Retirement anxiety, FOMO define Korean retail investors, global survey finds

Retirement anxiety and fear of missing out — or FOMO — are the defining traits of Korean retail investors, according to a new global survey. Korean investors ranked first in the world in their commitment to retirement planning, yet reported some of the lowest confidence in their own financial standing. The survey also found a strong tendency toward concentrated, all-or-nothing investing and a pronounced fear of being left out of market trends.

NH-Amundi Asset Management released the results Thursday of "Decoding Investors 2026," a global survey conducted by Amundi, Europe's largest asset manager, targeting retail investors and savers.

The survey covered 18,000 respondents across 26 countries, including 505 from South Korea.

Some 57 percent of Korean investors named "building retirement savings" as their top investment priority — the highest share among all 26 countries surveyed, well ahead of Malaysia (49 percent) and Singapore (43 percent), and far above the global average of 36 percent.

Yet only 12 percent of Korean respondents said they were "very confident" in achieving long-term financial stability — roughly half the global average of 23 percent.

Only Hong Kong (10 percent), Taiwan (6 percent) and Japan (2 percent) recorded lower confidence levels than South Korea.

Investment behavior skews toward an all-or-nothing approach. Just 22 percent of Korean respondents said their portfolios were diversified, the lowest figure among all 26 countries in the survey.

Meanwhile, 28 percent said they concentrated their investments in one or two assets — a sharp contrast to India (52 percent) and Finland (47 percent), where diversification is far more common. Amundi attributed the gap to differences in product accessibility and investment advisory culture across markets.

Korean retail investors' ETF ownership rate stood at 38 percent, above the global average of 31 percent, and is expected to rise to 42 percent next year.

The motivations behind ETF investment are notable. Among Koreans who own or are considering ETFs, 19 percent cited FOMO as a reason — above the global average of 12 percent. Sweden (21 percent), India (20 percent) and China (20 percent) also posted elevated figures. Amundi said that in these markets, "social trends and the behavior of fellow investors can serve as a channel driving investment flows."

Amundi said the report sought to examine how people today think about saving and investing, including their motivations, concerns and confidence in financial decision-making. The firm noted a gap between aspiration and action — driven by uncertainty and anxiety over losses — even as interest in investing and retirement planning remains strong.

"As retirement preparation becomes a central challenge for households worldwide, helping more savers take the step into investing has become increasingly important," said Fanny Wurtz, Amundi's head of client solutions. "The asset management industry must build trust, broaden access to investment education through digital channels, and offer simple, transparent solutions."