What Percentage of Forex Traders Lose Money?

Updated February 2nd 2024

Trading the financial markets is notoriously difficult and many wonder what percentage of forex traders fail. Using official data from 32 ESMA regulated brokers, my research shows that an average of 72.2% of forex traders lose money.

I was able to gather the data because forex and CFD brokers are now required by ESMA (the European Securities and Markets Authority) to disclose the percentage of their clients that lose money. Brokers even have to disclose the percentage of losing traders in their advertisments.

The table below breaks down the official statistics from 32 leading brokers.

BrokerPercentage of Retail Traders that Lose Money
CPT Markets60%
Fineco63.2%
FXOpen65.6%
RoboMarkets66%
FXCM66%
CMC Markets67%
City Index69%
HYCM69%
Ardu Prime70% 
ActivTrades70%
easyMarkets71%
OANDA 71%
FP Markets71.2%
IC Markets71.6%
IQ Option72%
IG72%
FBS72.1%
XM72.8%
Skilling73%
Tickmill73%
FXPro73%
Dukascopy73.4%
Libertex73.7%
Pepperstone75.5%
Avatrade76%
Eightcap76%
XTB77%
Forex.com77.1%
Capital.com78.1%
M4Markets80%
Plus50082%
Trade Nation86%
The requirement for brokers to show the percentage of their clients losing money dates back to January 2018, when the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) rolled out the European MiFID II directive.