The total number of global true cross-border funds reached 14,725 in 2023, up from 14,607 in 2022. As for the number of global cross-border registrations, it increased by 1.6% to reach 140,635 in 2023, up from 138,467 in 2022.

The insights come from the 24th edition of PwC Luxembourg’s Global Fund Distribution (GFD) Poster, offering a comprehensive analysis of global fund distribution trends across more than 40 countries.
 

Key findings include:
 

Overall trends

Luxembourg and Ireland maintain significant market share, collectively managing EUR 7.5tn in UCITS assets out of the total EUR 13.1tn European UCITS market in 2023.

Luxembourg's domicile share for cross-border funds is still dominant at 54.6%, while Ireland stands at 36.4%.

Equity funds hold the lion's share (50%) of global cross-border assets, followed by bond funds at 27%.

UCITS funds command the majority (91.6%) of global cross-border funds, with Luxembourg in the lead with 54.5%, followed by Ireland with a 32.0% market share.

Within non-UCITS true cross-border fund registrations, both Luxembourg and Ireland gained market share in 2023, increasing by 0.6% and 1.0% respectively.

Franklin Templeton and BlackRock maintain dominance in cross-border distribution, with Fidelity Investments, UBS, and JP Morgan moving up the ranks among top asset managers of true cross-border funds.

Registration Hot Spots

Europe: Within Europe, Spain was the top country for new registrations (262) followed by Italy (251), Austria (225), and Denmark (217).

APAC: Singapore retains its position as the top market for new registrations, followed by Hong Kong and Macau.

Middle East: The UAE further underlines its front-running position in the region with 401 registrations.

Africa: Although South Africa continues to have the highest number of registrations (302), the total number of funds declined by 8 in 2023.

Americas: Bermuda experienced significant growth with 48 new registrations, while Chile continues to lead the region in total registrations (1,754).

Sustainable Finance

SFDR Article 8: Luxembourg leads with 62.7% of true cross-border funds under SFDR Article 8, followed by Ireland (24.9%) and France (4.4%).

SFDR Article 9: Luxembourg dominates the Article 9 market with 66.1% of true cross-border funds, followed by Ireland (22.2%) and France (6.3%).

Robert James Glover, Advisory Partner for Global Fund Distribution at PwC Luxembourg said: "The appetite for global diversification is undeniable. We're seeing a surge in new fund registrations, particularly in Spain, as investors seek exposure to international markets. Equity funds remain the clear favourite, holding the majority of cross-border assets. Interestingly, UCITS funds continue their reign supreme, with Luxembourg leading the pack. While Non-UCITS haven't reached critical mass yet, the rising market share in key jurisdictions such as Luxembourg and Ireland suggests a potential shift on the horizon."

“We saw a balanced increase of 0.9% in both cross-border ETFs and mutual funds, and the number of registrations grew by 1.6% compared to last year. To that end, the distribution landscape shows remarkable resilience, with growth continuing despite the headwinds of a volatile macroeconomic environment impacting the global cross-border fund distribution.

For more information visit the PwC Luxembourg GFD Poster webpage.