Finland investment trends reached a significant milestone at the end of 2024. More than two million people in the country owned either listed shares or investment funds. According to Statistics Finland, this equals just under 37 percent of the entire population.
Retail investing in Finland has expanded steadily for more than ten years. In 2013, only one in four citizens held shares or funds. By 2024, the figure had risen sharply, showing that investing has become a mainstream part of personal finance.
Investment funds have proven especially popular. Around 30 percent of people owned fund units, compared with slightly less than 17 percent who owned listed shares. Senior researcher Veli-Matti Tormalehto noted that fund ownership has increased every single year over the past decade.
Age plays a strong role in shaping how Finns invest. People between 35 and 44 were the most active investors and the most likely to hold mutual funds. Direct share ownership, however, became more common with age and reached its highest level among people aged 75 and older.
Equity savings accounts, introduced in 2020, are most popular among younger adults. By the end of 2024, nearly 10 percent of those aged 25 to 34 had opened such accounts. These accounts allow private investors to buy and sell shares while postponing taxes on capital gains, which has made them attractive to younger participants.
The data also revealed large differences in the value of investment portfolios. One quarter of investors held assets worth less than 1,150 euros, while another quarter had more than 23,000 euros invested. At the very top, the wealthiest five percent of investors managed holdings worth over 142,600 euros.
Gender patterns were also visible. Men and women participated equally in funds, with roughly 30 percent of each group owning fund units. When it came to direct stock ownership, men were ahead, with one in five men holding listed shares compared to only 13 percent of women.
Men also made greater use of equity savings accounts. About 6.5 percent of men had money in these accounts, compared with just under 3 percent of women. Portfolio sizes reflected the same divide. On average, men held listed shares and funds worth 51,200 euros, while the average for women stood at 30,700 euros.
The latest report from Statistics Finland shows how deeply investing has become part of Finnish financial life. More than two million people now own shares or funds, and participation continues to spread across age groups and genders. Yet the figures also reveal clear gaps in portfolio values, with wealth concentrated among a relatively small group of investors.
