Italians and Investments: Between Fears, Distrust, and Untapped Opportunities

According to a recent survey conducted by YouGov for XTB, the investment landscape in Italy is marked by significant caution and widespread distrust towards financial markets. The most striking finding from the study is that 75% of Italians have not made any investments in the past year.
This result depicts a country still far from a modern financial culture, where managing savings through investment tools remains a rarely practiced option.

The research, conducted on a representative sample of 1,036 adults between October 9 and 10, 2025, highlights how the lack of capital and the fear of losing money are the main obstacles hindering access to investments.
41% of respondents indicate they do not have sufficient initial capital, while 28% admit to being held back by the fear of seeing their savings vanish.

The Reasons Behind the Decision Not to Invest

Fear, Uncertainty, and Risk Perception

Data analysis highlights how the emotional component plays a central role in the financial decisions of Italians. The fear of losing money is one of the most significant barriers, indicating a very high perception of risk.
It is no coincidence that 24% of respondents state they would start investing only in the event of a significant windfall, such as a lottery win or an inheritance, while 16% would do so only if there was a salary increase or the arrival of extra income. In other words, many Italians consider their economic situation too fragile to afford taking risks.

Distrust in the System and Preference for the Traditional

Beyond economic and psychological barriers, there is a deep-seated distrust towards financial system players. 15% of non-investors state they do not trust brokers and financial institutions, while 12% view investing as akin to gambling.
This negative perception also translates into a preference for more traditional solutions: 20% of Italians prefer to keep their savings in savings accounts or invest in real estate, and 5% even choose the classic “under the mattress” option.

A Group of Unyielding

Of particular note is the presence of a group of “diehards”: 26% of non-investors state that nothing could convince them to change their minds. This data indicates a deep disaffection towards financial markets, which goes beyond the mere lack of information or capital and represents a real challenge for those involved in financial education.

Informational Leverage and Consulting: An Untapped Potential

Despite the overall landscape being dominated by fears and distrust, the research also identifies a significant portion of citizens who could potentially be activated.
10% of non-investors say they would be willing to change their attitude if they had access to clearer and more transparent information, while 9% could be persuaded by reliable advice from a trusted person. These data highlight the importance of informational clarity and quality consultancy as tools to bring Italians closer to the world of investments.

The Role of Fintech: The XTB Case

A Platform to Democratize Investment

In this scenario, entities like XTB aim to break down traditional barriers to accessing financial markets. Founded in Poland in 2004, XTB is a global fintech company offering online investment services through an innovative platform and a mobile app. With over 1.6 million clients worldwide, XTB allows trading of more than 10,700 financial instruments, including stocks, ETFs, CFDs on currencies, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.

New Tools and Financial Education

Recently, XTB launched the Investment Plans product, which allows users to diversify their portfolios with ETFs and offers competitive interest rates on uninvested funds. The platform also provides advanced tools for market analysis and educational material to enhance investors’ skills, along with multilingual customer support available 24 hours a day, five days a week.

Regulation and International Presence

XTB shares are listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the company is regulated by international authorities. The presence of offices in various European countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France, demonstrates the intention to bring an increasingly wider audience closer to the world of digital investments.

A Future to Build: Education and Trust

The snapshot taken by the YouGov research for XTB reveals an Italy still hesitant to invest, hindered by fears, distrust, and a very high perception of risk. However, there is also a segment of the population that could be engaged through better information and more transparent and reliable advice. The challenge for the financial sector and fintech companies like XTB will be to build trust, promote financial education, and make investment tools accessible and understandable for everyone.

Only in this way will it be possible to transform wealth management into a lever for personal and collective growth, overcoming that “cultural lag” that still today separates many Italians from the opportunities offered by financial markets.