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Stock Ownership Rate - US
The rate of stock ownership in the US typically rises with income, age, and educational level. Men are more likely to own stocks compared to women, while stock ownership is most popular among White Americans. Below is an in-depth analysis of our findings.
Age
- Stock ownership tends to increase with age in the US, with the older demographic owning more shares and stocks compared to the younger population. According to a recent survey, 66 percent of individuals between the ages of 50–64 and 58 percent of people aged 65 and above own stocks in the US.
- The older demographic generally own more stocks compared to young Americans. The ownership rate among older Americans is almost double that of the younger demographic, of which only 32 percent of Americans between the ages of 18–29 own any form of corporate stocks.
- The stock ownership rate for middle-aged Americans generally falls between that of the older population and the younger demographic. In the US, about 59 percent of individuals between the ages of 30–49 own common stocks.
Gender
- Men are more likely to own stocks compared to women. According to a recent report by Gallup, 58 percent of men own stocks, which is slightly higher than the 52 percent of women who own stocks. In addition, men consider investing in the stock market 2.5 times more than women.
Education
- As with age, the rate of stock ownership in the US tends to increase with education, and the more educated group tends to own more shares than lesser educated individuals. About 85 percent of Americans with postgraduate education invest in the stock market.
- College graduates represent the second largest group of investors, with 77 percent of college graduates owning stocks of companies. This group is followed by individuals who possess some level of college education, of which more than half (54%) own stocks. Only 33 percent of individuals without a college degree invest in stocks and shares.
Ethnicity
- White Americans are the biggest investors in the US stock market. According to a recent survey, about 64 percent of White Americans hold corporate stocks.
- The Latinx population invests in the stock market at a lesser rate compared to other ethnic groups in the US, with only 28 percent of the population owning corporate stocks. For the African American population, about half of the group (42 %) invest in the stock market.
Household Income
- Individuals with higher incomes typically invest more in the stock market compared to those who earn lesser. About 84 percent of households that earn $1000,000 and above hold corporate stocks. For middle-income households that earn between $40,000 — $99,999, 65 percent of them hold corporate stocks.
- The rate of stock ownership is much lower in poorer households. For households that earn less than $40,000 per annum, only 22 percent of them invest in the stock market.
Additional Information
We have provided the sources corresponding to the stock ownership rates for years identified in the previous report in column J of the attached spreadsheet.