139+ Amazing Stock Market Statistics & Facts (2024)

Stock markets are an integral part of a capitalist economy. The following are the most important historical and current Stock market statistics for those researching the markets or industry.

Key Statistics

• $95 trillion was the total market capitalization of the global stock markets as of November 2020.³
• With a market cap of over $26.23 trillion as of May 2021, NYSE is the largest stock exchange in the world.¹
• The US represented 55.9% % of global market capitalization as of January 2021.12
• In 2020, $331 billion was raised in IPO activity across the globe.24
• 53% of households in the US invested in the stock market in 2019.26
• In 11 out of 13 years, NASDAQ 100 has outperformed the S&P 500 index.36
• Robo advisors had close to $1.4 trillion in assets under management in 2020.⁵³
• 47% of the assets of regulated open funds worldwide were concentrated in the US.⁵⁷

A stock market is the nucleus of a free market economy. It is the only safe and regulated platform where investors can purchase and sell shares and other financial instruments at negligible operational risk. Since a stock market involves many buyers and sellers, fair pricing and transparent practices exist. Almost all the stock exchanges across the globe now function electronically. With disruptive technologies taking over, the stock market also evolves with each passing day.

In this article, I compiled some of the most incredible stock market statistics, including its historical performance and future performance predictions.

Global and Country Statistics

• With a market capitalization of over $26.23 trillion as of May 2021, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the largest stock exchange in the world.¹
• With a market cap of $19.79 trillion, NASDAQ is the second-largest stock market in the world as of May 2021.²
• With a market cap of $6.92 trillion, Shanghai is the third-largest stock market in the world as of May 2021.²
• $95 trillion was the total market capitalization of the global stock markets as of November 2020. This was a record level with outdid pre-pandemic times.³
• There are more than 913 stock markets and trading venues across the world. ²
• More than 630,000 companies are traded publicly across the globe.⁴
• More than 2300 companies are listed on the NYSE.⁵
• There are 507 non-US listings on the NYSE from 46 countries as of April 2020.⁶
• More than 3300 companies are listed on the NASDAQ.⁷
• With $123 billion as the average daily trading volume value, NYSE world’s largest and most liquid market.⁸
• 1.95 billion is the average daily volume of shares traded on the NYSE.⁹
• 94% of the International listing on the NYSE belongs to Canada.¹⁰
• 91% of the international listing on the NYSE belongs to Latin America.¹⁰
• 88% of the international listing on the NYSE belongs to Europe.¹⁰
• Institutional investors managed 62% of the US equities in 2019.¹¹
• 99.6% of total investors in China are retail investors.¹¹
• The United States represented 55.9% % of global market capitalization as of January 2021.¹²
• Japan represented 7.4% of the worldwide market capitalization as of January 2021.¹²
• China represented 5.4% of the global market capitalization as of January 2021.¹²
• The United Kingdom represented 4.1 % of the global market capitalization as of January 2021.¹²
• At a valuation of $2.25 trillion, Apple became the world’s biggest company by market cap. It overtook Saudi Aramco in July 2020.¹³
• At a closing price of $4,30,720 on May 19, 2021, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is the costliest publicly traded stock in the world.¹⁴
• More than 80% of the stock market is now automated.¹⁵
• The ten largest stock markets represent 78.8% of the global stock market value.¹⁶
• 46% of the global stock market is captured by the NYSE and NASDAQ.¹⁶
• At $30.46 trillion, the US had the highest market cap of domestic listed companies as of 2018, stated the World Bank.¹⁷
• At $3.2 million, Azerbaijan had the lowest market cap of domestic listed companies as of 2018.¹⁷
• $31.7 trillion was the market cap of the global top 100 companies in the world as of March 2021.¹⁸
• There was a 48% year-over-year surge in the market cap of the global top 100 companies as of March 2021.18
• 99 out of the global top 100 companies saw an increase in their market cap as of March 2021.18
• 59 companies contributed 65% of total market capitalization out of the global top 100 companies.18
• Analysts at Goldman Sachs predict that the worldwide market cap will continue heading towards $100 trillion.¹⁹

Stock Market and COVID-19 Statistics

As the COVID-19 played havoc in the US, it halted the market rally on February 19, 2020. Within the next two weeks, the stock market plunged 20%, marking the fastest crash in the century in the US. However, the stock markets witnessed a recovery amid optimism that the pandemic is temporary and the economy would revive. As it was a unique circumstance, something very different from the historic crashes, the markets were quick to respond.

• Video Communication stock, ZOOM, added $93 billion to its market value in 2020.²⁰
• $6 trillion in wealth was lost from the global stock market in the week of February 24 2020.²¹
• S&P 500 index lost $5 trillion in wealth in the week of February 24, 2020. ²¹
• The ten most prominent companies contributed $1.4 trillion to the wealth loss of S&P 500.21
• S&P 500 plunged below 30% from its peak in March 2020.²¹
• 27.8% was the year‐to‐date decline in stock return in the United Kingdom during March 2020.²²
• 27.8% was the year‐to‐date decline in stock return in Germany during March 2020.²²
• 29.7% was the year‐to‐date decline in stock return in Spain during March 2020.²²
• 29% was the year‐to‐date decline in stock return in France during March 2020.²²
• Brazil witnessed a decline of 48%, while Colombia saw a decrease of 47% during March 2020. These two countries were the lowest performers in the global stock market.²¹
• The MSCI World Index plunged by 21% in early 2020.¹⁸
• The global market volatility index peaked at 83 on March 16 2020.¹⁸
• Over one-third of American adults stated that they were less likely to invest in the stock market due to COVID-19 fears.²³

Stock Market IPO Statistics

2020 has seen a record rise in global IPO activities. There has been significant growth in the volume and the value of the IPOs during the year. US and Chinese companies have led the pack with an increased movement towards mega deals, which implies valued at more than $1 billion.

• In 2020, $331 billion was raised in IPO activity across the globe.²⁴
• With 1591 new listings, 2020 saw the highest capital-raising activity globally. It marked an increase of 42% compared to 2019.²⁴
• $80 billion was raised through cross-border listings in 2020.²⁴
• $127 billion was raised through domestic listings in the US in 2020.²⁴
• The volume of domestic listings in the US climbed by 93% to 345 listings.²⁴
• The domestic listing volume in Mainland China surged to 365 listings in 2020.²⁴
• $64 billion was raised through the domestic listings in In Mainland China in 2020.²⁴
• The Asia Pacific raised $139 billion across 937 listings; marking a 39% increase in 2019.²⁴
• Domestic listings in EMEA dropped to 112, raising $22 billion.²⁴
• Latin America raised $9 billion in IPO activity in 2020, indicating a rise of 159% from 2019.²⁴

Stock Market Demographic Statistics

Retail investors influence the stock markets to a great extent. With time, the demographics of retail investors keep evolving. Today, millennials and women constitute a significant percentage of retail investors. Some of the factors contributing to these are higher disposable income, increased investor education, and the willingness to take risks.

• 55% of US adults invested in the stock market in 2020.²⁵
• 53% of households in the US invested in the stock market in 2019.²⁶
• $40,000 was the median value of stock held by American households in 2019.²⁶
• 15% of the American families owned stock through direct ownership in 2019.²⁶ The top 10% of income-earning American families comprised 70% of the dollar value of all stock holdings in 2019.²⁶
• 61% of white and non-Hispanic families owned stocks in the US in 2019.²⁶
• 34% of Black families in the US-owned stocks in 2019.²⁶
• 24% of Hispanic families in the US-owned stocks in 2019.²⁶
• 9% of the assets of the lowest-earning American families are invested in the stock market in 2019.²⁶
• 26% of American women have invested in the stock market, as per a survey by S&P Global.²⁷
• 40% of women in Canada have invested in the stock market, as per a survey by S&P Global.²⁷
• 66% of people aged 18-29 are intimidated by investing in the stock market.28
• 65% of those aged 30 to 39 are intimidated by investing in the stock market.28
• 58% of those aged 40 to 54 are intimidated by investing in the stock market.28
• 57% of those 55 and older are intimidated by investing in the stock market.28
• $7,700 is the median amount invested by young adult households headed by those younger than 35.²⁹
• $22,000 is the median amount invested in households headed by 35- to 44-year-olds.²⁹
• $51,000 is the median amount invested in households headed by 45 to 54-year-olds.²⁹
• $80,000 is the median amount invested in households headed by those 55 and older.²⁹

Stock Broker Statistics

One of the prerequisites of profitable stock investing is to choose the right broker. They are intermediaries who help achieve your investment goals aligned to your risk profile. Due to a spurt in retail investors and trading activities, online brokers have flourished in recent years. Moreover, with technology taking over stock trading and fintech apps dominating the landscape, the functioning of online brokers has changed drastically.

• Vanguard had almost $7.2 trillion in client assets at the end of January 31, 2021, the most of any online broker.³⁰
• Charles Schwab had almost $6.7 trillion in client assets at the end of January 31, 2021.³¹
• Fidelity had almost $3.9 trillion in client assets at the end of March 31, 2021.³²
• Robinhood has nearly 19 million active accounts as of February 2021.³³
• Robinhood has almost $20 million in assets under management.³³
• The revenue of the online Stock Brokerages industry is likely to rise at an annualized rate of 9.9% to $14.0 billion in 2021.³⁴

Stock Market Sector Statistics

• According to MSCI World Index, Information Technology, Financials, Communication, and Healthcare constitute over 52% of the world’s companies by value.³⁵
• According to MSCI World Index, Industrial, Consumer Staples, and Materials constitute 22% of the global companies by value.³⁵

Stock Market Performance & Crisis Statistics

A stock market crisis is characterized by a jolting decline of stock prices across significant market sections. This leads to a severe loss of wealth for investors. Stock market crashes are different from bear phases involving extreme panic sell-offs and speculation. There have been innumerable stock market bubbles and crashes dating back to the 17th century. These crashes have altered the market landscape and taught valuable lessons to investors.

• In 11 out of 13 years, NASDAQ 100 has outperformed the S&P 500 index.³⁶
• 4% was the annualized return on US equities from 2000 to 2019.³⁷
• Corrections lead to a 13% decline in the stock market and, on average, take nearly four months to recover.³⁸
• There have been 26 market corrections since World War II.³⁸
• Since WW II, there has been an average decline of 13.7% for four months.³⁸
• There have been 12 bear markets since World War II.³⁸
• 32.5% was the average decline in the bear markets post World War II.³⁸
• Bear markets have lasted 14.5 months on average and have taken two years to recover.³⁸
• 40% of stocks fell at least 70% since 1980, and many never recovered.³⁹
• There have been 13 corrections in the S&P 500 since the beginning of 1980.⁴⁰
• There have been 13 recessions in the US market since the Great Depression ended in 1933.⁴¹
• The S&P 500 lost 53% of its value during the subprime crisis from October 2007 to February 2009.²⁹
• NASDAQ lost 75% of its value during the dot-com bubble burst in 2000.⁴¹
• The S&P 5OO lost 43% of its value during the dot-com bubble burst in 2000.⁴¹
• Dow Jones lost 45% of its value during the Oil embargo recession between November 1973 and March 1975.⁴¹
• The average bull market correction drops 13% over four months.⁴²
• 2017 was the first calendar year without a monthly decline in an all-country index.⁴³
• August 22, 2018, marked the longest bull market in history at 3,453 days (roughly a 10-year run.⁴⁴
• Before 2018, 3,452 days was the most extended bull phase during the dot-com boom and bust cycle.⁴⁵
• 10% is the historical average stock market return per year for nearly a century.⁴⁶

Stock Market 2021 Index Performance Statistics

According to a report by Russell Investments, the mass vaccination drive and the American Rescue Plan spurred economic growth in the second quarter of 2021. Analysts predict that investors are likely to prefer equities over bonds in the near future despite their expensive valuation.

• The Russell 2000 has gained 15% since the beginning of 2021.⁴⁷
• Japan’s Topix has gained 11.3% since the inception of 2021.47
• MSCI World Value climbed 10.4% since the beginning of 2021.47
• S&P TSX rose 8.7% since the beginning of 2021.⁴⁷

Robo Advisors Statistics

Robo-advisors leverage automated systems to offer portfolio management advice. Robo-advice appeals to clients for several reasons. Firstly it involves lower fees and minimum transaction expenses. Secondly, automated investment solutions refer to efficient investment management. Finally, Robo-advice ensures transparency on each investment and its future performance.

• 90% of trading in the stock markets is based on robotic quantitative and computer algorithms. (CNBC)
• There are nearly 100 various Robo advisory platforms across 15 countries.⁴⁹
• Automated Robo Advisors were expected to manage over $2 trillion in assets by 2020.⁵⁰
• 8% of American households have a Robo-advisor account, says Hearts & Wallets.⁵¹
• Robo advisory services are expected to manage nearly $16 trillion of assets by 2025.⁵²
• Robo advisors had close to $1.4 trillion in assets under management in 2020.⁵³
• The global Robo advisory market size was valued at $4.51 billion in 2019.⁵⁴
• The global Robo advisory market size is projected to reach $41.07 billion by 2027.⁵⁴

Mutual Funds Statistics

Mutual Funds include a wide range of asset classes, such as stocks and bonds, across sectors and industries. The mutual funds can be actively or passively managed to secure long-term and short-term returns. These funds comprise large companies in various leading sectors like automobile, healthcare, technology, and communication.

• There are 126457 mutual funds worldwide as of 2020.⁵⁵
• There were 7,636 mutual funds in the United States in 2020.⁵⁶
• 47% of the assets of regulated open funds worldwide were concentrated in the US.⁵⁷
• There are more than 6,000 stock funds in the US, per the Investment Company Institute.⁵⁸
• 45% of the Regulated Open-End Funds in the US are equity-based.⁵⁸
• Equity mutual funds experienced net outflows totaling $362 billion in 2019.⁵⁸
• The total net assets held by mutual funds in the US are expected to reach $23.73 trillion by 2024.⁵⁹
• In 2018, 44.8% of the households in the US-owned mutual funds.⁵⁹
• Net new cash flow to index mutual funds in 2019 was $128 billion.⁵⁸

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) Statistics

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of security tracking an index, commodity, sector, or other assets. These are the assets that can be transacted on a stock exchange, just like a regular stock. An ETF can own several stocks across industries or focus on one particular industry or sector.

ETFs are becoming popular among investors due to their lower average costs than buying the stocks individually. However, as ETFs continue to get popular, an influx of new funds leads to thinner trading volumes for a few of them.

• The global ETFs had 7.7 trillion worth of assets under management (AUM) in 2020.⁶⁰ North America accounted for 5.6 trillion of the AUM of ETFs.⁶⁰
• 49% of the advisors prefer low-cost ETFs to mutual funds.⁶¹
• 48% of investors expect to raise their exposure to ESG ETFs by a minimum of 5%.⁶²
• Asia-Pacific has become the fastest-growing ETF market with assets of as much as $689 Billion.⁶³
• Active ETF accounts for about 2.9% of the ETF market share.⁶⁴
• Active ETFs have nearly $303 billion in assets under management.⁶⁴
• Assets in European-listed ETFs grew by 26.4%, reaching a new record of $1.3 trillion.63
• At a record level of $5.6 trillion, the North American ETF market grew 24.1%.63
• Greater China has $270 billion in ETF assets under management.64
• 72% of global ETF investors plan to increase their ETF allocation in 2021.64
• 80% of investors plan to increase their allocation to thematic ETFs this year.64
• US represents 70 % of the ETF market with $5.47 trillion in AUM.64
• Europe has $1.28 trillion in ETF assets under management at the end of 2020.64
• Greater China has over $270 billion in ETF AUM at the end of 202064
• 15% of investors revealed that amongst thematic ETFs, they would choose the fintech/crypto ETFs.64
• Of the 415 actively-listed ETFs, 248 gained market share within their specific segments in 2020.65
• In the first quarter of 2021, 92 new ETFs were launched with $256 billion in total cash flow.66
• As of March 31, 2021, there are 2,466 ETFs listed in the US.66
• As of March 31, 2021, there are $5.92 trillion in assets in the US markets.⁶⁶
• As of March 31, 2021, the average daily value of US ETF transactions is $151.47 billion.⁶⁶

Exchange-Traded Derivatives Statistics

An exchange-traded derivative is a financial contract listed and traded on a regulated exchange. Two of the most popular exchange-traded derivatives are futures and options. Exchange-traded derivatives are instrumental in hedging or speculating on various assets, including commodities, equities, or currencies.

• $2.27 trillion was the daily average turnover in North America for exchange-traded derivatives at the end of December 2020.⁶⁷
• $1.47 trillion was the daily average turnover in Europe for exchange-traded derivatives at the end of December 2020.⁶⁷
• Over 32 billion contracts were the overall volume of exchange-traded derivatives in 2019.⁶⁸
• With 21.72 billion traded contracts, exchange-traded derivatives reached a record in the first half of 2020.⁶⁹
• 14.76 billion was the total volume of options that were traded in 2019.⁶⁹
• 18.10 billion was the total volume of futures that were traded in 2019.⁶⁹
• Equity derivatives volumes witnessed a 17.2% to be nearly 16 billion contracts.⁶⁹
• Equity derivatives volumes climbed 9.3% in the Americas.⁶⁹
• Equity derivatives volumes rose 37.6% in the Asia-Pacific region.⁶⁹
• Equity derivatives volumes dropped 2%in the EMEA region.⁶⁹

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