Assets in actively managed ETFs reached a record $1.17 trillion globally by the end of 2024, surpassing the previous high of $1.15 trillion in November, according to ETF research firm ETFGI’s December 2024 active ETF and ETP report.
This reflected a 58.6% increase from 2023, when assets stood at $738.49 billion. Investor appetite for actively managed ETFs surged, with net inflows hitting a record $374.3 billion in 2024—more than double the $184.07 billion inflows recorded in 2023. According to the data, December alone saw $41.78 billion in net new assets, marking the 57th consecutive month of inflows.
Equity-focused actively managed ETFs were the primary driver, attracting $29.81 billion in net inflows in December, bringing the annual total to $211.32 billion—significantly higher than 2023’s $124.95 billion. Fixed-income ETFs also saw demand, pulling in $9.52 billion in December and $139.76 billion over the year, up from $57.62 billion in 2023.
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A significant portion of these inflows came from the top 20 actively managed ETFs, which collectively gathered $15.71 billion in December. Leading the pack was Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Equity ETF (MSLC US), with $2.83 billion in net inflows.
At year-end, the actively managed ETF universe comprised 3,217 ETFs, with 4,084 listings from 522 providers across 39 exchanges in 31 countries.
“The S&P 500 index decreased by 2.38% in December but was up by 25.02% in 2024. The developed markets excluding the US index decreased by 2.78% in December but is up 3.81% in 2024. Denmark and Australia saw the largest decreases amongst the developed markets in December. The emerging markets index increased by 0.19% during December and is up 11.96% in 2024. UAE and Greece saw the largest increases amongst emerging markets in December”, according to Deborah Fuhr, managing partner, founder, and owner of ETFGI.
