ETFGI reports thematic ETFs listed globally gathered US$923.69 million in net inflows in April

30 May 2025

Press Release

LONDON — May 30, 2025 — ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, events, and ETF TV on global ETF industry trends, reported today that thematic ETFs listed globally gathered net inflows of US$923.69 million, bringing year-to-date net inflows to US$10.81 billion, according to ETFGI’s April 2025 ETF and ETP Thematic industry landscape insights report, an annual paid-for research subscription service. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)

Highlights

Thematic ETFs listed globally gathered $923.69 Mn in net inflows of $923.69 Mn during April.
Year-to-date (YTD) net inflows of $10.81 billion rank as the fourth highest on record. The highest YTD net inflows were recorded in 2021 at $61.42 billion, followed by $19.34 billion in 2022, and $12.44 billion in 2020.
Assets of US$317.43 Bn invested in the Thematic ETFs listed globally at the end of April, below the record high assets of $329.79 Bn in January 2025.
5^th month of consecutive net inflows.

The S&P 500 Index declined by 0.68% in April and is down 4.92% year-to-date (YTD) in 2025. In contrast, the Developed Markets Ex-U.S. Index rose 4.86% in April and is up 10.85% YTD. Among developed markets, Spain and Portugal posted the strongest gains in April, rising 8.65% and 7.67%, respectively. The Emerging Markets Index increased by 0.88% during April and is up 1.80% YTD. Within emerging markets, Hungary led with a 10.78% gain, followed closely by Mexico at 10.40%," said Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner, Founder, and Owner of ETFGI.

Growth in assets in the Thematic ETFs listed globally as of end of April

Since the launch of the first Thematic ETF listed in 2001, the iShares North American Natural Resources ETF, the number and diversity of products have increased steadily.

There are now 1,582 Thematic ETFs listed globally, with 3,049 listings, assets of $317.43 Bn, from 276 providers listed on 53 exchanges in 41 countries at the end of April. During April, 29 new Thematic ETFs were launched.

Overview of Thematic ETFs listed globally

Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 20 ETFs by net new assets, which collectively gathered $3.47 Bn, during April. E Fund CSI Science and Technology Innovation Board 50 ETF (588080 CH) gathered $490.68 Mn, the largest individual net inflow.

Top 20 Thematic ETFs by net new assets April 2025

Name	Ticker	Assets ($ Mn) Apr-25	NNA ($ Mn) YTD-25	NNA ($ Mn) Apr-25
E Fund CSI Science and Technology Innovation Board 50 ETF	588080 CH	8,405.45	49.36	490.68
ICBC Credit Suisse CNI HK Connect Innovative Drug ETF	159217 CH	377.43	377.43	377.43
NEXT FUNDS MSCI Global Climate 500 Japan Selection Index ETF	294A JP	570.29	26.64	338.56
ChinaAMC CSI Robot ETF	562500 CH	1,882.12	1,313.46	289.15
HuaAn ChiNext 50 ETF Fund	159949 CH	3,439.89	(331.13)	217.50
MicroSectors FANG+ 3X Leveraged ETN	FNGB US	387.39	390.39	193.21
ChinaAMC CSI Anime Comic and Game ETF	159869 CH	926.49	52.77	159.60
Swisscanto (IE) ESGen SDG Index Equity USA UCITS ETF	SWCSU SW	145.57	143.74	143.74
China Universal CNI HK Connect Innovative Drug ETF	159570 CH	418.11	289.81	140.82
Tianhong CSI Robot ETF	159770 CH	749.13	584.38	136.38
iShares Global Infrastructure ETF	IGF US	6,410.32	1,036.35	126.15
CCB Principal SSE STAR Innovation Value Strategy Custom ETF	588910 CH	144.17	123.00	123.00
E FundSI Artificial Intelligence ETF	159819 CH	2,130.95	1,029.90	114.40
KIM ACE Tesla Value Chain Active ETF	457480 KS	757.18	428.54	104.85
AXS Change Finance ESG ETF	CHGX US	140.54	102.54	104.62
Global X Cybersecurity ETF	BUG US	1,015.68	175.63	104.34
Yinhua CNI HK Connect Innovative Drug ETF	159567 CH	180.58	112.07	82.40
iShares Paris-Aligned Climate MSCI USA ETF	PABU US	2,067.60	269.54	78.21
SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF	KOMP US	2,019.00	97.16	71.68
Wanjia CSI Robot ETF	560630 CH	68.31	71.49	71.49

Please contact deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com if you would like to discuss the cost to subscribe to any of ETFGI’s research or consulting services.

The ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits are a series of six annual, regionally focused educational events designed to foster in-depth discussions on the due diligence, selection, and trading of local, U.S., and UCITS ETFs. These summits are tailored for financial advisors and institutional investors across Europe and Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the United States, and Canada.

Each event offers a unique opportunity to hear from and network with industry leaders—including ETF issuers, regulators, investors, exchanges, and trading firms—who will share valuable insights into product development, regulatory trends, trading practices, and technological innovations shaping the future of ETFs and mutual funds. Free registration and CPD credits for buyside institutional investors and financial advisors!

If you are interested in sponsoring or speaking at any of our upcoming events or have any questions, please contact us deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com and margareta.hricova@etfgi.com.

Upcoming 2025 ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits:

2025 ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits schedule:

6th Annual - Asia Pacific 2025 in Hong Kong on September 3rd and virtually on September 4th. Register now.
6th Annual - Middle East 2025 in Abu Dhabi on October 7 at ADGM. Register now.
6th Annual - United States 2025 on November 5th in New York City at The Yale Club. Register now.
7th Annual - Canada 2025 - Join us to Celebrate 35 Years of ETFs in Toronto, Canada on Dec 9th at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)’s office! Register now.

Watch Session Recordings of Prior 2025 Events:

ETF TV is a weekly 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.

ETFGI SUBSCRIPTION RESEARCH SERVICES:

ETFGI Basic Global ETFs research service – Regional reports, global database and factsheet for all ETFs listed globally
ETF industry Revenue report
ETF industry fees and expenses report
ETFGI Global Active ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global Smart Beta ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global China ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global Crypto ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global Currency Hedged ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global EM and FM ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global ESG ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global Leverage and Inverse ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Global Thematic ETFs Landscape report
ETFGI Revenue report for the Global ETFs industry
ETFGI Global Institutional & Mutual Funds Users of ETFs Landscape reports

CONSULTING SERVICES

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

Cookie notice

ETFGI reports thematic ETFs listed globally gathered US$923.69 million in net inflows in April