Editor's Note: This article was updated May 12, 2022, with Gallup's latest data pertaining to Americans' stock ownership.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup finds 58% of Americans reporting that they own stock, based on its April Economy and Personal Finance survey. This is slightly higher than the 56% measured in 2021 and 55% measured in 2020 but is not a statistically meaningful increase.
Stock ownership was more common from 2001 to 2008 when an average 62% of U.S. adults said they owned stock -- but it fell after the 2007-2009 recession and has not fully rebounded.
Gallup's measure of consumer stock ownership is based on a question asking respondents about any individual stocks they may own, as well as stocks included in a mutual fund or retirement savings account, like a 401(k) or IRA.
Stock ownership is strongly correlated with household income, formal education, age and race.
In 2022, the percentages owning stock range from highs of 89% of adults in households earning $100,000 or more and 79% of those with postgraduate education to a low of 25% of those in households earning less than $40,000.
Learn more about the decline in U.S. stock ownership since the Great Recession:
U.S. Stock Ownership Down Among All but Older, Higher-Income
Read Gallup's latest release on Americans' views of the best type of investment:
