ETFGI reports Global ETF Assets Top $24 Trillion for the First Time as Investors Add Nearly $2 Trillion in 2026

LONDON — September 16, 2026 — ETFGI, reported today that Global ETF Assets Top US$24 Trillion for the First Time as Investors Add Nearly US$2 Trillion in 2026. During August, the ETFs industry globally gathered net inflows of US$248.15 billion, bringing year-to-date net inflows to a record US$1.96 trillion, according to ETFGI's August 2026 Global 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 global ETF industry reached a new record of $24.03 trillion at the end of August 2026, surpassing the previous record of $23.11 trillion set at the end of July 2026. 

  • Global ETF industry assets have increased 21.3% year-to-date, rising from $19.84 trillion at the end of 2025 to $24.03 trillion.

  • The industry gathered $248.15 billion in net inflows during August.

  • Year-to-date net inflows reached a record $1.96 trillion, exceeding the previous record of $1.27 trillion in 2025 and $1.07 trillion in 2024. 

  • August marked the 87th consecutive month of net inflows into ETFs globally.

 

“The S&P 500 declined slightly by 0.06% in July but remained up 10.14% year-to-date in 2026. Developed markets excluding the US gained 0.30% during July and were up 14.62% year-to-date, with Luxembourg (+12.10%) and Norway (+9.93%) posting the strongest gains among developed markets. Emerging markets fell 0.33% in July but remained up 9.40% year-to-date, while Taiwan (-7.80%) and Turkey (-5.91%) recorded the largest declines among emerging markets,” according to Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner, Founder, and Owner of ETFGI.


Growth in assets in the Global ETFs industry 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 Providers 

The global ETF industry ended August 2026 with $24.02 trillion in assets, spread across 17,713 ETFs from 1,044 providers listed on 86 exchanges in 66 countries. During August, the industry gathered $248.15 billion in net inflows, bringing year-to-date net inflows to a record $1.96 trillion.

The three largest ETF providers, iShares, Vanguard, and State Street SPDR, collectively managed $14.08 trillion, representing 58.7% of global ETF assets at the end of August 2026.

iShares remained the largest ETF provider globally with $6.55 trillion in assets under management, accounting for 27.3% of global ETF assets. The firm gathered US$40.25 billion in net inflows during August, while year-to-date net inflows reached $410.51 billion, highlighting continued strong investor demand across its global product lineup.

Vanguard ranked second with $5.18 trillion in assets, representing 21.6% of global industry assets. Vanguard led all providers in both monthly and year-to-date flows, attracting $67.76 billion in net inflows during August and a record $440.69 billion in net inflows year-to-date, reflecting strong investor preference for its low-cost index and active ETF offerings.

State Street SPDR remained the third-largest provider globally with $2.35 trillion in assets, representing 9.8% of global ETF assets. The firm gathered $9.56 billion in net inflows during August, while year-to-date net inflows totaled $132.39 billion, supported by continued demand for its flagship equity and fixed income ETF ranges.

Together, the three largest providers captured 47.3% of the industry's August net inflows and 50.2% of total year-to-date net inflows, underscoring their dominant position in the global ETF marketplace and their ability to continue attracting a substantial share of investor assets.

 Net Flows

During August 2026, ETFs gathered $248.15 billion in net inflows, bringing year-to-date net inflows to a record $1.96 trillion and extending the industry's streak to 87 consecutive months of positive net inflows.

Equity ETFs attracted $102.01 billion in net inflows during August, bringing year-to-date net inflows to $874.83 billion, significantly higher than the $553.03 billion in net inflows gathered over the same period in 2025.

Fixed income ETFs recorded $49.36 billion in net inflows during August, bringing year-to-date net inflows to $364.05 billion, exceeding the $264.96 billion attracted through August 2025.

Commodities ETFs gathered $18.95 billion in net inflows during August, bringing year-to-date net inflows to $34.09 billion, below the $52.64 billion recorded through August 2025.

Active ETFs continued to see strong demand, attracting $73.12 billion in net inflows during August and bringing year-to-date net inflows to $663.59 billion, substantially higher than the $375.98 billion gathered during the same period in 2025, highlighting the growing investor adoption of actively managed ETF strategies.

 

Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 20 ETF's by net new assets, which collectively gathered $101.74 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: Global

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 may 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 $18.48 Bn in August, the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD US) gathered $5.03 Bn alone.

Top 10 ETPs by net new assets August 2026: Global


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 may change slightly as additional data becomes available.



Investors have tended to invest in Equity ETFs during August.

Contact deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com if you are interested in subscribing to ETFGI’s research services, have any questions on this press release or on ETFGI’s 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.

Register to join us on September 29 in New York City, for the 7th Annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit - United States. The summit 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.

The event includes a full day of education, thought leadership, and networking with senior decision-makers from across the investment industry, followed by a networking drinks reception.
🔗 Register today

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: Managing and Advancing Careers in the ETF Industry
  • 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 McCormack Davis, Director of PR and Analyst Relations, 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.
 

 

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.

Register to join upcoming ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits in 2027:

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

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

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