ETF Industry in the United States Reports Record Assets of US$16.36 Trillion and Record Year-to-Date Net Inflows of US$1.41 Trillion at the End of August

Press Release

LONDON — September 14, 2026 — ETFGI, reported the ETF Industry in the United States had Record Assets of US$16.36 Trillion and Record Year-to-Date Net Inflows of US$1.41 Trillion at the End of August.   During August, the ETFs industry in the United States gathered net inflows of US$182.14 billion, bringing year-to-date net inflows to US$1.41 trillion, according to ETFGI's August 2026 US ETFs and ETPs industry landscape insights report, the monthly report which is part of an annual paid-for research subscription service.  ETFGI, is a 14 year old leading independent research and consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, 6 annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits, and ETF TV on global ETF industry trends. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)

Highlights

•    Assets invested in the U.S. ETF industry reached a record US$16.36 trillion at the end of August 2026, surpassing the previous record of $15.78 trillion set in June 2026.
•    Assets have increased 21.9% year to date, rising from $13.43 trillion at the end of 2025 to a record $16.36 trillion at the end of August 2026.
•    The U.S. ETF industry gathered net inflows of $182.14 billion in August 2026.
•    Year-to-date net inflows reached a record US$1.41 trillion, US$611.23 billion (76.5%) higher than the previous record of US$798.77 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.
•    August 2026 marked the 52nd consecutive month of net inflows into U.S.-listed ETFs.
 

“Global equity markets continued to build on their gains in August, supported by broad-based strength across both developed and emerging markets. The S&P 500 increased 2.72% during the month and is up 13.14% year-to-date. Developed markets excluding the US outperformed, rising 3.01% in August and 18.07% year-to-date, led by Korea and Norway. Emerging markets also posted strong gains, advancing 3.53% in August and 13.26% year-to-date, with Taiwan and Greece delivering the strongest monthly returns among emerging market countries,” said Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner, Founder, and Owner of ETFGI. 

Growth in assets in the ETFs industry in the United States as of the end of August

Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: “ETFs” are typically open-end index funds that provide daily portfolio transparency, are listed and traded on exchanges like stocks on a secondary basis as well as utilising a unique creation and redemption process for primary transactions. “ETPs” refers to other products that have similarities to ETFs in the way they trade and settle but they do not use a mutual fund structure. The use of other structures including grantor trusts, partnerships, notes and depositary receipts by ETPs can create different tax and regulatory implications for investors when compared to ETFs which are funds.

 

 

ETF Provider concentration 

Despite the presence of 501 ETF providers and 5,674 ETFs listed on 3 U.S. exchanges, industry assets remain highly concentrated. Vanguard, iShares, and State Street SPDR ETFs collectively controlled more than 70% of total assets at the end of August, while the other 498 providers accounted for only 29.8% of industry assets.

This concentration was also evident in asset gathering, with the three largest providers capturing $81.75 billion, or 44.9%, of August net inflows and $735.83 billion, or 52.2%, of total year-to-date net inflows.

 

ETF concentration 

Out of 5,674 ETFs listed in the United States, the three largest ETFs by assets, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), held combined assets of $2.73 trillion at the end of August, representing 16.7% of total U.S. ETF industry assets. Despite accounting for just 0.05% of all ETFs, these three funds alone represented nearly one-sixth of industry assets. Year to date, the three ETFs attracted $141.3 billion in net inflows, representing approximately 10.0% of total U.S. ETF industry net inflows.

 

Net Inflows 
 

  • ETFs gathered US$182.14 billion in net inflows during August. 

 

  • Equity ETFs attracted $68.69 billion in net inflows in August, bringing year-to-date net inflows to $635.94 billion, more than double the $291.71 billion gathered through August 2025. 

 

  • Fixed income ETFs recorded $34.07 billion in net inflows during August, bringing YTD net inflows to $252.12 billion, significantly higher than the $115.79 billion gathered through August 2025. 

 

  • Commodity ETFs gathered $9.57 billion in net inflows in August, lifting YTD net inflows to $1.37 billion, well below the $27.78 billion recorded over the same period in 2025. 

 

  • Active ETFs attracted $63.16 billion in net inflows during August, bringing YTD net inflows to $529.96 billion, compared with $306.34 billion through August 2025. 

 

  • Equity and active ETFs remained the primary drivers of ETF demand, accounting for $68.69 billion and $63.16 billion, respectively, of August net inflows.

 

Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 20 ETF's by net new assets, which collectively gathered $98.53 Bn in August, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO US) gathered $27.18 Bn alone.

Top 20 ETFs by net new assets August 2026: US

Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: This report is based on the most recent data available at the time of publication. Asset and flow data August change slightly as additional data becomes available.

 

Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 10 ETP's by net new assets, which collectively gathered $13.68 Bn in August, the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD US) gathered $5.03 Bn alone.

Top 10 ETPs by net new assets August 2026: US

Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: This report is based on the most recent data available at the time of publication. Asset and flow data August change slightly as additional data becomes available.

 

Investors have tended to invest in index equity and active ETFs in August.  

Contact deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com if you have any questions or comments on the press release or ETFGI’s subscription research, consulting services, 6 annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits, or ETF TV.  

 

The ETF industry continues to evolve rapidly, creating new opportunities and challenges for investors and market participants.

On September 29 in New York City, the 7th Annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit - United States will bring together influential leaders from across the ETF ecosystem to discuss the forces shaping the future of the industry.

Why attend?

  • Hear directly from senior decision-makers and innovators.
  • Network with institutional investors, advisors, issuers, exchanges, regulators, and trading firms.
  • Gain actionable insights into active ETFs, digital assets, tokenisation, market structure, regulations, and emerging investment opportunities.
  • Understand how technological advancements are transforming portfolio construction, distribution, trading, and investor engagement.

Register now to reserve your place among the industry's leading professionals.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

  • Welcome Remarks
  • ETF Industry Trends – ETFGI Research
  • SEC's, Finra and CFTC’s Regulatory Agenda: Hot Topics
  • ETF Share Classes, 351 Conversions and the Future of Mutual Funds
  • ETF Tax Efficiency Under Scrutiny
  • Active ETF Growth & Regulatory Framework
  • The Future of Income Investing: Covered Calls, Buffer ETFs and Fixed Income ETFs
  • Crypto ETFs, Tokenization and Digital Asset Products
  • Commodities, Precious Metals and Critical Materials in 2026: What's Driving ETF Prices?
  • India Opportunity – Local Growth, Global Interest
  • How Investors Are Selecting and Using ETFs
  • Understanding the Offshore U.S. ETF Market: Investors, Products, and Opportunities
  • Tapping into the Opportunity for ETFs in Europe and Beyond
  • Outlook for the Asset Management and ETF Industry
  • Women in ETFs Panel / Fireside Chat
  • Networking Drinks – Hosted by Nasdaq


SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:

  • Edward B. Baer, Partner, K&L Gates 
  • Monica Camino, Head of US Offshore, Vanguard 
  • Aniruddha Chatterjee, CEO - NSE Indices, Data and Cogencis, NSE Indices Limited
  • Ed Coyne, Senior Managing Partner, Global Sales, Sprott Inc.
  • Lauren Davis, Director of Public Relations, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) 
  • Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner & Founder, ETFGI
  • Barry Hurley, Director Business Development, Universal Investment 
  • Richard Malinowski, Co-CEO, General Counsel, Exchange Traded Concepts 
  • Leah J. Miller, Vice President, Model Portfolio Strategy, BlackRock 
  • Ciara O’Leary, Partner, McCann FitzGerald LLP 
  • Tara O'Reilly, Partner and Head of ETF Strategy, Arthur Cox LLP 
  • Aye Soe, Head of Equity and Cryptocurrency Research and Product Development, CME Group
  • Alice Taormina, Managing Director and the Head of Strategies Product and Platform  
    Management, Blackstone 
  • Kim Tilley, Managing Director, Head of Investment Solutions, Lazard Asset Management 
  • Richard Tseng, Senior Portfolio Manager, Bank of America Merrill Lynch 
  • Clair Turketo, Managing Director, Client Solutions, Carne Group 
  • Richard Vagnoni, Senior Economist, FINRA 
  • Morrison Warren, Partner, Chapman and Cutler 


EVENT DETAILS:
📅Tuesday, September 29th
⏰ Full day event including a networking drinks reception
📍The Yale Club, 50 Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017, United States
🌐 Website and registration: https://bit.ly/4biukB1
🆓Free Registration: For CFA members, buy-side institutional investors, and financial advisors.
📚CPD Credits: Earn educational credits

📋View the agenda, speakers, and topics from last year's successful annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit - United States here.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore key trends and network with industry leaders driving the future of ETFs, register now.

Register to join one or more of our upcoming ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits in 2026:

  • 7th Annual - United States, September 29th in New York City.
  • 7th Annual - Middle East & GCC, October 20th in Dubai. Early bird expires on Sept 18th.
  • 7th Annual - Europe & Africa, November 19th in London and November 20th virtual. Early bird expires on Oct 9th
  • 8th Annual - Canada, December 8th in Toronto at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)'s office. Early bird expires on Oct 27th

Upcoming ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits in 2027:

  • 8th Annual - Latin America, day 1 in Mexico City and day 2 virtual. Register your interest.
  • 8th Annual - Asia Pacific, day 1 in Hong Kong and day 2 virtual. Register your interest.

ETFGI is a leading independent research and consultancy firm with 14 years of experience, recognized for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, 6 annual regional in person ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit events that cover all ETFs listed global on 81 exchanges in 63 countries, and ETF TV, covering global ETF industry trends. Interested in subscribing to ETFGI’s research email: contact@etfgi.com

ETF TV (www.ETFtv.net) is an on-demand program that highlights newly launched exchange-traded funds, products, and notes, while exploring the most pressing topics shaping the ETF landscape. Each episode brings together leading voices from across the industry—including issuers, investors, benchmark providers, and traders—to discuss the trends and developments influencing the use and management of exchange-traded products.

Every show features insightful interviews with key market participants, offering expert perspectives on the issues that matter most to the ETF community. ETF TV also offers the opportunity to create sponsored episodes, allowing partners to collaborate with us in producing custom content tailored to their brand and messaging.

If you’re interested in sponsoring or speaking at one of our upcoming ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits, subscribing to any of ETFGI’s annual research services (www.ETFGI.com), sponsoring an episode of ETF TV (www.ETFtv.net), exploring our consulting offerings, or if you have any questions, please reach out to us at  deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com and margareta.hricova@etfgi.com.

Contact: 
Deborah Fuhr 
Managing Partner, Founder 
ETFGI 
Mobile: +44 777 5823 111 
Email: deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com 
Web: www.etfgi.com 

Connect on:
Deborah Fuhr Twitter | LinkedIn 
ETFGI Twitter | LinkedIn | Website
ETFs Network LinkedIn
ETF TV Twitter | LinkedIn | Website
Women in ETFs, Board member and founder  
Women in ETFs Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

Disclaimer: 

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