Assets in the European ETFs industry surged to an all-time high of $2.61 trillion at the end of May, according to ETF research firm ETFGI’s data.
This topped the previous record of $2.47 trillion set just a month earlier, showing investor confidence, according to ETFGI. May also marked the 32nd consecutive month of net inflows into the industry.
European ETFs drew $31.19 billion in net new assets during May, pushing year-to-date inflows to a “record-breaking” $149.79 billion. This surpassed prior YTD highs of $95.18 billion in 2021 and $82.42 billion in 2024.
Equity ETFs led the charge, gathering $20.02 billion in net inflows in May and bringing their year-to-date total to $108.71 billion— ahead of the $62.39 billion collected over the same period in 2024.
Fixed income ETFs also performed strongly, adding $8.50 billion in May to reach $24.26 billion in YTD inflows. Commodity ETFs turned the corner with $173.86 million in net inflows for the month, reversing a trend of outflows seen in 2024.
Active ETFs attracted $2.41 billion in May. Their total inflows for the year now stand at $10.88 billion—nearly triple the $3.78 billion seen over the same period last year.
The top 20 ETFs accounted for nearly half of the month’s inflows, led by the iShares Broad Global Govt Bond Ucits ETF with $1.95 billion. Meanwhile, Amundi’s Physical Gold ETC topped the list among ETPs, drawing $315.75 million.
As of end-May, Europe’s ETF industry included 3,244 products across 13,679 listings, issued by 124 providers on 29 exchanges in 24 countries. Equity strategies remained the preferred choice among investors navigating persistent macroeconomic uncertainties, according to the data.
“The S&P 500 Index rose by 6.29% in May, bringing its year-to-date (YTD) gain to 1.06% in 2025. The Developed Markets ex-U.S. Index increased by 5.12% in May and is up 16.52% YTD. Among developed markets, Austria and the Netherlands led with gains of 11.40% and 9.12%, respectively. The Emerging Markets Index climbed 4.42% in May, with a 6.30% YTD increase. Taiwan and Greece posted the strongest monthly performances among emerging markets, rising 12.57% and 10.99%, respectively,” according to Deborah Fuhr, managing partner, founder and owner of ETFGI.
