Ever wondered just how many individuals are part of the exciting world of forex trading? From Asia to Europe, Africa to North America, millions of people worldwide engage in buying and selling currencies every day. But exactly how many forex traders are there worldwide? Let’s uncover the answer by delving into the data across different continents and countries.

How Many Forex Traders Are There Worldwide?

As of 2022, there are over 14 million active online traders around the world, according to The Modern Trader study. This means that there’s about one trader for every 561 people globally. Furthermore, over the past 15 years, forex trading has grown by a whopping 300%! This means more and more people are getting into forex trading to try and make some money. It’s like the industry is booming!

Understanding the Global Landscape

Forex trading is a global phenomenon, with millions of individuals participating from various parts of the world. To grasp the scale of this market, we need to examine the number of traders in different continents and regions. Let’s break down the figures:

Asia:

• Number of Internet Users: 1.9 billion
• Number of Forex Traders: 3.2 million
• Ratio (Internet Users : Traders): 1:594

In Asia, where a substantial portion of the world’s population resides, there are 3.2 million forex traders among the 1.9 billion internet users. This translates to a ratio of 1 trader for every 594 internet users. Thus, Asia boasts the highest number of forex traders, with a significant population engaging in trading activities despite a large internet user base.

Europe:

• Number of Internet Users: 651 million
• Number of Forex Traders: 1.5 million
• Ratio (Internet Users : Traders): 1:434

Europe follows closely behind and boasts 1.5 million forex traders within its 651 million internet users, indicating a ratio of 1 trader for every 434 internet users.

Africa:

• Number of Internet Users: 388 million
• Number of Forex Traders: 1.3 million
• Ratio (Internet Users : Traders): 1:298

In Africa, 1.3 million individuals participate in forex trading out of 388 million internet users. Despite a lower number of internet users compared to other continents, the ratio of traders to internet users is relatively high at 1:298, indicating a significant interest in forex trading within the region.

Middle East:

• Number of Internet Users: 147 million
• Number of Forex Traders: Almost 1 million
• Ratio (Internet Users : Traders): 1:152

The Middle East region has nearly 1 million forex traders among its 147 million internet users, yielding a ratio of 1 trader for every 152 internet users. Middle East show relatively higher ratios of traders to internet users, indicating a growing interest in forex trading within these regions.

North America and the United States:

• Number of Internet Users: 320 million
• Number of Forex Traders: 1.3 million
• Ratio (Internet Users : Traders): 1:213

In North America, including the United States, there are 1.3 million forex traders out of 320 million internet users, reflecting a strong interest in financial markets.

Ranking by Country:

Now, let’s take a closer look at the approximate number of online traders in some of the leading countries:

• United Kingdom leads with 405,160 traders, showcasing its prominence in the forex market.
• Germany and Italy share the second position with 217,050 traders each, reflecting a strong presence in Europe.
• France follows closely behind with 188,110 traders, highlighting its active forex trading community.
• Romania ranks fifth with 159,170 traders, indicating significant participation from Eastern Europe.
• Spain boasts 140,359 traders, contributing to the diverse forex landscape in Europe.
• Netherlands features with 94,055 traders, demonstrating a notable presence in the global forex market.
• Poland follows with 88,267 traders, representing the growing interest in forex trading in Eastern Europe.
• Denmark has 53,539 traders, contributing to the Scandinavian region’s involvement in forex trading.
• Russia ranks tenth with 52,092 traders, reflecting its substantial presence in the global financial markets.
• Hungary, Bulgaria, and Greece each have approximately 43,410 traders, showcasing active forex communities in Eastern Europe.
• Sweden boasts 41,963 traders, contributing to the Nordic region’s participation in forex trading.
• Portugal follows with 39,069 traders, indicating a thriving forex market in Southern Europe.
• Ireland and Czech Republic have 36,175 and 31,834 traders respectively, contributing to the European forex landscape.
• Norway and Ukraine share the 18th position with 30,387 traders each, representing diverse participation from Northern and Eastern Europe.
• Switzerland and Austria each have 28,940 traders, showcasing their significant roles in the European forex market.
• Croatia, Lithuania, and Belgium each have approximately 20,000 traders, contributing to the forex landscape in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Slovenia and Slovakia share 25th position with 17,364 traders each, demonstrating active participation from Central European countries.
• Estonia follows with 17,364 traders, contributing to the Baltic region’s involvement in forex trading.
• Serbia, Finland, and Kosovo have 12,878, 12,155, and 10,563 traders respectively, representing diverse participation from Eastern and Northern Europe.
• Albania and Latvia share 31st position with 8,682 traders each, contributing to the forex market in Southeastern Europe.
• Malta, Moldava, and Iceland have 6,512, 5,499, and 3,907 traders respectively, showcasing varying levels of participation from smaller European nations.
• Luxembourg, Belarus, and Montenegro each have approximately 3,000 traders, indicating modest involvement in the global forex market.

Key Forex Statistics

Now, let’s dive into some important numbers and facts about forex trading to get a better picture of how it all works:

• Size of the Forex Market: The forex market is super big. In April 2019, people traded about $6.6 trillion worth of stuff every single day! That’s more money than you can even imagine! Overall, the forex market is worth around $2.4 quadrillion.
• Forex Trader Demographics: Most of the people who do forex trading are men. About 89.1% of them are guys. And guess what? A lot of them are younger, like between 18 and 44 years old. Nearly a third of them are between 18 and 34, while another third are between 35 and 44. But here’s a little secret: only about 15% of these traders actually make money. So, it’s tough!
• Forex Broker Statistics: There are some big players in the world of forex brokers. The biggest one is called IC Markets. Every day, they handle around $18.9 billion in trades! That’s a lot of money changing hands. Then there’s XM Group, dealing with about $13.4 billion daily, and Saxo Bank, which handles $12.3 billion. They’re like the big bosses of forex trading!
• Forex Currencies and Currency Pairs: When it comes to the money being traded, the US dollar is the superstar. It’s involved in a whopping 88.3% of all trades! That’s like almost everyone using the US dollar. And the most popular pairs of currencies are called “major currency pairs”. They include things like USD/EUR, USD/JPY, and USD/GBP. These big pairs make up about 67.4% of all trades. People just love dealing with these currencies!
• Forex Market by Country: So, which countries are really into forex trading? Well, the UK is right up there at the top, contributing about 43.1% of all the trading worldwide. Then comes the US at 16.5%, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong SAR, each contributing around 7.6%. Japan chips in with about 4.5%. So, these places are like the hotspots for forex action!
• Forex Trading in Different Regions: Different places have their own favorite currencies to trade. In the US, they’re all about the US dollar, with about 89% of their trades involving it. But in the UK, they’re more into the euro, with about 36% of their trades being in euros. And in Australia, they stick with the US dollar too, with a whopping 93% of their trades involving it. They’re not playing around with other currencies much, except for their own Australian dollar, which is used in about 52% of their trades.

Conclusion

From Asia to Europe, Africa to North America, and various specific countries, the world of forex trading attracts millions of individuals. Despite differences in population sizes and internet usage rates, a significant number of people participate in this global financial market, seeking opportunities for profit and investment.

As technology continues to advance and access to the financial markets becomes more widespread, the number of forex traders is expected to grow, shaping the future of global finance.