Stocks were identified as the most favorable wealth management method among the public. Since the survey began in 2000, real estate investments were consistently seen as the most favorable, but for the first time in 25 years, stocks have topped the list.
In a survey conducted by Korea Gallup from 15th to 17th with 1,000 citizens aged 18 and over nationwide, 31% of respondents answered "stocks" when asked, "What do you think is the most favorable wealth management method?" Real estate followed with 23%, deposits with 20%, and virtual assets such as Bitcoin accounted for 9%. Funds, gold, and bonds each represented 2%, 2%, and 1%, respectively.
The preference for stocks increased from 14% in the previous survey conducted in July 2023 to 17 percentage points higher in two years. The preference for virtual assets rose from 2% to 9% during the same period. The preference for real estate dropped from 39% to 23%, a decrease of 16 percentage points. The preference for apartments and dwellings fell to 14%, down 7 percentage points from two years ago (21%), while the preference for land decreased by 9 percentage points to 9%.
The preference for stocks remained below 10% until 2019 but exceeded 20% in 2021 when the KOSPI index exceeded 3,000. Afterward, the stock market struggled, dropping back to the low 10% range, but has now surpassed 30%.
Since 2006, real estate has ranked first in preferred wealth management methods, but this time it was surpassed by stocks. The preference for savings and deposits recorded 74% in the first survey in 2000, dropping to 11% by 2021.
Korea Gallup explained, "This can be interpreted as a change due to the government's economic policy that promotes 'stocks instead of real estate' alongside the easing of the concentration of household assets in real estate and the revitalization of capital markets."
By age group, those in their 40s and 50s preferred stocks the most. Those in their 60s and 70s preferred savings and deposits, while respondents in their 30s most frequently identified real estate. The 20s group (ages 18-29) answered that virtual assets are the most advantageous wealth management method.
The response rate for this survey was 12.8%, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.