Spain CFD Trading Base Drops to 35,000 in Fourth Straight Annual Decline

Spain'sleverage trading market has collapsed to a fraction of its 2021 peak, with thenumber of active FX/CFD traders falling another 10% to just 35,000 in the 12months through February, according to a new report from Investment Trends. Spanish Leverage TradingMarket Down Nearly 100% from 2021 Peak The visiblecontraction from pandemic hish continues amid record-low new trader sign-ups,partly attributed to digital marketing restrictions and increasinglychallenging acquisition conditions, the research firm said in its 2025 SpainLeverage Trading Report released this week. "Withfewer Spanish traders entering the market, the imperative has shifted-retainingthe existing client base is now the strongest growth lever," said LorenzoVignati, Associate Research Director at Investment Trends ."Retention is no longer a defensive play; it's a primary businessstrategy." You mayalso like this : YouWant to Combat CFD Client Churn and Boost Deposits by 40%? Check Out This Tool The report,based on a survey of 622 traders conducted between January and February,reveals a significant shift in how investors approach the market. Whilemost traditionally begin with shares or ETFs , a growing number of tradersare entering directly through cryptocurrency and leveraged products, bypassingconventional investment pathways. “Brokers Must Break Awayfrom Legacy Onboarding Assumptions” Spanishtraders now recognize an average of 6.8 trading platforms but typically useonly 1.7 providers. Key factors in platform selection include peerrecommendations, low commissions (48%), and ease of use (47%). "Brokersmust break away from legacy onboarding assumptions," Vignati noted."Today's first-time Spanish trader could be entering straight into cryptoor CFDs-and they expect fast, intuitive support from the first click." Theresearch also found that approximately one-third of traders recallrecent innovations from their providers , most commonly improved chartingtools, copy trading enhancements, and user interface updates. These tradersconsistently report higher satisfaction levels and are more likely to recommendtheir platform to others. "Innovationhas become the clearest pathway to advocacy in Spain's leverage tradingmarket," Vignati added. "It's not just about making improvements-it'sabout making them visible." The reportsuggests that in an environment where new user acquisition has becomeincreasingly difficult and the market has contracted to nearly a half of itssize at the 2021 peak, trading platforms must focus on retention strategies andensuring that existing clients notice and value platform improvements. Germany, France, andSingapore Face the Same Challenge Previousreports from Investment Trends indicate that the issue extends beyond theSpanish market, appearing in other mature and well-developed tradingenvironments. In France,the number of FX/CFD traders hasdropped below 30,000 —its lowest level in four years. In Singapore, interestin contracts for difference hasfallen to its lowest point since 2019 , with retail traders showing agrowing preference for proprietary trading instead. In Germany,although there has been a slight rebound compared to 2024, CFD trading remainswell below pre-pandemic levels. Thenumber of active traders has declined from 84,000 to 63,000. Aninteresting exception is Poland, wherethe CFD trading population has grown by 40%. Over the past five years, themarket has tripled in size, making it one of the largest in Europe—second onlyto the UK. Spain'sleverage trading market has collapsed to a fraction of its 2021 peak, with thenumber of active FX/CFD traders falling another 10% to just 35,000 in the 12months through February, according to a new report from Investment Trends. Spanish Leverage TradingMarket Down Nearly 100% from 2021 Peak The visiblecontraction from pandemic hish continues amid record-low new trader sign-ups,partly attributed to digital marketing restrictions and increasinglychallenging acquisition conditions, the research firm said in its 2025 SpainLeverage Trading Report released this week. "Withfewer Spanish traders entering the market, the imperative has shifted-retainingthe existing client base is now the strongest growth lever," said LorenzoVignati, Associate Research Director at Investment Trends ."Retention is no longer a defensive play; it's a primary businessstrategy." You mayalso like this : YouWant to Combat CFD Client Churn and Boost Deposits by 40%? Check Out This Tool The report,based on a survey of 622 traders conducted between January and February,reveals a significant shift in how investors approach the market. Whilemost traditionally begin with shares or ETFs , a growing number of tradersare entering directly through cryptocurrency and leveraged products, bypassingconventional investment pathways. “Brokers Must Break Awayfrom Legacy Onboarding Assumptions” Spanishtraders now recognize an average of 6.8 trading platforms but typically useonly 1.7 providers. Key factors in platform selection include peerrecommendations, low commissions (48%), and ease of use (47%). "Brokersmust break away from legacy onboarding assumptions," Vignati noted."Today's first-time Spanish trader could be entering straight into cryptoor CFDs-and they expect fast, intuitive support from the first click." Theresearch also found that approximately one-third of traders recallrecent innovations from their providers , most commonly improved chartingtools, copy trading enhancements, and user interface updates. These tradersconsistently report higher satisfaction levels and are more likely to recommendtheir platform to others. "Innovationhas become the clearest pathway to advocacy in Spain's leverage tradingmarket," Vignati added. "It's not just about making improvements-it'sabout making them visible." The reportsuggests that in an environment where new user acquisition has becomeincreasingly difficult and the market has contracted to nearly a half of itssize at the 2021 peak, trading platforms must focus on retention strategies andensuring that existing clients notice and value platform improvements. Germany, France, andSingapore Face the Same Challenge Previousreports from Investment Trends indicate that the issue extends beyond theSpanish market, appearing in other mature and well-developed tradingenvironments. In France,the number of FX/CFD traders hasdropped below 30,000 —its lowest level in four years. In Singapore, interestin contracts for difference hasfallen to its lowest point since 2019 , with retail traders showing agrowing preference for proprietary trading instead. In Germany,although there has been a slight rebound compared to 2024, CFD trading remainswell below pre-pandemic levels. Thenumber of active traders has declined from 84,000 to 63,000. Aninteresting exception is Poland, wherethe CFD trading population has grown by 40%. Over the past five years, themarket has tripled in size, making it one of the largest in Europe—second onlyto the UK.