Americans' Stock Ownership Holding High

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The voice of the world in numbers.

May 21, 2024

Welcome to Front Page, where we break down Gallup's latest insights on our constantly evolving world. Here are the five insights you shouldn't miss this week:

1. Americans' Stock Ownership Holding High

Line Chart: 62% of Americans say they own stock in 2024.

The Data: Sixty-two percent of U.S. adults have money invested in the stock market through individual stocks, mutual funds or retirement savings accounts. The percentage is stable from last year but reflects and matches stock ownership rates not seen since 2008 during the Great Recession.

Investor Demographics: Stock ownership strongly correlates with income levels. Among upper-income Americans (household incomes of $100,000 or more), 87% hold stock. In contrast, 25% of lower-income Americans (households earning less than $40,000 annually) have stock investments, while two-thirds of middle-income earners (65%) are stockholders.

New Data

2. Election Thought Matches Historical Highs

Bar Chart: Americans' thought given to presidential elections and voter turnout, from 2000 to 2024.

The Data: Seventy-one percent of Americans have given “quite a lot” of thought to the upcoming presidential election, aligning with engagement levels at this stage of the 2008 and 2020 elections.

Election Turnout: This suggests voter turnout could be robust this year. Gallup's research shows that the amount of thought given to an election tends to correspond with turnout.

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3. Indians Sustain High Confidence in Their National Government

Line Chart: 82% of Indians said they had confidence in their national government in 2023.

The Data: In 2023, 82% of Indians expressed confidence in their national government, continuing a trend of strong support since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power in 2014.

Global Standing: Faith in India's government surpasses that of several other nations. Only residents of Tanzania (90%), Uzbekistan (89%), Burkina Faso and Singapore (88% each) had statistically higher confidence in their respective governments than Indians did last year.

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4. Economic Confidence in Congressional Leaders Remains Low

Line Chart: Confidence in congressional party leaders' management of the economy, from 2001 to 2024.

The Data: Americans' confidence in both Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress to manage the economy remains subdued, with ratings of 38% for Democrats and 36% for Republicans.

Continued Skepticism: These figures reflect ongoing public skepticism about congressional leadership's effectiveness in economic matters, which has persisted despite shifts in party control of Congress over the years.

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5. More Women Than Men Under Stress in the U.S.

Line Chart: 53% of U.S. women said they frequently experienced stress in 2023.

The Data: In 2023, 53% of U.S. women reported frequently experiencing stress, compared with 45% of U.S. men.

Age and Gender Differences: Younger women (aged 18 to 49) are the most likely of the four major gender-by-age groups to say they frequently experience stress (69%), exceeding men their age by 14 percentage points. They are also 29 points more likely than women aged 50 and older (40%) to report frequent stress.

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