[Money] In the UK, the number of cryptocurrency holders has jumped 116,7% in 5 years

Since the re-election of Donald Trump and with Bitcoin reaching new heights, cryptocurrencies have never been as much in the spotlight as they are at the start of 2025. Yet they are an asset class that has often been disparaged in the past. In this study, we attempt to analyze the progression of cryptocurrency adoption around the world over the last five years, revealing a growing conversion of individuals in a large number of countries.

Good to know

The data presented above shows the evolution of the number of people declaring to own cryptocurrency between 2019 and 2024 in 56 countries around the world. At present, there is no official source for counting cryptocurrency holders worldwide, a situation which explains why the use of polls and surveys remains to date the best means of estimating the level of adoption of this asset class around the world. It is important to remember, however, that this methodology can be the source of approximations, and cannot be relied upon to produce perfectly accurate figures.

With an increase of 225%, Canada is the country where the proportion of crypto holders has risen the most in 5 years

The evolution of the rate of cryptocurrency holders between 2019 and 2024 shows notable increases in several countries, underlining growing adoption on a global scale. Among the countries with the strongest increases, Canada, Germany and the USA stand out, with exceptional increases of 225%, where the rate of holders tripled. The United Arab Emirates also saw a spectacular 210% increase, closely followed by Sweden and Pakistan, with respective growth rates of 200%.

In Asia, countries such as Taiwan, India and Indonesia saw their holder rates increase significantly, reaching growth rates of 180%, 175% and 163.64% respectively. This dynamic can also be seen in Africa, notably in Egypt ( 137.5%) and Nigeria ( 67.86%), where cryptocurrency is becoming an increasingly accessible and popular tool. These trends testify to the growing appeal of cryptocurrencies, fostered by improved accessibility, increased technological investment and easier adoption by governments and economic players.

CountriesPercentage of cryptocurrency holders (2019)Percentage of cryptocurrency holders (2024)Evolution 2019-2024
Canada
4%13% 225 %
Germany
4%13% 225 %
United States
5%16% 220 %
United Arab Emirates
10%31% 210 %
Sweden
4%12% 200 %
Pakistan
6%18% 200 %
Taiwan
5%14% 180 %
India
8%22% 175 %
South Korea
6%16% 168 %
Indonesia
11%29% 165 %
New Zealand
6%15% 150 %
Singapore
10%25% 150 %
Israel
5%12% 140 %
Egypt
8%19% 138 %
Turkey
20%47% 135 %
Hungary
6%14% 133 %
Australia
7%16% 129 %
Finland
4%9% 125 %
France
4%9% 125 %
Portugal
9%20% 122 %
Italy
6%13% 118 %
Lithuania
6%13% 118 %
United Kingdom
6%13% 118 %
Belgium
7%15% 114 %
Poland
7%15% 114 %
Norway
7%14% 100 %
Romania
6%12% 100 %
Japan
3%6% 100 %
Malaysia
12%23% 92 %
Thailand
23%44% 91 %
Switzerland
10%19% 90%
Kenya
10%19% 90%
Argentina
16%30% 88 %
Austria
8%14% 75 %
Denmark
8%14% 75 %
Ireland
8%14% 75 %
Dominican Republic
10%17% 70 %
Nigeria
28%47% 68 %
Saudi Arabia
14%23% 64 %
Chile
11%18% 64 %
Netherlands
10%16% 60 %
Morocco
10%16% 60 %
Russia
9%14% 56 %
Spain
10%15% 50 %
Philippines
20%29% 45 %
Mexico
12%17% 42 %
South Africa
16%22% 38 %
Brazil
18%24% 33 %
Czech Republic
10%13% 30 %
Vietnam
22%27% 23 %
Greece
11%13% 18 %
Serbia
9%9%=
Peru
15%14%-7 %
China
11%9%-18 %
Colombia
18%12%-33 %
Sources: Statista, HelloSafe estimates

Good to know

Focus on Europe:
In Europe, several countries saw a notable increase in the rate of cryptocurrency holders between 2019 and 2024. Portugal saw its rate rise by 122.22%, reaching 20% in 2024, while the UK, Italy, Lithuania and Belgium all saw an increase of 116.67% to reach 13% holders of this asset class among their population. France and Finland also increased by 125%, with a rate of 9% by 2024. Switzerland saw an increase of 90%, with a rate of 19%, and Spain recorded growth of 50%, taking its rate to 15%. These data illustrate a growing adoption of cryptocurrencies in the European region.

Nearly 5 million British citizens converted to cryptocurrency between 2019 and 2024

The increase in the number of cryptocurrency holders between 2019 and 2024 was particularly marked in several countries, including Asia, Africa and North America. Among the biggest increases, India stands out with a gross difference of over 200 million holders, rising from 109 million in 2019 to 314 million in 2024, closely followed by Indonesia, which saw its number of holders rise by 56 million. In Africa, Nigeria is also experiencing strong growth, with an increase of 48 million holders, taking their total number to over 104 million.

The USA recorded an impressive increase of over 38 million holders, while Pakistan and Turkey added 30 million and 24 million new holders respectively. This dynamic is also present in countries such as Thailand and Brazil, where increases are in the order of 14 and 13 million respectively. These growths testify to the increasing adoption of cryptocurrencies, facilitated by local economic factors, greater accessibility and government efforts to promote these financial technologies.

CountriesEstimated number of cryptocurrency holders (2019)Estimated number of cryptocurrency holders (2024)Trend in the number of new cryptocurrency holders (2019-2024)
India
109,313,420314,297,940204,984,520
Indonesia
29,768,81285,840,00056,071,188
Nigeria
56,269,808104,810,00048,540,192
United States
16,474,20654,688,00038,213,794
Pakistan
12,993,91943,560,00030,566,081
Turkey
16,685,92341,360,00024,674,077
Thailand
16,013,88430,800,00014,786,116
Brazil
37,988,91551,438,24013,449,325
Egypt
8,031,04621,090,00013,058,954
Philippines
21,623,32333,930,00012,306,677
Germany
3,340,68210,826,4007,485,718
Mexico
15,309,06322,225,8006,916,737
Argentina
7,190,19413,849,2006,659,006
Russia
13,128,50319,714,9406,586,437
Vietnam
21,221,66327,000,0005,778,337
Kenya
5,257,39711,020,0005,762,603
South Korea
3,102,5468,307,2005,204,654
United Kingdom
4,051,8108,840,0004,788,190
South Africa
9,369,32313,906,6404,537,317
Italy
3,617,8447,657,0004,039,156
Malaysia
3,833,9737,820,0003,986,027
Canada
1,503,5705,200,0003,696,430
Japan
3,805,8097,392,1203,586,311
Saudi Arabia
4,873,9428,280,0003,406,058
France
2,605,1895,922,0003,316,811
Poland
2,658,0975,644,0502,985,953
Australia
1,764,2244,230,2402,466,016
Morocco
3,647,1776,080,0002,432,823
Spain
4,710,0407,127,8502,417,810
United Arab Emirates
977,0533,255,0002,277,947
Taiwan
1,188,6943,290,0002,101,306
Chile
2,084,7243,508,5601,423,836
Portugal
920,3572,039,2001,118,843
Romania
1,161,8732,280,0001,118,127
Netherlands
1,733,2852,816,9601,083,675
Belgium
807,7531,770,000962,247
Singapore
570,3601,475,000904,640
Dominican Republic
1,073,8961,926,440852,544
Sweden
411,4181,260,000848,582
Switzerland
859,1371,688,720829,584
Hungary
581,0811,344,000762,919
Israel
452,6651,176,000723,335
Austria
710,1651,274,000563,835
New Zealand
295,020780,000484,980
Norway
372,975770,000397,025
Denmark
465,484826,000360,516
Ireland
395,315742,000346,685
Czech Republic
1,068,9211,404,000335,079
Finland
220,813504,000283,187
Greece
1,152,0801,339,000186,920
Lithuania
167,645351,000183,355
Serbia
624,960594,000-30,960
Peru
4,876,5684,760,000-116,568
Colombia
9,061,1006,240,000-2,821,100
China
157,716,205128,250,000-29,466,205
Sources : Statista, Triple A, HelloSafe's estimates

Good to know

Focus on Europe :
In Europe, several countries saw a notable increase in the number of cryptocurrency holders between 2019 and 2024. France recorded an increase of over 3.3 million holders, bringing their total number to almost 5.9 million. The UK saw its number of holders increase by almost 4.8 million, while the Netherlands and Belgium added 1.1 million and 962,000 holders respectively. Portugal and Spain also recorded significant growth, with increases of over 1 million holders for each country. Switzerland, meanwhile, saw its number of holders increase by almost 830,000, reflecting the continued rise of cryptocurrencies in Europe, particularly in countries with high technological adoption.

Methodology

About HelloSafe UK

HelloSafe is an insurtech specialist in travel insurance on the British market. Using proprietary technology, we provide access to the best travel insurance solutions and expert advice via a single, anonymous platform. Our team supports thousands of travellers every month with dedicated products, continuously updated content and innovative digital tools.

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