Number of women investing surges 10% in one year, but gender investment gap widens

March 4, 2026

In the twelve months to 31st January, the number of women investing in the UK has increased by 10%, from 6.7 million to 7.4 million. At the same time, the overall gap between total wealth invested by men and women has narrowed by 15%, falling from £677 billion to £574 billion.

However, survey data collected and analysed by investment research firm Boring Money also found that, over the same period, the Gender Investment Gap has widened by 9%. There are now 11 million male investors compared with 7.4 million women – a gap of 3.6 million, up from 3.3 million in 2025. The difference increased by 200,000 people between 2024 and 2025, and has grown by a further 300,000 over the past year.

Holly Mackay, founder and CEO of Boring Money, says: “There are genuine green shoots of hope in the industry-wide data. The number of women investors has grown by 10% over the last year, which is encouraging. However, as the Government looks to get more of us investing this year, this gap needs more focus and deliberate attention. Wealth managers face a serious retention issue with older female clients who come into money from bereavement or divorce, then look elsewhere as the relationship is lacking. And younger women are not adopting investing at the same pace as the guys – they are almost half as likely to invest, which should be a huge wake-up call for providers.”

It’s not just about age: younger and older women invest very differently

Among younger adults aged 18–44, 38% of men are investing compared with just 22% of women.
Brand awareness appears to be playing a role. Men are between 75% and 214% more likely than women to have heard of newer trading platforms such as Trading 212, Freetrade and eToro.
At the same time, shifts among older female investors have influenced the overall figures. In 2025, around 100,000 women over 55 exited investment markets or redeemed pension assets, partly driven by uncertainty around tax and pension policy in the run-up to last year’s Budget.