Young people drive the growth of ETFs in Italy

In italy ETFs are becoming increasingly popular and their growth is also appealing to young people. The results emerge from the new People and Money 2025 survey by BlackRock, in collaboration with YouGov,  The survey offers an analysis of the motivations and financial behaviour of more than 40,000 people in 15 countries in Europe. Investors in Etf in Italy grew from 2.1 million in 2022 to 2.4 million in 2025, with Etf held today by 5% of the adult population and 14% of total investors. This growth, amounting to over 300,000 new investors in Etf from 2022, represents an increase of 15 per cent. Since 2022, the adoption of ETFs in Italy has grown fastest among young investors aged between 18 and 34 (+32%). Luca Giorgi , Head of Wealth Southern Europe at BlackRock, points out that "in Italy the rate of ETF diffusion continues to grow, in line with the last three years, but the potential is still not fully expressed. For young investors, simplicity and convenience represent decisive levers'.

 Gli investors in ETFs in Europe have reached almost 33 million, with growth driven by women and younger generations. In the next 12 months another 21 million say they will invest, of which 41% will be 'first-time investors'. In particular, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain are expected to add 6.6 million new ETF investors over the next 12 months and represent 77% of all expected new ETF investors in Europe. Among Italians who intend to invest in ETFs in the next 12 months, 56% are first-time ETF investors and 56% are under 44 years old. Among potential ETF investors in Italy, 64% plan to invest in European markets, compared to 40% who prefer US exposures.

27% of Italians claim to have at least a basic understanding of ETFs, a percentage that rises to 38% among men and falls to 17% among women. 55% of Italians with an income above EUR 60,000 have at least a basic understanding of ETFs. This percentage drops to 44% among those earning between EUR 40,000 and EUR 60,000, and to only 23% among those with an income below EUR 30,000. The main sources of information that Italian investors rely on when making decisions about ETFs are investment research platforms (39%), financial newspapers (34%) and ETF providers' websites (28%).

Among Italian investors, the main motivation to start investing is the search for capital growth, indicated by 38% of respondents. Investors and non-investors differ on the definition of 'good investor': the former emphasise diversification, the latter the risks associated with the investment. Forty-four per cent of respondents indicated their first reason for choosing ETFs was their broad diversification across markets and companies. 42% of Italians, including 32% of those who do not currently invest, say they are interested in an accumulation plan in ETFs in the next two years.