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March 2019

The Financial Future is Female

Women are transforming financial markets and economies across the globe. Their risk tolerance, confidence, and willingness to invest will impact our world for years to come.

01Foreword

The expression “The Future is Female,” captures the current zeitgeist around empowering and including women across every sector of our society. In many cases, such as  politics and media, the future is now. However, when it comes to global markets and economies, the future for women is less certain.

S&P Global has written extensively (see Women were the Vital Statistic of the 2018 Midterm Election, The Key to Unlocking U.S. GDP Growth: Women, and Adding More Women To The U.S. Workforce Could Send Global Stock Markets Soaring) about the role of women in global markets and the economy.

But there’s one thing we had yet to do: ask women what they thought about their involvement in the market. This matters of course. According to the Boston Consulting Group, women are expected to hold $72 trillion in private wealth by 2020. Simply put, women are an ever-increasing market force as investors.

So, to understand the unique experiences and concerns of women, S&P Global, in partnership with SurveyMonkey, conducted an 11-country survey that examines aspects of financial preparedness, investment behaviors, and impressions of the stock market between women and men.

The results present a stark contrast between men and women on a variety of such issues, differences that serve to highlight the ways in which women are often less financially secure and less optimistic about their economic futures.

Understanding these differences – and what causes them – allows us to take practical steps toward inclusive economic growth that benefits everyone. 

02 Global Perspective
03 North America
04 Europe
05 Asia
06 India