According to the  ASX research. Percentage of adult population who are shareholders

USA - 45%
Australia - 43%
Hong Kong - 35%
New Zealand - 23%
Switzerland - 21%
UK - 18%
Sweden - 17%
Germany - 13%

Source: ASX

THE global financial crisis knocked investors, as share price plunges savaged superannuation balances, investment strategies and dividend income. Australians, however, are a resilient lot, and the number of people who own shares is rapidly bouncing back. The number of people in Austrlia are investing in Shares market.

The latest Australian Securities Exchange survey showed 600,000 more Australians became shareholders during the past two years, taking the tally to 7.3 million, or 43 per cent of all adults - a rate second only to the US. According to the reserchers that in the next year Australia will cross USA in share market.

And the commitment and intentions of investors have firmed, with more planning to buy more shares, despite continued uncertainty.
The big difference now is that many plan to take control of the buying and selling themselves, instead of owning shares only indirectly, such as through a managed fund or superannuation fund. People have confidence in the share market.