Individual investors around the world are concerned about the effect that market instability could have on their long-term investments – with investors in Asia among the most worried and negative on the outlook for their finances and investments.
A biennial survey of over 7,000 global individual investors with more than $100,000 in investable assets by Natixis Investment Managers, found that three quarters (75%) of investors in Asia say they are worried about the impact of instability on their finances, the highest proportion among regions.
Inflation has left a lasting mark on sentiment. Investors in Asia are among the most pessimistic, with 59% citing higher everyday costs as their greatest financial fear in 2025, and investors in Japan leading at 68%.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of investors in Asia say they save less due to the higher cost of everyday expenses (the highest proportion globally), and that inflation has whittled away their investment gains (67%) – with Taiwan based investors the most likely to agree with these two statements.
Consequently, 44% of survey respondents in Asia say they are finding it harder to reach their long-term financial goals.
Active investing is more appealing
Moreover, investors in Asia are the most likely globally to say they are worried that passive investments don’t do enough to help avoid losses (63%), and that they feel they are missing out on better opportunities (61%).
Dora Seow, CEO, Natixis IM Singapore,said: “In today’s unpredictable economic and market landscape, many investors in Asia feel unsure about their financial future. Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and inflation are causing investors to adjust or reassess their investment allocations to maximise their opportunity set.”
Faced with a more volatile market in 2025, 73% of investors in Asia say they don’t want to be locked in to only what the market returns and an equal proportion (74%) want the opportunity to outperform the market.
Recognising that the recent tech run-up has given the Magnificent Seven stocks dramatic influence on index performance, more than half in Asia (55%) worry that if those companies falter, it would have an outsized negative impact on their portfolios.
Yet, investors in Asia are also more upbeat on AI as an investment and are the most likely to agree that it’s the biggest investment opportunity of a lifetime, led by 47% in Hong Kong, 48% in Korea, 61% in Singapore, 63% in Taiwan.
Private markets’ potential
Individuals surveyed in Asia also expressed growing interest in the potential for private markets to enhance returns and diversification. Overall, 44% globally (and 41% in Asia) say the more they read about private assets, the more they want to invest, and almost half (49% in Asia) believe the returns are worth the additional expense.
Performance potential is a key part of the appeal, with 34% saying they feel like they are missing out on the best opportunities by limiting themselves to public markets.
Investors in Asia are among the most likely globally to feel a “fear of missing out” over private assets – with the top three markets being Taiwan (48%), Hong Kong (46%) and Singapore (44%). One in three investors globally (and 30% in Asia) say they want their adviser to connect them to private market investment opportunities.
But despite being quite interested in the asset class, few have exposure – only 24% of investors in Korea, 29% in Hong Kong, 31% in Taiwan and 40% in Singapore say they already invest in private markets, according to the survey.
