There are an estimated 94 million mutual fund investors in the U.S., reports the Investment Company Institute in its 2017 Investment Company Fact Book. Those investors represent 54.9 million households, or roughly 43.6% of all U.S. households. That level of mutual fund ownership has held steady during this century.
43.6% of U.S. households own mutual funds
| Year | % households |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.70% |
| 1985 | 14.70% |
| 1990 | 25.10% |
| 1995 | 28.70% |
| 2000 | 45.70% |
| 2005 | 44.40% |
| 2010 | 45.30% |
| 2015 | 43.00% |
| 2016 | 43.60% |
Source: 2017 Investment Company Fact Book
The explosive growth in mutual fund ownership after 1980 may be attributable to the advent of 401(k) plans. Indeed, for 67% of households their first mutual fund purchase was through an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Some 37% of those who own mutual funds own them only inside such plans. Mutual funds owned in IRAs, which first became widely available in 1981, may also account for this spectacular growth.
As one might expect, as household income rises, the odds of finding mutual fund investors rises also. Some 80% of U.S. households with income over $100,000 are mutual fund owners. Still, mutual funds are certainly not just for the very affluent. 17% of mutual fund-owning households reported income of less than $50,000. The median income of households owning mutual funds was $94,300.
Why invest in mutual funds? According to the survey, which permitted multiple answers to the question, 92% are saving for retirement, 46% hold mutual funds to reduce taxable income, 46% are saving for emergencies, and 22% use mutual funds to save for education. For 64% of these savers, more than half of their financial assets are mutual funds.
U.S. mutual funds grew to $16.3 trillion in 2016. Domestic and international equity funds compose 52% of the total industry assets, bond funds 22%, money market funds 17%, and hybrid funds 8%.
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