A survey from HANetf of 1,097 retail investors found that 42% of investors that use ETFs are invested in thematic ETFs, with popular themes including clean energy, blockchain, and medical cannabis.
This was only slightly behind those that invested in ETFs to access a broad market index (45%), such as the FTSE 100.
Sector ETFs were the third most invested in, with 35% of investors stating that they had invested in them, while 20% were invested in metals focused ETCs such as gold.
ETF investors were also asked how they accessed ETFs, with 53% stating that they used an investment platform, while 34% do so through their wealth manager or financial adviser.
Tom Bailey, head of ETF research at HANetf, said: “Investors have long attempted to gain exposure to stocks set to benefit from megatrends reshaping our world. Thematic ETFs provide a simple an easily accessible solution to investors looking to investor in this way.”