusted AI for future investing advice in 2023
07
38% regretted not investing sooner post-2020 rally
08
71% viewed diversification as key to success in 2023
09
Bear market fear index averaged 45 in 2022 volatility
10
53% of women more conservative than men in risk appetite 2023
11
66% believed in long-term market upward trend eternally
12
29% chased meme stocks despite risks in 2023
13
Retirement confidence at 68% among investors in 2023
14
47% wary of geopolitical risks impacting portfolios 2024
15
59% favored active over passive in uncertain times 2022
16
Greed index peaked at 85 during 2021 bull run
17
64% saw crypto as speculative not investment in 2023
18
52% planned to increase equity exposure post-dip 2023
19
Patience score among investors rose to 7.2/10 in 2023
20
73% endorsed sustainable investing ethically in 2023
21
FOMO affected 34% during rallies per 2022 study
22
61% confident in beating market with research 2023
23
Loss aversion rated 2.1x gain seeking in 2023 psych study
24
48% shifted to defensive stocks in high VIX periods 2022
25
69% valued advisor relationships for calm in volatility
26
Bullish sentiment hit 62% end-2023
Interpretation
Attitudes and Sentiments Interpretation
Here is a one-sentence interpretation blending wit with seriousness:
While investors project a confident front with most believing in long-term growth and their own research, their behavior reveals a nervous heartbeat, as fear of crashes, regret over timing, and the allure of speculative trends constantly tug against their professed optimism and trust in diversification.
02 · Category
Investment Habits26 stats
01
45% of U.S. investors checked portfolios daily in 2023
02
In 2022, 67% of retail investors traded via mobile apps
03
52% of investors rebalanced portfolios annually, per 2023 survey
04
38% of U.S. investors used dollar-cost averaging strategy in 2023
05
Average holding period for stocks among retail investors was 8 months in 2022
06
61% of investors set stop-loss orders on trades in 2023
07
29% of millennials day-traded at least once in 2023
08
74% of investors reviewed performance quarterly in 2022
09
41% used social media for investment ideas in 2023
10
Average number of trades per month for active U.S. investors was 5.2 in 2022
11
56% of investors automated contributions to retirement accounts in 2023
12
33% of retail investors followed technical analysis primarily in 2023
13
Women investors diversified across 12 asset classes on average in 2022
14
48% of Gen Z investors paper-traded before real investing in 2023
15
65% of investors tracked ESG factors in decisions in 2023
16
Average time spent researching investments weekly was 4.1 hours in 2022
17
27% of investors used AI tools for analysis in 2023
18
59% preferred long-term buy-and-hold over short-term trading in 2023
19
42% of U.S. investors contributed to 401(k)s monthly in 2022
20
51% journaled their trades for learning in 2023
21
36% attended webinars or courses yearly in 2022
22
63% set annual investment goals in writing in 2023
23
19% rotated sectors quarterly based on performance in 2022
24
70% checked news daily before trading in 2023
25
44% used limit orders exclusively in 2022
26
55% of investors had emergency funds covering 6+ months before investing in 2023
Interpretation
Investment Habits Interpretation
Despite the market's dizzying volatility, the modern American investor is a fascinating paradox: constantly checking their phone yet planning for decades, chasing daily trends while automating retirement savings, and somehow finding time to day-trade between webinars, all while their prudent emergency fund sits patiently in the background.
03 · Category
Investor Demographics30 stats
01
In 2023, 59% of U.S. individual investors were men, while 41% were women
02
As of 2022, the average age of retail investors in the U.S. was 51 years old
03
28% of U.S. millennials (born 1981-1996) owned stocks in 2023, compared to 52% of baby boomers
04
In 2024, 15% of U.S. investors identified as Hispanic or Latino, up from 9% in 2019
05
High-net-worth individuals (over $1M investable assets) numbered 7.4 million in the U.S. in 2023
06
62% of U.S. investors in 2023 had a college degree or higher
07
Women investors in the UK held 11% of total investment assets in 2022
08
34% of Gen Z (born 1997-2012) in the U.S. started investing before age 21 in 2023
09
In 2023, 22% of U.S. Black households owned stocks, versus 66% of white households
10
The median income of U.S. stock-owning households was $102,310in 2022
11
47% of U.S. investors aged 30-49 used robo-advisors in 2023
12
In Europe, 19% of women participated in stock markets in 2022, vs. 28% of men
13
U.S. investor households with children under 18 averaged 2.3 kids in 2023
14
41% of U.S. investors lived in urban areas in 2022
15
Asian American investors in the U.S. had the highest stock ownership rate at 74% in 2023
16
55% of U.S. investors were married in 2023
17
In 2023, 12% of global investors were under 30 years old
18
U.S. female investors' average portfolio size was $145,000in 2022
19
29% of U.S. investors were self-employed in 2023
20
Rural U.S. investors comprised 18% of total in 2022
21
63% of U.S. investors had postgraduate education in 2023
22
In 2023, 24% of Canadian investors were immigrants
23
U.S. investor median age rose from 47 to 51 between 2018-2022
24
37% of U.S. investors aged 50+ planned to retire by 2030
25
LGBTQ+ investors made up 7% of U.S. retail investors in 2023
26
52% of U.S. investors owned homes in 2022
27
Global investor gender gap narrowed to 15% in participation rates by 2023
28
31% of U.S. investors were veterans in 2023
29
Average U.S. investor household size was 2.6 people in 2022
30
68% of U.S. investors were employed full-time in 2023
Interpretation
Investor Demographics Interpretation
The typical investor is still a middle-aged, educated, married man, but the future belongs to a more diverse, tech-savvy, and impatient crowd who are slowly but surely rewriting the rules of who gets to build wealth.
More related reading
04 · Category
Portfolio Composition27 stats
01
39% equities, 25% bonds, 20% cash, 16% alternatives in average U.S. portfolio 2023
02
Tech stocks comprised 28% of retail portfolios in 2022
03
15% of global portfolios allocated to ESG funds in 2023
04
Bonds made up 22% of millennial portfolios vs. 35% for boomers in 2023
05
Cryptocurrencies averaged 4.2% of U.S. investor portfolios in 2022
06
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) at 7% in average HNW portfolios 2023
07
32% of portfolios held international stocks in 2023
08
Gold and precious metals averaged 3.8% allocation in 2022
09
ETFs constituted 48% of equity holdings for retail investors in 2023
10
Dividend stocks were 18% of income-focused portfolios in 2022
11
Emerging markets exposure averaged 5.1% in 2023
12
Fixed income duration averaged 6.2 years in bond portfolios 2022
13
Value stocks vs. growth: 42%/58% split in U.S. portfolios 2023
14
Commodities allocation rose to 6% from 3% in 2020-2023
15
Small-cap stocks 12% of equity portfolios in 2022
16
Corporate bonds 14%, treasuries 8% in fixed income slice 2023
17
Private equity averaged 9% for UHNW investors in 2023
18
Sector breakdown: healthcare 13%, financials 11% in 2022 portfolios
19
Cash equivalents 18% amid volatility in 2023
20
Hedge funds 4.5% in institutional-like retail portfolios 2022
21
Preferred stocks 2.3% for income seekers in 2023
22
MLPs and energy infrastructure 3% in diversified portfolios 2022
23
Options and derivatives 1.8% exposure average 2023
24
Sustainable bonds 11% of fixed income in ESG portfolios 2023
25
Mega-cap tech 22% dominant in growth portfolios 2022
26
Municipal bonds 5% for tax-advantaged investors 2023
27
Venture capital 2.1% for accredited investors in 2022
Interpretation
Portfolio Composition Interpretation
The modern investor, a creature of cautious diversification and bold thematic bets, keeps one foot in the conservative waters of bonds and cash while the other eagerly tests the speculative waves of tech stocks and crypto, all while trying to remember that the future supposedly lies in sustainable funds and emerging markets.
05 · Category
Returns and Performance24 stats
01
Average U.S. investor annual return was 7.2% over past 10 years to 2023
02
S&P 500 beat 88% of active funds over 15 years ending 2023
03
Robo-advised portfolios averaged 6.8% annualized returns 2018-2023
04
Value investors outperformed growth by 4.1% in 2022 downturn
05
Dividend aristocrats returned 9.3% annually over 20 years to 2023
06
ESG funds underperformed benchmarks by 1.2% on average in 2022
07
Retail investors lagged market by 4.5% annually per 2023 DALBAR
08
60/40 portfolio returned 5.9% annualized 2013-2023
09
Crypto portfolios averaged -15% in 2022 bear market
10
Target-date funds hit 7.1% average return over 10 years to 2023
11
Small-cap value stocks returned 11.2% annually long-term to 2023
12
Bond ladders yielded 4.3% in rising rate environment 2022-2023
13
Momentum strategies added 2.8% alpha over benchmarks 2018-2023
14
401(k) balances grew 12% on average in 2023
15
International stocks returned 4.7% vs. 10.2% U.S. over decade to 2023
16
Low-volatility equity strategies beat market by 1.5% in 2022
17
REITs returned 8.4% annualized over 25 years to 2023
18
Factor timing models improved returns by 3.2% since 2010
19
Tax-loss harvesting boosted after-tax returns by 1.1% annually 2023
20
Equal-weight S&P 500 outperformed cap-weight by 0.9% yearly to 2023
21
MLPs returned 10.1% amid energy boom 2022-2023
22
Balanced funds averaged 6.2% returns over 10 years to 2023
23
High-yield bonds yielded 7.8% total return in 2023 recovery
24
Smart beta ETFs added 1.4% premium over 5 years to 2023
Interpretation
Returns and Performance Interpretation
The market humbly suggests that most investors would be better off with disciplined simplicity rather than chasing complex strategies, as the average investor’s return trails both the patient indexer and even a basic target-date fund.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Investor Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/investor-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Investor Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/investor-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Investor Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/investor-statistics.
Sources & references
80 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level