Amundi: Korean Investors Rank First in Retirement Planning Interest but Last in Diversification Awareness

According to a global survey by Amundi, the largest asset management company in Europe, South Korean individual investors show the highest level of interest in retirement planning in the world. However, their confidence in achieving long-term financial stability and their awareness of investment diversification ranked among the lowest globally.

On October 1, NH-Amundi Asset Management announced the results of “Decoding Investors 2026,” a global survey conducted by Amundi, its second-largest shareholder and Europe’s leading asset manager, targeting individual investors and savers. “Decoding Investors” is an annual report investigating investment behaviors and sources of information, and this year’s survey was conducted in March among 13,249 individual investors from 26 countries, including 505 Koreans.

The results showed that 57% of South Korean investors identified “retirement savings” as their main investment objective, placing South Korea first among the 26 surveyed countries. This notably exceeds the global average of 36% and the Asian average of 40%. Malaysia followed with 49%, while Singapore, Denmark, and Sweden each recorded 43%, 41%, and 41%, respectively.

In contrast, only 12% of South Korean investors said they were very confident in achieving long-term financial stability—just about half of the global average of 23%. The only markets with a lower proportion were Hong Kong (10%), Taiwan (6%), and Japan (2%). Brazil recorded the highest level of confidence at 56%, followed by India and South Africa at 50% each.

South Korean investors were also found to be lacking in investment diversification. Only 22% responded that their investments were diversified, the lowest among all 26 countries, while 28% said they invested primarily in only a few products. The highest rates of perceived diversification were recorded in India (52%), Finland (47%), and the Netherlands (46%). Amundi analyzed that the degree of diversification is shaped not only by individual choices but also by product accessibility, market advice, and investment culture.

The ETF ownership rate among South Korean investors was 38%, exceeding the global average of 31%. This is a comparatively high level, following Taiwan (61%), Germany (52%), Singapore (49%), the Netherlands (47%), Switzerland (46%), and Denmark (40%). Amundi projected that ETF ownership in South Korea will rise to 42% by 2027.

The proportion of South Korean investors citing “Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)” as a motive for investing in ETFs was 19%, above the global average of 12%, suggesting they are heavily influenced by the behaviors of people around them or social trends. Besides South Korea, Sweden (21%), India (20%), and China (20%) also recorded high numbers.

Fanny Wurtz, Head of Client Coverage at Amundi, said, “As preparing for retirement becomes a core issue for households around the world, it is increasingly important to help more savers become investors. The asset management industry needs to build trust, expand access to investment education through digital means, and offer simple, transparent solutions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.