Stock and crypto interest jumps 96% in South Korea

South Korea has recorded a 95.7% year-over-year increase in online interest in stocks and crypto, placing it first among more than 45 countries examined in a September 2026 retail investment study.

Coin Insider analyzed Google Trends data from 2025 and 2026 to compare how often people searched for ways to invest in stocks and cryptocurrencies. The study assessed more than 45 countries and compared a recent 13-week period with the same period one year earlier.

Researchers also examined four-week search changes to see whether interest had continued after the longer measurement period. Stock market capitalization and gross national savings, both expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product, were added to provide economic context.

Search activity measures public interest rather than completed purchases, account openings, or trading volume. The findings, therefore, indicate where people are researching investments at a faster pace, but they do not show that every search led to money entering stocks or crypto.

South Korea’s investment interest has nearly doubled

South Korea took first place after its search interest climbed 95.7% over 13 weeks compared with the corresponding period in 2025. During the latest four weeks covered by the research, searches remained 51% higher year over year.