3 in 5 Americans today are investing in stocks

According to Gallup, 162 million Americans, or 62% of U.S. adults, own stock. This marks a 1% increase from 2023.

Stock ownership declined following the recession. From 2001 to 2008, an average of 62% of Americans owned stock, but that number dropped to as low as 52% in 2013 and 2016. However, stock ownership among Americans has been rising in recent years and continues to increase despite market volatility.

• 58% in 2023
• 61% in 2024
• 62% in 2024

Most Americans hold stocks indirectly through mutual funds, index funds, or retirement accounts like a 401(k). A smaller portion directly holds stocks, meaning they purchase individual shares.

According to the Federal Reserve, in 2022:

• 58% of U.S. families (about 72 million families) held stock.
• 21% of U.S. families (about 26 million families) directly held stock.

Direct stock ownership has reached pre-2008 levels, while total stock ownership, including mutual funds, has surpassed that level.

Both direct stock ownership and overall ownership increased by around 5% from 2019 to 2022, reflecting strong market performance from April 2020 to the end of 2022.

Looking further back, overall stock ownership grew faster than direct stock ownership from 1989 to 2001. This is at least partly due to the wider availability of 401(k) plans. In 1989, 17.3 million Americans participated in a 401(k) program, and by 2000, that number had more than doubled to 39.8 million Americans enrolled in a 401(k) program.