The French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has published its annual Savings and Investment Barometer. According to the regulator, more people in France are interested in investing in equities, and fewer are worried about the risk of crypto.
While the US has a well-entrenched equity culture (about 62% of US adults own shares), other countries have been more hesitant to shoulder the risk of investing in riskier assets like stocks. In France, according to one study, a mere 15.1% of the population invests in stocks.
This paradigm may be changing as the AMF states that interest among French people in equity investments is at its highest.
At the same time, the role of artificial intelligence as a source of information before investing is a rising trend.
The AMF reports:
- 34% say they are interested in equity investments, a level not seen since the barometer was created in 2017.
- In 2025, 33% of respondents said they had confidence in this type of investment, up from 28% in 2024.
- When asked whether they might consider investing in equities over the next 12 months, 35% of French people said they intended to invest, up 5 points from the previous year.
- A growing majority of French people (61%) say they keep abreast of stock market developments (57% in 2024).
- 4 out of 10 households do not hold any investment products, a figure that is stable compared with 2024.
- The perception of the risk related to equity investments is declining, with 51% of French people considering it to be significant (compared with 57% in 2024).
Regarding crypto, the survey shares an improving sentiment from the public:
- In 2025, fewer French people believe that the risk of investing in crypto-assets is significant.
- In 2024, two-thirds of French people considered their level of risk to be high; today, this figure is at 48%.
- Regarding expected performance, 46% of respondents consider the potential of crypto-assets to be high. This is almost as many as for equities (48%).
Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming ubiquitous. The technology can bring sophisticated investment advice to the masses, and the AMF numbers indicate that the French population is recognizing this opportunity.
- More and more retail investors say they manage their investments independently, without a financial advisor. In 2025, 44% of the French people surveyed said they make their own investment decisions, compared with 41% in 2024, 39% in 2023, and 34% in 2022.
- 11% of French people turn to AI, analysed for the first time in the Barometer, ahead of social media (6%) and influencers (4%), but still far behind financial or bank advisors (42%, down from 48% in 2024).
- Among French people who use AI to inform their investment decisions, the majority use it to understand the investment (52%) better or to learn about a product’s characteristics (51%). However, many users also use it to find for themselves an investment suited to their needs (37%).
There are many reasons why an equity culture has not grown in France when compared to the US. Part of the equation is the significant state benefits provided for retirees. Yet, smaller investors can be key to economic growth, providing access to capital for firms seeking growth.
Overall, the numbers provided by the AMF show a positive trend that we hope will continue to grow over time.