Roth IRA Statistics 2026: Ownership, Contributions, and Assets

Roth IRA statistics 2026: the short version

Roth IRA statistics are useful only when the source is clear. Household surveys measure ownership. IRS tax files measure contributions, conversions, withdrawals, and fair market value. Provider data shows account balances for one platform, not the whole country.

The cleanest read is this: Roth IRAs are no longer a niche retirement account. ICI estimated that 37.5 million U.S. households owned Roth IRAs in mid-2025, equal to 27.8% of households. IRS tax-year 2023 data shows 9.49 million taxpayers made Roth IRA contributions totaling $32.8 billion, while Roth IRA plans had $1.68 trillion in year-end fair market value.

Use this page as a source-first reference. It is written for journalists, researchers, editors, and readers who need Roth IRA ownership statistics without mixing household surveys, IRS filings, and brokerage-platform data into one messy number.

Roth IRA ownership by age

Roth IRA ownership is unusually even across age groups compared with traditional IRA ownership. That makes sense. Traditional IRAs often receive rollovers from workplace plans later in a career, while Roth IRAs are commonly opened with direct contributions by younger savers.

ICI found that Roth IRA ownership was higher than traditional IRA ownership among households younger than 45 in mid-2025. That is the strongest demographic signal in the data. If you are writing about IRA participation US trends, the age split is more useful than a single national ownership percentage.

IRA ownership by income and retirement access

Income explains a lot of Roth IRA and IRA ownership, even when the topic is framed as a simple account choice. A household needs enough cash flow to save, must stay inside Roth contribution income rules, and often uses a workplace plan first.

ICI's broader IRA data shows a sharp income split. In mid-2025, 18% of households with income below $50,000 owned IRAs, compared with 55% of households at $50,000 or more and 64% of households at $100,000 or more. That does not mean lower-income households do not want Roth accounts. It means the ability to save is the bottleneck.

IRS Roth IRA contribution and conversion statistics

IRS Statistics of Income data gives a different view from household surveys. It is based on tax returns, Form 5498 contribution reports, and Form 1099-R distribution reports. This is where you go when you need taxpayer-level contribution, conversion, rollover, withdrawal, and fair-market-value numbers.

For tax year 2023, Roth IRA contribution activity was larger than traditional IRA direct contribution activity by both taxpayer count and dollar amount. Roth IRA plans had 9.49 million contributing taxpayers and $32.8 billion in contributions. Traditional IRA plans had 5.87 million contributing taxpayers and $26.9 billion in contributions.

2026 Roth IRA contribution limits

The 2026 contribution limit matters because it changes the ceiling for new Roth IRA saving. The IRS raised the combined traditional and Roth IRA contribution limit to $7,500 for 2026. For people age 50 or older, the catch-up amount brings the total to $8,600.

The income phase-out is just as important. For 2026, Roth IRA eligibility phases out from $153,000 to $168,000 for single filers and heads of household, and from $242,000 to $252,000 for married couples filing jointly. Above the top of the range, direct Roth IRA contributions are not allowed.

Roth IRAs inside the broader retirement market

Roth IRAs are only one part of the U.S. retirement system, but they sit inside a very large IRA market. ICI reported $18.2 trillion in total IRA assets at the end of the first quarter of 2026. That was larger than the $13.8 trillion held in employer-based defined contribution plans at the same date.

That does not mean IRAs replace workplace accounts. The better reading is that workers often use both. If you are comparing where Roth IRAs fit, start with the employer match in a 401(k) plan, then compare Roth IRA eligibility, investment choices, fees, and tax treatment. Our IRA account guide covers provider selection, while our index fund guide is useful for the investment-building-block side.

State-by-state Roth IRA data: what exists and what does not

There is no single official state-by-state Roth IRA ownership table that is updated like a census. The closest state-level story is access. State auto-IRA programs are expanding payroll-based retirement saving for workers whose employers do not offer a plan, and many of those programs default workers into Roth IRA accounts.

Pew reported that in early 2026, 15 states had active auto-IRA programs, more than 1 million workers had saved through them, and program assets had passed $2.5 billion. Georgetown's Center for Retirement Initiatives reported that 17 of 22 state programs were fully open to eligible employers and workers as of June 1, 2026.

Consumer behavior and withdrawal patterns

The behavior data is encouraging and sobering at the same time. ICI found that Roth IRA owners were more likely than traditional IRA owners to contribute in tax year 2024. But the Federal Reserve still found that only 35% of non-retirees thought their retirement saving was on track.

Withdrawals are not common among Roth IRA households. ICI reported that only 6% of households owning Roth IRAs in mid-2025 took withdrawals in tax year 2024. When Roth withdrawals did happen, the most common reported use was living expenses. That is the part of the data worth handling carefully: Roth IRAs are flexible, but flexibility can turn into leakage if a household has no emergency fund.

Forecasts for the next 1 to 3 years

Three things are likely to shape future Roth IRA statistics.

First, higher contribution limits raise the maximum amount new savers can put into Roth and traditional IRAs. The 2026 limit is $7,500, or $8,600 for people age 50 or older. That gives contribution data a higher ceiling than it had in 2024 and 2025.

Second, state auto-IRA programs should keep adding first-time Roth IRA savers. The effect will show up slowly because balances begin small, but automatic payroll saving changes participation more than a one-time education campaign.

Third, Roth conversion activity will remain sensitive to tax planning, market returns, and income. IRS data showed $36.7 billion in Roth conversions in tax year 2023. That figure can move quickly when markets fall, tax brackets change, or high-income households adjust estate and retirement plans.

Methodology and source notes

We prioritized primary and near-primary sources: ICI household surveys and quarterly retirement market data, IRS Statistics of Income tables, Federal Reserve SHED data, Pew auto-IRA tracking, Georgetown CRI state program data, and Fidelity platform data.

The page does not treat Fidelity balances as a national average. Fidelity's IRA balance is useful as a large-platform reference, but it is not the same as a census of Roth IRA accounts. The IRS fair-market-value table is broader, but it is reported by tax plan type and taxpayer records rather than by household survey respondent.

Dollar amounts are rounded for readability. Percent changes in the IRS trend table are calculated from the published IRS tax-year 2022 and 2023 tables. We did not use competitor comparison sites as sources.