What Percentage of Forex Traders Lose Money? 2023 Statistics (2024)

FAQs

What Percentage of Forex Traders Lose Money? 2023 Statistics? ›

According to research, the consensus in the forex market is that around 70% to 80% of all beginner forex traders lose money, get disappointed, and quit. Generally, 80% of all-day traders tend to quit within the first two years.

According to research, the consensus in the forex market is that around 70% to 80% of all beginner forex traders lose money, get disappointed, and quit. Generally, 80% of all-day traders tend to quit within the first two years.

Based on several brokers' studies, as many as 90% of traders are estimated to lose money in the markets. This can be an even higher failure rate if you look at day traders, forex traders, or options traders.

It is either greed or the prospect of controlling vast amounts of money with only a small amount of capital that coerces forex traders to take on such huge and fragile financial risk. For example, at a 100:1 leverage (a rather common leverage ratio), it only takes a -1% change in price to result in a 100% loss.

The year 2023 was an extraordinary time for the forex markets, shaped by a series of important events that will continue to impact the industry in the years to come. From economic uncertainties to policy shifts and geopolitical tensions, the world of forex trading has seen many pivotal changes.

Many people start trading Forex with the hope of getting rich quick, but the reality is that most Forex traders fail. So, how many people actually succeed in Forex? The exact number is difficult to say, but estimates range from 5% to 10%. This means that the vast majority of Forex traders lose money.

Forex trading may make you rich if you are a hedge fund with deep pockets or an unusually skilled currency trader. But for the average retail trader, rather than being an easy road to riches, forex trading can be a rocky highway to enormous losses and potential penury.

It is a high-stakes game where many are lured by the promise of quick riches but ultimately face harsh realities. One of the harsh realities of trading is the “Rule of 90,” which suggests that 90% of new traders lose 90% of their starting capital within 90 days of their first trade.

They may also be overtrading or taking on too much risk. According to research, only about 20% of forex traders are consistently profitable, and the remaining 80% struggle to break even or lose money. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to make a good living from forex trading.

It might sound as simple as “buy low” and “sell high,” but the reality is that the vast majority of traders end up losing money over time. Here's why day trading is an extremely difficult pursuit, and what's likely to happen when inexperienced traders get in over their heads.

What is the number one mistake forex traders make? ›

One of the worst mistakes new traders make is averaging down: investing more money in a losing trade in the hope of a turnaround. More often than not this amounts to throwing good money after bad and can exacerbate your losses.

When should you not trade forex? While the forex market is a 24 hours a day, 5 days a week market, there are certain situations when you should stay on the sideline. These include bank holiday hours, high impact news, important central bank meetings and illiquid market hours.

Estimates vary, but it's commonly accepted that only around 10% to 15% of day traders are successful over time.67 This low success rate is attributed to the high risks, the need for substantial skill and experience, and the intense competition in the financial markets.

The forex calendar is divided into three periods of volatility. Out of these three periods, only two offer the best trading conditions. In June, July and August, volatility slows down due to the summer season, making it the worst time to trade forex.

In the forex market, a trader can hold a position for as long as a few minutes to a few years. Depending on the goal, a trader can take a position based on the fundamental economic trends in one country versus another.

Professional forex traders live an affluent lifestyle but pay the price with many hours of research and market watching. Sleep deprivation is common for these individuals until they build the trust required to allow their trading strategies and risk management to work without constant monitoring.

But that's not all, the biggest reason day-traders lose money is the risk they take on. Day traders are more likely to make risky investments to reach for those higher potential returns, and as you can probably guess, high risk = high potential loss. You make a 15% return in 1 year (which is a great return by the way!)

Around 90% of traders lose money. And even though they do whatever they think they are supposed to do, they still lose out.

While it can be a lucrative venture for some, it is also known to be a high-risk activity. This is where the 90 rule in Forex comes into play. The 90 rule in Forex is a commonly cited statistic that states that 90% of Forex traders lose 90% of their money in the first 90 days.

Average Trade Loss refers to the average amount of money lost on each trade executed within a specific trading strategy or portfolio over a defined period. It is a crucial metric used in the field of finance and investment to evaluate the effectiveness of a trading approach and assess risk management practices.