Forex: How Many Traders Really Stay in the Plus

• 72.2% in the red in 2025
• 27.8% in profit in 2025
• ~1% consistently profitable
• >90% lose within 5 years

The figure floating around the internet is that 90–95% of Forex traders lose money. Where did it come from? Who calculated it? And what is the real percentage of successful traders — those who truly make a living from trading on the currency market? In this article — without marketing tricks and scare tactics — we analyze broker statistics, data from financial regulators, and scientific research.

Key Number for 2025 and Trend

The Polish regulator KNF (Financial Supervision Commission) published fresh statistics for 2025 based on data from local brokers. According to the report, 72.2 percent of active clients on the Forex market ended the year with a loss, while 27.8 percent ended with a profit. This is a ratio of almost 3 to 1. However, "being in the plus for the year" and "consistently making a living" are two different things.

The average profit of successful traders in 2025 was about 7,200 zlotys, and the average loss was about 5,200 zlotys. At the same time, the total loss of all clients was almost four times greater than the total profit. Interestingly, the total number of losing clients increased from 174,000 to 267,000, and the share of losing clients increased from 70.6 percent in 2024 to 72.2 percent. The trend is not in favor of traders.

• 82% lose when 60% of trades are winning
• 65% have >50% winning trades
• 3.8% lose annually
• 1.2% / 2.8% profit / loss

Paradox: Most Profitable Trades Don't Save the Deposit

A study involving 25,000 retail traders and over 4 million trades revealed a shocking fact. About 65 percent of traders made more profitable trades than losing ones. However, 82 percent of traders ended up losing money. How is this possible?

The answer lies in the ratio of profit to loss. The average profit per trade was about 1.2 percent, and the average loss was about 2.8 percent. Even with 60 percent successful trades, the mathematical expectation remains negative because the losses are larger. Traders systematically close profitable trades too early, afraid of losing them, and hold losing positions in the hope of a rebound. This is a behavioral trap.

Research in the Journal of Finance confirms that active retail traders, on average, lose about 3.8 percent annually relative to the market, and the main reason is not a lack of knowledge, but psychology and the size of losses.

Successful Traders — 1% or 28%?

It all depends on how you count. If you take the annual report of brokers (as in Poland) — about 27–28 percent of clients end the year in the plus. But this does not mean that they consistently make a living. Someone was in the red for most of the year and recovered in the last month, someone trades with high risk and may lose everything one day.

According to data on intraday traders on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (a 15-year study), about 13 percent of traders made a yearly profit. But only 2 percent of these 13 percent (that is, about 0.26 percent of the total) were able to consistently make a living for many years.

Long-term statistics for intraday traders show that 80 percent quit trading in the first two years. After three years, only 13 percent remain. After five years, only 7 percent remain. And only 1.6 percent of all who have ever tried remain profitable intraday traders on a permanent basis. These are figures close to the truth: consistently profitable traders are about 1–3 percent.

• 80% quit within 2 years
• 13% remain after 3 years
• 7% remain after 5 years
• 1.6% consistently profitable

Why There Are So Few Consistently Profitable Traders

Research and real practice converge on several fundamental reasons explaining why 98–99 percent of retail traders never achieve stable profit.

First reason — poor risk/reward ratio. Retail traders often enter trades with the expectation of small profits, but risk too much. Profitable trades are closed quickly, and losing trades "hang" and accumulate losses. This is called "cutting profit, leaving loss." Professionals do the opposite.

Second reason — lack of systematic risk management. Many traders do not use stop-losses or place them too far. Losses on one trade can offset the profit from ten previous ones. Even with an excellent strategy, one large loss can destroy a month's work.

Third reason — emotions and psychology. Fear and greed cause traders to break their own rules. Traders increase volumes after a series of losses, trying to make up for them, which is a sure way to blow up the deposit. Or, conversely, they are afraid to strengthen profitable positions.

Fourth reason — insufficient capital. Beginners often trade with minimal deposits of 100–500 dollars, using high leverage. This is not trading, but a lottery. Professional trading requires capital that allows you to withstand standard drawdowns without emotions.

Fifth reason — the myth of "easy money." Most come to Forex for quick profits, but trading is a business that requires long-term learning, discipline, and risk management. Those who treat it as a business, not as a casino, have a chance to join the small group of successful ones.

Where Did the Myth of 90% Come From?

These figures were first mentioned by a Chinese regulator in 2008: "from 80% to 90% of Forex traders lose money." Later, they were picked up and spread by thousands of blogs, turning into an unbreakable truth. However, this is an average estimate that does not take into account experience, strategies, and the duration of trading.

A more academic study in the Financial Analysts Journal showed that about 20 percent of intraday traders made measurable profits. However, profit and stable profit are different concepts. Overall, it can be said that 70–80 percent of active traders lose in a specific year, but only 1–3 percent are able to consistently make a living for many years.

What Does This Mean for You

If you are just starting out, the statistics should not scare you, but they should sober you up. Trading is not a way to get rich quick. It is a complex profession that requires training, discipline, psychological resilience, and, importantly, sufficient capital.

Those who make it into the group of consistently profitable traders usually spend three to seven years studying the market and honing their skills. They keep trading journals, analyze their mistakes, use strict stop-losses, and do not risk more than 1–2 percent of the deposit on a trade. They treat trading as a business, not as a game of chance.

If you are ready for this path, there is a chance. But if you are looking for easy money, the statistics say that the likelihood of success is close to zero. The industry is not without reason full of warnings: 70–90 percent of clients lose money. These numbers are not magic, but the result of human psychology and market laws.