- Half of homeowners are investors
- Four in 10 baby boomers invest
- More than a quarter of 20-24-year-olds invest
Figures from the HL Savings & Resilience Barometer, produced with Oxford Economics in July 2022.
Emma Wall, Head of Investment Analysis and Research, Hargreaves Lansdown:
“At first glance it is rather clichéd to see that the age group most likely to invest are baby boomers. Add to that the income bracket most likely to invest are the richest, and that homeowners over renters are more likely to invest, and it can start to be disheartening reading. But look a little deeper at the stats from our Savings and Resilience Barometer, and there are plenty of points of optimism. Take the fact that more than a third of Britons aged 35 to 49 are investors, and that even amongst the youngest surveyed – those aged 20-24 – more than a quarter have dipped their toes in the stock market.
The challenge, of course, will be for investors across the generations to sustain their habit as the cost of living rises. Inflation is running at 8.6% in the UK, and while it has come down from the 9.9% it hit over the summer, the Bank of England has forecast to stay high into 2023 – not falling to the target rate of 2% for two years. But if you can spare the money in these stretched times, it could be a great time to buy into the stock market, as many markets are in bear territory, meaning they have fallen 20% or more from their peak.
While past performance is no guarantee of future returns, history shows that in the years following a correction this magnitude, the US stock markets delivers considerable positive performance – whether you look at the global financial crisis, the dotcom bubble bursting, soaring inflation in the 1970s or the Great Crash of 1929.”
| Tenure | Proportion of households who invest / most likely to invest |
| Homeowner (outright) | 50% |
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | 35.2% |
| Renter | 18.9% |
| Age | Proportion of households who invest / most likely to invest |
| Gen Z | 17.4% |
| Millenials | 26.0% |
| Gen X | 34.9% |
| Baby Boomers | 40.1% |
| Tenure and Generation | Proportion of households who invest / most likely to invest |
| Gen Z – Homeowner | 17.4% |
| Gen Z – Rent | 17.4% |
| Millenials – Homeowner | 31.2% |
| Millenials – Rent | 20.0% |
| Gen X – Homeowner | 42.9% |
| Gen X – Rent | 17.6% |
| Baby Boomers – Homeowner | 51.5% |
| Baby Boomers – Rent | 19.2% |
| Age bracket | Proportion of households who invest / most likely to invest |
| 20 to 24 | 27.4% |
| 25 to 29 | 22.1% |
| 30 to 34 | 28.7% |
| 35 to 39 | 32.5% |
| 40 to 44 | 35.6% |
| 45 to 49 | 37.5% |
| 50 to 54 | 40.6% |
| 55 to 59 | 39.0% |
| 60 and over | 14.7% |
| Income Bracket | Proportion of households who invest / most likely to invest |
| less than £15,000 | 14.7% |
| £15,000 to £30,000 | 20.2% |
| £30,000 to £50,000 | 29.9% |
| £50,000 to £70,000 | 37.3% |
| £70,000 to £100,000 | 41.9% |
| £100,000 to £130,000 | 53.8% |
| £130,000 to £150,000 | 63.2% |
| More than £150,000 | 71.7% |
About the HL Savings and Resilience Barometer
In partnership with Oxford Economics the HL Savings and Resilience Barometer measures the financial resilience of the nation every six months, to see whether we are getting stronger or facing bigger challenges.
It is structured around the five pillars of financial behaviour that are fundamental in order to balance current and future demands, while guarding against risks. These are: controlling your debts, protecting your family, saving for a rainy day, planning for later life and investing to make more of your money.
The Barometer is unique because instead of looking at specific aspects of our finances in isolation, it draws together 17 data points from a number of official data sets, across these five pillars, to provide a holistic measure of the state of the nation’s personal finances.
The aim of our work in this area is to help to promote awareness and understanding, inform the debate, and ultimately help improve the decisions individuals and policymakers make to improve financial resilience.
