The number of French retail investors using ETFs reached its highest-ever level in 2023 as the wrapper continues to gather speed in the market.
Annual figures showed ETF retail adoption grew by 18% in 2023, rising from 250,000 in 2022 to 296,000 last year, according to data from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) Active Retail Investor dashboard.
It comes following a bumper Q4 for retail investors using ETFs in the country, with the count rising 34% year-on-year to 166,000 for the quarter.
Jérémy Tubiana, head of business development ETF and index solutions at BNP Paribas Asset Management, said: “With the acceleration of the listing of ETFs and index funds in savings envelopes, the development of new digital solutions, articles in leading media or on social networks, the ETF wave could gain even more momentum in the years to come.”
The rise of retail ETF adoption in France can be largely attributed to the skyrocketing popularity of ETF saving plans in recent years.
This is down to retail investors becoming increasingly aware of the benefits, such as simplicity and low-cost structure, coupled with the ability to accumulate wealth over time.
France – alongside Germany, Italy, Austria and Spain – is set to see the number of ETF saving plans quadruple over the next five years, according to research conducted by BlackRock and extraETF.
The research – published last October – forecasted a 32 million increase in the number of ETF savings plans executed monthly across Europe by 2028, up from 7.6 million in September.
This means that total annual investments in ETF savings plans will increase to €64.3bn, up from current levels of €15bn, as retail ETF adoption continues to grow across the continent.
BlackRock estimates France will see 1.2 million new ETF investors over the next 12 months as online investment platforms such as Trade Republic begin operating beyond Germany.
Currently, Trade Republic, Scalable Capital and Bux are the three ETF savings plan providers in the French market, according to the report.
