The ETF industry reached a historic milestone in 2025, with a surge of new products and record assets under management, driven largely by active ETFs and regional growth in the US and Asia Pacific.
ETFGI, the independent research and consultancy firm tracking global exchange-traded funds, reported that the ETF industry set a new annual record by the end of November 2025, with 2,759 new products listed and a net increase of 2,259 after 500 closures. According to ETFGI’s December 2025 release, the tally at that point surpassed the 1,789 new ETFs recorded by the same time in 2024 and far outpaced prior years, reinforcing a year of intense product development and investor demand.
The surge was led by the United States, which accounted for 1,033 new launches while recording 190 closures. Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) was the second-largest source of new listings with 813 launches and 171 closures, and Europe added 462 launches with 59 closures. ETFGI said 474 providers contributed launches across 40 exchanges, while the 500 closures arose from 144 providers on 30 exchanges.
Active ETFs dominated the new-product mix, with 1,454 launches, followed by 829 equity ETFs and 176 fixed income ETFs, underlining the market’s tilt toward actively managed strategies as issuers and investors seek differentiated approaches. iShares led the list of issuers by count, listing 79 new products, followed by Global X with 76 and Leverage Shares with 75, ETFGI reported.
Assets under management in the ETF wrapper also reached fresh highs. According to ETFGI’s November 2025 landscape report, global ETF assets climbed to US$19.44 trillion at the end of November, with net inflows of US$218.24 billion during November and year-to-date net inflows of US$2.04 trillion. ETFGI said the industry comprised 15,610 products with 30,395 listings offered by 949 providers on 83 exchanges across 65 countries.
Industry commentary and contemporaneous reporting framed the phenomenon as both structural and opportunistic. According to etf.com, the record pace of new launches through the first third and first half of 2025 , 847 new products by the end of April and 1,308 by the end of June, per ETFGI , signalled fund managers racing to meet investor appetite for new strategies, particularly active management. The same coverage highlighted that active ETFs were attracting substantial inflows as investors sought professionally managed exposures within the ETF wrapper.
The distribution of new-product success also reflected diverse regional drivers. ETFGI’s data pointed to strong growth in the US and Asia Pacific, which together accounted for more than two-thirds of new launches. ETFGI further noted sizeable individual successes among the top new listings: the top 25 new ETFs collectively held tens of billions of dollars, with the largest , the Akre Focus ETF , approaching US$10 billion in assets, according to ETFGI’s November figures.
Closures declined in 2025 relative to recent years, ETFGI reported: 500 closures year-to-date to end-November versus 553 in 2024 and 729 in 2023, a trend that helped preserve robust net growth despite the market’s rapid expansion. Regional closure patterns mirrored launch activity, with the United States and Asia Pacific leading both metrics.
Taken together, the figures portray an ETF ecosystem that is expanding in breadth and scale while shifting in composition. According to ETFGI, the mix of US dominance, China’s innovation-driven bond ETFs and European UCITS offerings points to growing global diversification and strong investor demand for income-generating and thematic strategies. Market observers cited by etf.com noted that the combination of product innovation, sizeable inflows and a large issuer base , nearly 1,000 providers by November , has deepened distribution channels and heightened competition, which may in turn accelerate fee compression and further segmentation of strategies.
While the data to end-November 2025 show an overwhelmingly positive growth story, ETFGI’s periodic interim reports through 2025 , at end-April and end-June , underline how quickly the landscape evolved over the year. Those releases documented successive record-setting milestones and rising concentration among the most successful launches, signalling both the opportunities and competitive pressures facing issuers as the industry approaches year-end.
- https://mondovisione.com/media-and-resources/news/etfgi-reports-the-global-etfs-industry-had-a-record-2759-new-products-listed-at-20251231/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/12/etfgi-reports-global-etfs-industry-had-record-2759-new-products – ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm, reported that the global ETF industry reached a significant milestone at the end of November 2025, with 2,759 new products listed and a net increase of 2,259 after accounting for 500 closures. This surpasses the previous record of 1,789 new ETFs listed by the same point in 2024. The United States led with 1,033 new launches, followed by Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) with 813 and Europe with 462. Active ETFs represented the largest share of new products, with 1,454 launches, alongside 829 equity ETFs and 176 fixed income ETFs. iShares listed the largest number of new products, with 79, followed by Global X with 76 and Leverage Shares with 75. The overall net growth remains strongly positive due to record new launches, despite closures declining to 500 in 2025 from 553 in 2024 and 729 in 2023. Assets invested in the ETFs industry globally reached a new record of US$19.44 trillion at the end of November, with net inflows of US$218.24 billion during November, bringing year-to-date net inflows to a record US$2.04 trillion. The global ETF industry comprised 15,610 products, with 30,395 listings, assets of US$19.44 trillion, from 949 providers on 83 exchanges in 65 countries.
- https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/07/etfgi-reports-global-etfs-industry-had-record-1308-new-products – ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm, reported that the global ETF industry reached a new milestone at the end of the first half of 2025, with 1,308 new products listed. After accounting for 266 closures, this represents a net increase of 1,042 products, surpassing the previous record of 878 new listings at the midpoint of the year. The United States led with 481 new launches, followed by Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) with 399 and Europe with 198. The Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) also recorded the highest number of closures at 115, followed by the United States with 82, and Europe with 26. This report underscores the dynamic nature of the ETF industry and highlights the continued growth and diversification of the market.
- https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/05/etfgi-reports-global-etfs-industry-had-record-847-new-products-listed – ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm, announced that the global ETFs industry reached a new milestone at the end of the first four months of 2025, with 847 new products listed. After accounting for 179 closures, this represents a net increase of 668 products, surpassing the previous record of 563 new listings in the first four months of 2022. The 847 new ETF launches in the first four months of 2025 were distributed as follows: 319 in the United States, 270 in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), and 116 in Europe. Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) also recorded the highest number of closures at 66, followed by the United States with 53, and the Middle East and Africa with 21. As of the end of April 2025, assets invested in the global ETFs industry reached US$15.44 trillion. The industry recorded net inflows of US$157.03 billion during the month. According to ETFGI’s April 2025 Global ETFs and ETPs Industry Landscape Insights report, the global ETFs ecosystem comprised 14,013 products with 27,751 listings, offered by 858 providers across 81 exchanges in 63 countries.
- https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-industry-globally-reached-new-record – ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm, reported that assets invested in the ETFs industry globally reached a new record of US$19.44 trillion at the end of November. During November, the ETFs industry globally gathered net inflows of US$218.24 billion, bringing year-to-date net inflows to a record US$2.04 trillion. At the end of November 2025, the Global ETF industry had 15,610 products, with 30,395 listings, assets of US$19.44 trillion, from 949 providers on 83 exchanges in 65 countries. The top 25 new ETFs collectively represent tens of billions in AUM, with the largest single product (Akre Focus ETF) nearing US$10 billion. The mix of US dominance, China’s innovation-driven bond ETFs, and European UCITS offerings highlights global diversification and strong demand for both income-generating and thematic strategies.
- https://www.etf.com/sections/news/record-etf-launches-drive-active-fund-growth-2025 – The global exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry launched 847 new products in the first four months of 2025, setting a new record that surpassed the previous high of 563 launches recorded in the same period in 2022, according to research and consultancy firm ETFGI. The launch pace shows fund companies are racing to meet investor demand for new strategies, while active ETFs pull in billions as investors seek professional management over index-tracking. The 847 new ETF launches were distributed across regions, with the United States leading at 319 products, followed by Asia Pacific excluding Japan at 270 and Europe at 116, according to the ETFGI report.
- https://www.etf.com/sections/news/global-etf-industry-sees-record-new-launches-h1-2025 – As of the end of June, 1,308 new exchange-traded funds hit the global market in 2025 compared to just 878 during the same period last year, according to data from independent research and consultancy firm ETFGI. The record number exhibits just how appealing the low-cost, convenient wrapper is to investors. There were 266 closures of ETFs during the first half of 2025, resulting in a net increase of 1,042 ETFs. The United States has led the way in new ETF launches, with 481 new ETFs introduced, compared to 296 during the first half of last year and 205 during the first half of 2023. The Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) came next with 399 new ETFs so far this year, while Europe had 198.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is based on ETFGI’s December 2025 press release, which is the earliest known publication of this information. The press release is dated 22 December 2025. ([etfgi.com](https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-industry-globally-reached-new-record?utm_source=openai)) No earlier versions with differing figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content is original and not recycled from other sources. The press release format typically warrants a high freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative does not contain any direct quotes. All information is paraphrased from ETFGI’s December 2025 press release. ([etfgi.com](https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-industry-globally-reached-new-record?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from ETFGI, a reputable independent research and consultancy firm. The press release is dated 22 December 2025. ([etfgi.com](https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-industry-globally-reached-new-record?utm_source=openai))
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims in the narrative are consistent with ETFGI’s December 2025 press release, which reports a record 2,759 new ETFs launched globally by the end of November 2025. ([etfgi.com](https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/12/etfgi-reports-assets-invested-etfs-industry-globally-reached-new-record?utm_source=openai)) The data aligns with previous reports from ETFGI, such as the record 1,308 new ETFs launched in the first half of 2025. ([etfgi.com](https://etfgi.com/news/press-releases/2025/07/etfgi-reports-global-etfs-industry-had-record-1308-new-products?utm_source=openai)) The narrative’s figures are plausible and supported by reputable sources.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is based on ETFGI’s December 2025 press release, which is the earliest known publication of this information. The content is original, with no earlier versions found. The press release originates from a reputable source and contains no direct quotes. The claims are consistent with previous reports from ETFGI, and the figures are plausible and supported by reputable sources.