Investing is a game of risk, and in 2019 there are new ways to play.

Experienced investors are seeking out modern strategies to grow their money, like emerging cannabis stock and cryptocurrency investing. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Z are not investing as much in the first place, and when they are, they’re changing the game.

Investment statistics

We’ll sum up the current investing climate with these 35 statistics. Check them out and see what you can learn about current investing trends.

Interested in specific investment statistics? Jump ahead to:

• Millennial investing
• Investing in cryptocurrency
• Marijuana stock
• Investing and identity
• Other 2019 statistics

Millennial investing

As more Millennials and Gen Z folks emerge as new investors in 2019, how are they changing the landscape? What are they investing in, if at all? And how are they doing it? Turns out, there’s an app for that. Young people just starting out investing are using apps like Robinhood instead of traditional portfolios. Read on for more stats:

• “While older generations may invest for the sake of retirement, Robinhood’s users, 78% of whom are under age 35, want to both build their savings and develop relationships with brands—just as they have on Instagram and Twitter.” (Fast Company)
• “The average age of Robinhood users is 28-41, and most of them use the app to make their first stock purchase.” (Nasdaq)

• “Nearly two-thirds of 18-34-year-olds polled by Triodos said they would like their money to support companies that are making a positive contribution to society.” (Capital.com)
• “The top five stocks invested in by Millennials are Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Tesla, and Netflix.” (Capital.com)
• “Millennials showed a strong affinity with the statement "I get more satisfaction out of saving than spending my money," while statements like "I live for today and let tomorrow look after itself," or "I don't see benefits from saving right now," met with strong disagreement.” (Capital.com)
• “66% of people aged 18-29 (and 65% of those 30 to 39) say investing in the stock market is scary or intimidating, compared with 58% of those aged 40 to 54 and 57% of those 55 and older.” (Forbes)
• “20% of Millennials say their retirement money is invested mostly in bonds, money market funds, cash or other stable investments, compared with 15% each for older generations.” (Forbes)
• “Only 22% of Millennials have taxable investment accounts, compared to Gen Xers at 29%, Boomers at 39%, and Silent Generation at 53%.” (Liberated Stock Trader)
• “52% of those aged between 21-36 reported keeping their savings in cash.” (Capital.com)

Investing in cryptocurrency

Blockchain technology continues to grow in 2019. As they become more prominent as a form of currency in just about every market, cryptocurrencies continue to emerge as ways to invest. Just how big is crypto in 2019? Read on to find out.

• “B2B crypto companies raised about $400 million of ICO (initial coin offering) in 2017. B2D companies commanded $1.2 billion” (Tomasz Tunguz)
• “More than 40% (of C-level leaders at technology companies) plan to roll out blockchain during the next three years.” (Computer World)
• “From a technology perspective, IT services and business services (combined) will account for nearly 70% of all blockchain spending in 2019.” (Computer World)
• “The blockchain market was worth more than $400 million in 2017 and is expected to grow to more than $7.6 billion by 2022.” (G2)
• “5% of Americans hold bitcoin.” (The Coin Offering)

• “47.95% of people who engage with bitcoin are between 25-34.” (Coin Dance)
• “Bitcoin community engagement is 90.9% male and 9.91% female.” (Coin Dance)

Marijuana stock

As more states legalize cannabis, investors are looking to get in early and watch their stock grow like a...well...weed. The problem: legalization laws are not friendly to the cannabis supply chain, meaning marijuana producers are not yet able to operate at their full capacity, hurting the cannabis stock market. Nonetheless, cannabis stock is popular in 2019.

• “Legal cannabis is worth $50 billion for the U.S. today, and experts have projected the American industry to skyrocket to as much as $80 billion by 2030.” (The Motley Fool)
• “Canada’s Canopy Growth Corp. (CGC) is the biggest company in the sector measured by market capitalization.” (MarketWatch)

• “Investors with the stomach to invest $1,000 into Canopy Growth at the start of 2016 and hang on for the ride would have seen a close to 3,500% total return.” (The Motley Fool)
• “Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF) is headquartered in Massachusetts and is the largest U.S. multi-state operator.” (U.S.News)
• “Global marijuana sales grew to $12.2 billion in 2018, and worldwide revenue forecast is predicted to rise to more than $31 billion by 2022.” (The Motley Fool)

Investing and identity

Want to invest in 2019? Put your money where your mouth is—at least that’s what your peers are doing! Below are stats about how groups invest based on gender, race, and politics.

• “Liberal politicians exhibit a preference for firms that rank high on measures of social responsibility.” (Forbes)
• “Conservative (politicians)...are more likely to buy companies with low social responsibility scores.” (Forbes)
• “Race factors play a negligible role in whether a person decides to actively invest (4% difference).” (Liberated Stock Trader)
• “On average, women invest more conservatively than men.” (Investopedia)

Other 2019 statistics

Investors safeguard against tragedy by diversifying their portfolios, but knowledge and insight into the market and current trends make for smarter investing. Where does the stock market stand in 2019, and where is it going? Read these stats for some insight.

• “There are 60 major stock exchanges in the world with a total value of $69 trillion (in 2016).” (The Money Project)
• “Technology is again the fastest growing sector with a 25% increase in 2019 (year to date).” (Liberated Stock Trader)
• “There have been 125 IPOs filed this year, a 5.3% change from last year, including 40 in the healthcare sector (more than any other sector).” (Renaissance Capital)
• “2019 could prove to be one of the biggest years on record for the amount of money raised in U.S.-listed IPOs. The total will reach $80 billion this year, double the yearly average since 1999.” (Bloomberg)
• “Housing prices have grown at a compound annual rate of just 0.3% over the past century (inflation-adjusted), while the S&P 500 has averaged roughly 6.5%.” (The Motley Fool)
• “Nearly half of Americans don’t even understand the basic financial markets, which is crucial to understanding the market as a whole.” (Lexington Law)

• “In August 2000, Fortune magazine published “10 Stocks to Last the Decade.” By December 2012, the portfolio in question lost 74.3% of its value.” (Investopedia)
• “The S&P 500 lost 8.93% in a single trading session on Dec. 1, 2008, marking the stock market’s last major plunge.” (The Motley Fool)
• “Among non-investors, 53% say they don’t have the money to invest and 21% say they don’t trust stockbrokers or financial advisors.” (Lexington Law)
• “All economists agree that predicting stock prices is tough. However, only 59% of Americans agree with that statement.” (Investopedia)

Go forth and invest

Ready to risk it and jump into the investing pool in 2019? Just remember to diversify with stock, bitcoin, and more!

New to investing? Start by learning about stock on the Learning Hub.