South Koreans are buying stocks and crypto at double the rate they were a year ago, according to the September 2026 report on retail investors. A new study by Coin Insider reveals the top 10 countries where people are rushing into the market right now.
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In Spain, 60% more people are looking into stocks and crypto compared to a year ago, and the trend isn’t slowing down.
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More Brits are exploring investment opportunities than ever before, with online searches up 48% year on year.
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The US and Canada both saw investment interest grow by around 30%, as more people look to diversify their portfolios.
The research examined 45+ countries to find where people are getting into stocks and crypto the fastest. It measured how much more often people in each country were searching for ways to invest compared to the same period a year ago, using Google Trends data from 2025 to 2026. To add context, the report also looked at how big each country’s stock market is relative to its economy and how much of their income people typically save.
Here’s a look at the top 10 countries where investment interest has grown the most:
| Country | Change in Search Interest, Last 13 Weeks vs Same 13 Weeks One Year Earlier (percent) | Change in Search Interest, Last 4 Weeks vs Same 4 Weeks One Year Earlier (percent) | Stock Market Capitalisation (percent of GDP, latest available year) | Gross Savings (percent of GDP, latest available year) |
| South Korea | 95.7% | 51% | 147.2% | 35.6% |
| Singapore | 66.1% | 38.9% | 136.5% | 40% |
| Spain | 60.9% | 59.4% | 68.1% | 24.3% |
| Argentina | 51.1% | 61.1% | 8.4% | 13.4% |
| Bangladesh | 49% | 130.2% | 5.7% | 34.8% |
| United Kingdom | 47.6% | 82.4% | 97.3% | 17.2% |
| Australia | 31.7% | 12.2% | 113.9% | 22.2% |
| Canada | 30.5% | 20.2% | 199.2% | 22.2% |
| United States | 30.2% | 4.8% | 224% | 16.6% |
| United Arab Emirates | 26% | 64.4% | 190.9% | 33.8% |
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. South Korea
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Change in search interest (13 weeks vs. same period last year): +95.7%
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Change in search interest (last 4 weeks): +51.0%
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Stock market cap as % of GDP: 147.2%
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Gross savings as % of GDP: 35.6%
South Koreans are increasingly interested in trading, looking for ways to invest nearly twice as often as they were 12 months ago. This pace is still holding, with searches 51% higher than last year even over just the past four weeks. The country’s stock market is worth the equivalent of 147% of its entire economy, meaning investing is already woven into daily life there. Plus, people also save 35% of their income, so there is plenty of cash available to invest.
2. Singapore
Singapore comes in second, with 66% more people looking at stocks and crypto than there were a year ago. The last four weeks were still 39% above the same period last year, so that pace hasn’t let up here either. One reason behind this surge is that Singaporeans have one of the highest savings rates at 40%, meaning people there have plenty of money set aside for investments. Beyond that, the local stock market is also looking attractive, now worth 136% of the country’s GDP.
3. Spain
Spain ranks third, with people searching for investment opportunities 61% more often than they did a year ago. This doesn’t seem like a one-time surge either, as last month’s searches are also up nearly 60% year over year. Despite the economic situation, Spain’s stock market is still quite large, worth 68% of GDP, and with the average resident putting aside 24% of their income, many Spaniards have the opportunity to invest rather than just deposit their savings in a bank.
4. Argentina
Argentina comes next on the list, with roughly 50% more people looking into investment opportunities compared to last year. Unlike the countries above, Argentina has been through years of heavy inflation, so for most locals, stocks and crypto are a safe way to protect their wealth from losing value. Argentinians manage to save 13% of their income, which isn’t much, but when the local currency keeps losing value, putting even a little into the market still makes financial sense as it compounds over time.
5. Bangladesh
Bangladesh rounds out the top five with a 49% rise in investment interest. The latest month has seen even bigger growth, with 130% more people searching for investment ways. Bangladesh has a stock market worth just 6% of its economic output and a relatively young financial sector. So most Bangladeshis are likely looking to foreign markets rather than the local one. And with a savings rate of 35%, many here have the opportunity to actually invest in crypto or markets like Nasdaq.
A financial analyst from Coin Insider commented on the study:
“Investing has never been easier than it is today. It wasn’t long ago that getting into the stock market meant calling up a broker, paying high fees, and dealing with Wall Street firms, which kept most people out of the market, even in America. Now, user-friendly mobile apps have completely opened up the markets, allowing anyone to start investing without needing years of experience. Whether you are based in Bangladesh, Spain, or anywhere else in the world, international platforms give everyday people direct access to global markets. As a result, retail investors now account for a larger portion of the stock market than ever before.”
