Forex Statistics
2026
The forex market trades $7.5 trillion a day, most retail CFD accounts lose money, and leverage limits depend entirely on where your broker is regulated. Here are the numbers that matter, with the source for each one.
How Big Is the Forex Market?
The forex market turns over $7.5 trillion per day, more than every global stock exchange combined. These figures come from the Bank for International Settlements 2022 Triennial Central Bank Survey, the industry's definitive measure.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average daily global FX turnover | $7.5 trillion | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| US dollar on one side of trades | 88% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| Euro share | 31% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| Japanese yen share | 17% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| British pound share | 13% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| Australian dollar share | 7% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| Spot transactions share of turnover | ~28% ($2.1T) | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| FX swaps share of turnover | ~49% ($3.7T) | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| EUR/USD share of all trades | 23% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| USD/JPY share of all trades | 14% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
| GBP/USD share of all trades | 9% | BIS Triennial Survey 2022 |
The BIS survey runs every three years. The next full survey lands in 2025 with release in 2026; figures above are the latest published.
How Many Retail Traders Actually Lose Money?
The most important number in retail trading is the one most brokers bury in a risk warning. ESMA's product intervention measures, still reflected in every regulated broker's risk disclosure, found that 74–89% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs.
Leverage Limits by Regulator
The leverage you are offered is not a broker choice. It is set by your broker's regulator. Here is the current cap for retail clients in each major jurisdiction.
| Regulator | Major Pairs | Other Pairs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESMA (EU) / FCA (UK) / ASIC (AU) | 30:1 | 20:1 | Retail clients under MiFID II / FCA / ASIC rules |
| CFTC & NFA (US) | 50:1 | 20:1 | US retail forex, capped by law |
| FSA (Japan) | 25:1 | 25:1 | Retail leverage capped at 25:1 since 2011 |
| FSC (Mauritius) / IFSC (Belize) / VFSC (Vanuatu) | Uncapped in practice | Varies | Tier 3 entities often offer 100:1 to 500:1 |
Real Broker Costs, From Our Testing
We open real accounts and test every broker we review. These are the current figures from our 2026 reviews, not advertised marketing numbers.
| Broker | Key Costs | Source |
|---|---|---|
| XM | $5 minimum deposit, spreads from 0.6 pips | Our review, 2026 |
| IC Markets | Raw spreads from 0.0 pips + $3–3.50 commission/lot | Our review, 2026 |
| Pepperstone | Razor spreads from 0.0 pips, ~30ms execution | Our review, 2026 |
| Capital.com | Zero commission, spreads from 0.6 pips, $20 min deposit | Our review, 2026 |
| AvaTrade | $100 min deposit, zero commission, 6 regulators | Our review, 2026 |
Where These Figures Come From
Every statistic on this page is sourced from a primary or regulator-level publication. We do not publish invented numbers.
- BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey 2022 — global FX turnover, currency shares, instrument breakdown
- ESMA product intervention measures — retail CFD loss rates (74–89%)
- FSCS — UK investor compensation (£85,000)
- CySEC ICF — Cyprus investor compensation (€20,000)
- CFTC and NFA — US retail leverage limits (50:1) and profitability disclosures
- FCA — UK leverage limits (30:1) and consumer research
- ASIC — Australian leverage limits (30:1)
- TradeTheDay broker testing — costs, minimum deposits, and spreads verified on real accounts in 2026
Forex Statistics FAQ
How big is the forex market?
The forex market turns over roughly $7.5 trillion per day, according to the Bank for International Settlements 2022 Triennial Survey. That makes it the largest financial market in the world, far bigger than global stock markets or bond markets.
What percentage of retail forex traders lose money?
ESMA product intervention data showed 74–89% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs, which is why that warning appears on every regulated broker risk page. Loss rates vary by broker, product, and how the trader trades.
What is the most traded currency pair?
EUR/USD is the most traded pair, accounting for roughly 23% of all forex trades per the BIS 2022 survey. USD/JPY follows at around 14% and GBP/USD at around 9%.
What leverage can I get on a retail forex account?
It depends on the regulator. ESMA, FCA, and ASIC cap retail clients at 30:1 on major pairs. US retail traders are capped at 50:1 by CFTC rules. Japan caps at 25:1. Offshore Tier 3 entities often offer 100:1 to 500:1, with weaker investor protection to match.
What is the minimum deposit to start forex trading?
Among brokers we test, XM accepts the lowest minimum deposit at $5. Most brokers fall between $20 and $200. Capital.com takes $20 by card, AvaTrade takes $100, and Pepperstone and IC Markets are around $200.
What protection do I get with a regulated broker?
FCA-regulated clients get up to £85,000 FSCS compensation if the broker fails. CySEC clients get up to €20,000 from the ICF. ASIC and other Tier 1 regulators require client fund segregation and negative balance protection for retail accounts.
What does trading forex actually cost?
Spread-only brokers charge no commission but build the cost into the spread. ECN brokers show raw spreads from 0.0 pips and add a commission of roughly $3–3.50 per lot per side. For active traders, the commission model is usually cheaper; for occasional traders, spread-only is simpler.
Is forex trading bigger than the stock market?
By daily volume, yes. Forex trades about $7.5 trillion per day versus roughly $1 trillion combined across major global stock exchanges. Forex is also open 24 hours a day, five days a week, across overlapping trading sessions.
Ready to Choose a Broker?
Compare 20+ regulated brokers tested with real accounts, ranked by fees, safety, and platform quality.
Compare Brokers