Investments, XTB study maps young people’s digital surge

A share of Italians still keeps well away from the markets, while among the younger generations access to investing is increasingly going through an app. That is the picture outlined by the study released by XTB on 20 October 2026: 50.2% of respondents say they have invested at least once, but the channels used, financial resources and the timing of entry change significantly with age. Digital finance broadens access, without replacing the central role of banks and without solving, on its own, the difficulties faced by those who first need to build a buffer for unexpected expenses.

Investment experience and generational differences

In the survey, investment experience concerns 60.6% of men and 39.8% of women. The highest percentages by age group are found among 35–44-year-olds, at 54.2%, and 55–64-year-olds, at 54.1%. The clearest sign of a recent entry comes instead from 18–24-year-olds: among young people in this group who invest, 52.6% started less than a year ago. The figure therefore refers to those who have already begun investing, and not to all young Italians. This distinction makes it possible to read the generational turnover without attributing to the result a wider scope than the one reported.

Among 18–24-year-old investors, 31.6% consider the first salary the right time to begin, and 15.8% believe it is possible to start while still studying. According to the press release, 44.7% of under-25s begin with less than €1,000. The financial threshold for entry is therefore limited for a significant share of the youngest investors, even if the size of the initial sum does not describe either the frequency of transactions or the risk of the instruments chosen. Technological accessibility and the sustainability of financial decisions remain separate issues.

Economic stability comes before the markets

The ability to invest is measured against the constraints of everyday budgets. 26.5% of respondents say they live from paycheck to paycheck; the share rises to 29.2% among women and to 33% in the 45–54 age bracket. Building an emergency fund is indicated as the main objective by 46%, while 29.2% of investors believe it is wise to start only after setting aside a small reserve. These findings point to a function of saving that comes before the pursuit of returns: making resources available to absorb unexpected costs and reduce financial vulnerability.

Commenting on the study, Omar Arnaout, CEO of XTB, highlights how much earlier young investors are starting and the role compound interest can play over long horizons. The mechanism consists in reinvesting returns, which in turn contribute to the results achieved later; however, it does not guarantee a positive outcome and does not eliminate the risk of loss. The company’s executive also points to financial literacy as a necessary component for the informed use of platforms. This is the position expressed by XTB, a player that directly offers digital investment services.

The bank remains central, but apps are growing among the young

55.2% of investors say they use a traditional bank, compared with 25.6% who rely on online intermediaries or investment apps; around 15.5% turn to a financial adviser. Among 18–24-year-olds, apps and online intermediaries reach 44.7%, while among 25–34-year-olds they reach 42.1%; among over-65s, they stop at 14.8%. The data show a different relationship with the various channels, but do not make it possible to conclude that technology and advice are necessarily alternatives: the press release does not specify any simultaneous use of multiple services.

As for the instruments, government bonds and corporate bonds are indicated by 41.5%, mutual funds by 36.5%, and Italian equities by 32.1%. The percentages describe the preferences reported by the study and not the allocation of total assets. The picture also includes long-standing investors: 29% have been investing for more than ten years, a share that rises to 49.6% among 55–64-year-olds and to 45.7% among over-65s. In the same age groups, invested capital between €50,000 and €99,999 accounts for 29.2% and 35.8% respectively, versus 23.8% in the overall figure.

The territorial gap and the limits of the reading

Across the country, declared investment experience ranges from 56.2% in the North-west and 54.7% in the North-east to 46.4% in the South and 31.4% in the Islands. However, the latter show a high incidence of digital channels: the press release reports 42.4% for online intermediaries and apps and 39.4% for traditional banks. These are percentages on channel use that must be kept separate from the share of the population that has invested: they do not show that 42.4% of all residents in the Islands use an investment app.

The overall reading is one of a plurality of behaviours, with banks still central, younger people more digital, and financial resources varying widely. The press release made available to the newsroom does not specify sample size and composition, the fieldwork period, weighting or question wording. The results should therefore be attributed to the XTB study, without treating them as an independent measurement by the newsroom or as a sufficient basis for statistical comparisons not set out by the source.