Why do NRI women invest more in the US and UK than in the Gulf countries? Exciting details on changing trends
A new report by cross-border investment platform Belong shows that the participation of women in cross-border investments among non-resident Indians (NRIs) has increased significantly over the past year. The report also shows that the investment rate of women in Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom is significantly higher than that of women living in the United States. gulf countries.
The report analyzed investor participation in 34 countries between July 2025 and June 2026 and found that women accounted for 7.3% of all investors national research institute By June 2026, the proportion of investors is up from 4.3% a year ago. This increase is close to 70%.
The analysis is based on investor participation and does not take into account portfolio size, asset value or amount invested.
Why do NRI women invest more in western countries?
The answer depends largely on immigration patterns and family structures, which determine how Indians abroad participate in financial decision-making, according to Bellon.
The report found that women accounted for 11.4% of NRI investors in Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Europe. This compares to 6.8% in the Gulf countries of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait.
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This means that female participation in Western markets is nearly 1.7 times higher than in Gulf countries.
Bellon said Indian expat communities in Western countries are more likely to be made up of dual-income professional households, where women tend to enjoy greater financial independence and play a more active role in long-term investment planning.
In contrast, migration to Gulf countries has historically been concentrated among contract workers and single-income households, resulting in different patterns of financial participation, the report noted.
Women participation among NRI investors rises
Overall, female participation among NRI investors increased from 4.3% in June 2025 to 7.3% in June 2026, one of the strongest trends observed in cross-border investments over the past year, the report said.
However, Belong emphasized that the global Indian diaspora is not homogeneous and investment behavior varies across regions.
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Commenting on the survey results, Ankur Choudhary, co-founder and CEO of Belong, said the growth in female participation reflects broader changes in the NRI investment landscape.
“The growth in female participation is one of the most encouraging trends we have seen among NRI investors. What is also interesting is that there are significant differences in participation across regions.” He added, “These data reinforce the idea that there is no single profile for NRI investors. Financial behavior is influenced by immigration patterns, family structure, and economic participation in the countries where overseas Indians live and work.”
