Recent data shows that more women than ever in the UK are investing with Wealthify due to greater accessibility and rising confidence. Our new study shows women's share of Wealthify Stocks and Shares ISAs has nearly doubled since 2018, so what else can the data tell us about the gender investment gap in 2026?
Key findings:
- For the first time since Wealthify’s inception, 2026 has seen more women open a Stocks and Shares ISA than men (51% vs 49%)
- Women now own 47% of all Wealthify Stocks and Shares ISAs, up from 25% in 2018 (2026)
- More than half (54%) of Wealthify's female customers now hold an investment product, while 46% hold cash savings only
- However, according to our survey, 74% of UK women still feel they lack investment knowledge
Jump to a specific section:
- Introduction to study
- Why are more women investing?
- What motivates women to invest?
- How confident are women about investing?
- What do women want from investing?
- How women are approaching investing differently
- Why are younger women key to future growth?
- What are the biggest barriers to women investing?
- The future of female investing
- How to start investing
Introduction to study
As part of our Women in Investing campaign, we set out to understand how women's investing habits have changed in recent years.
Using our customer data1 and a survey of 2,000 UK adults2, we explored why more women are investing with us than ever before, what’s encouraging them to get started, and the barriers that still exist.
The findings show why helping younger women feel confident about investing could play an important role in the future of investing in the UK.
Why are more women investing in the UK?
As of 2026, Wealthify customer data shows that more women are investing with us than ever before1. For the first time, women have opened more Stocks and Shares ISA accounts (51%) than men, rising from the 33% share women represented in 2020.
The growing number of women investing may reflect increasing confidence in managing long-term finances. Our survey found women are feeling more confident managing their own investments than in previous years — and our customer data backs this up. In 2026, more than half (54%) of Wealthify's female customers now hold an investment product, while 46% hold cash savings only.
With investing becoming more accessible and understood than ever before, we have found that more women are now choosing to make it part of their financial future.
What motivates women to invest?
When it comes to investing, our survey shows that many women aren’t simply looking for somewhere to put their money; they’re investing with a clear goal in mind.
Top motivations for women to invest
- Saving for retirement – 50%
- Building long-term wealth – 48%
- Making my money work harder than it would in a savings account – 37%
- Achieving financial independence – 31%
- Building a financial safety net for my family – 26%
- Passing wealth on to my children or family – 24%
- Saving for a specific goal (e.g. buying a home or new car) - 20%
- Knowing I could potentially create passive income left in the background to run – 18%
- Hearing success stories from friends or family – 10%
- Discovering that investment platforms are more accessible than I expected – 9%
According to our survey, women are more than one and a half times as likely as men to invest for a specific goal, with one in five (20%) saying this motivates them, compared with around one in eight men (13%).
Retirement is the most common reason that women choose to invest, with half (50%) investing to build a strong financial future.
Financial independence is another key driver for three in ten women (30%), while more than a third (37%) say they want their money to work harder than in a regular savings account.
For many women, investing is about looking ahead with long-term goals in mind.
How confident are women about investing?
While more women are investing with Wealthify than ever before1, confidence remains an important trait when it comes to getting started.
Our research found that over a third of women (36%) feel more positive about investing than they did three years ago2, a promising indication that attitudes are continuing to move in the right direction.
As confidence grows, more women are choosing to take their first steps into investing with Wealthify.
In 2026, women accounted for over half (51%)1 of first-time Stocks and Shares ISA customers, overtaking men for the first time in Wealthify’s history.
Similarly, women now make up around half (49%) of Wealthify’s overall customer base, compared to one in five (21%) in 2018.
However, the survey data still points to room for growth, with a substantial proportion of women saying they still feel the need for support before taking their first step into the investing world.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) say they don’t feel knowledgeable enough about how investing works (vs 58% of men), while seven in 10 (71%) worry about making the wrong financial decision without expert guidance (vs 56% of men).
The contrast is interesting, as previous studies have shown that women are on average more measured and successful investors than men.
These findings are reflected in what women look for when choosing an investment provider.
What do women want from investing?
When choosing an investment provider, our survey data implies that women place a particular importance on trust, simplicity and support.
We found that more than half of women (52%) say a well-known and trusted brand is the most important consideration of all when choosing an investment provider.
More than two in five women (43%) look for low fees, while two in five (40%) value easy-to-use apps and platforms that make managing money straightforward.
Women also want access to support and guidance as they start their investing journey, as a quarter of women (25%) say this is a priority compared to just one in six men (18%).
Alongside performance, transparency and simplicity appear to be key for female investors.
How women are approaching investing differently
Our customer data indicates notable differences in how and where men and women are investing their money.
While men account for almost four in five (78%) switches to DIY trading platforms, women continue to favour managed investing, where experts manage their portfolio for them, as opposed to actively managing it themselves. Rather than frequently changing investment platforms, women are likely to favour a long-term managed approach to investing.
This preference for managed investing is also reflected in longer-term customer behaviour, with our data showing women are 20% more likely than men to remain long-term active investors.
Why are younger women key to future growth?
While female investor numbers continue to rise, our customer data suggests this growth is not being driven across all age groups.
The average age of new female investors in 2026 is around 43 years old, while younger women make up a smaller share of first-time female investors than they did a few years ago.
In 2020, women under 30 accounted for one in five (21%) new female investors, which has reduced to just over one in ten (11%) in 2026.
What are the biggest barriers to women investing?
Although the number of women investors continues to grow, there is still room for improvement.
Our survey found that a large share of women still feel they need more support before taking their first step into investing.
Around three-quarters of women (72%) say they worry about losing money during uncertain economic times, while two-thirds (66%) say they would prefer to keep their money in cash savings.
What stands out is that around three in five women (58%) feel “investing is too complicated for people like them”, while over half (56%) say investing can feel stressful or anxiety-inducing.
Half (50%) say they do not trust financial institutions, while just under half (49%) cite not having enough time to research the options available to them.
Ultimately, there is still progress to be made when it comes to building women's confidence in investing.
Top barriers to investing for women
- Lack of spare money after essentials – 76%
- Not feeling knowledgeable enough about how investing works – 74%
- Losing money during uncertain economic times – 72%
- Worrying about making the wrong decision without expert advice – 71%
- Happier with savings in cash (ISAs, cash savings) than investments – 66%
- Worried about scams and fraud – 66%
- Investing feels too complicated for people like me – 58%
- Investing feels too stressful or anxiety-inducing – 56%
- Don’t trust financial institutions – 50%
- Lack of time to research the best investment options – 49%
“It’s encouraging to see more women taking their first steps into investing, but our findings show there are still many barriers to overcome.
“Confidence, knowledge, and accessibility continue to play a pivotal role in helping people of all genders feel comfortable getting started on their investment journeys.
“By making investing easier to understand, we can help more people take their first step towards their long-term financial goals.”
- Jessie Kwok, Chief Investment Officer at Wealthify
The future of female investing
More women are choosing to invest1, and many are doing so with long-term goals in mind.2 Whether it’s planning for retirement, building wealth, or achieving greater financial independence, our findings show that women are increasingly seeing investing as an important part of their financial future.
At the same time, the research highlights that confidence, knowledge, and trust continue to play an important role in helping people to begin investing. While there is no single solution to increasing the number of female investors, making investing easier to understand and more accessible could help more women take their first step.
The increasing number of women investors reflect a positive shift in how people are engaging with their finances and planning for the future.
How can women start their investing journey?
With both Stocks and Shares ISAs and Personal Pensions available at Wealthify, our expert team tackle the investing nitty-gritty – because busy lives shouldn’t limit financial options. Plus, more time for day-to-day life? For so many women, that’s a real return on investment.
Join the growing number of women taking control of their financial future and discover how to start investing with confidence. You can track your investment performance 24/7 with our app. Get started today.
Your tax treatment will depend on your individual circumstances, and it may be subject to change in the future.
With investing, your capital is at risk, so the value of your investments can go down as well as up, which means you could get back less than you initially invested.
Wealthify does not provide advice. If you’re not sure whether investing is right for you, please speak to a financial adviser.
References
- Data from Wealthify's customer base
- A survey conducted in May 2026 with 2,000 UK respondents, both male and female.
