US-listed exchange-traded funds have drawn more than $1.5 trillion in net inflows in 2026, surpassing the previous annual record set in 2025 with roughly three and a half months remaining. Flows are averaging about $8.5 billion per trading day, after exceeding $1 trillion by mid-June. Fixed-income ETFs attracted more than $440 billion, while major equity funds and the Invesco QQQ ETF also recorded substantial inflows. The acceleration reflects demand for the ETF wrapper, which combines low fees, intraday liquidity and tax efficiency, and has extended to active, derivatives-based, defined-outcome and spot crypto ETFs. Global ETF assets reached a record $24.03 trillion at the end of August, with $1.96 trillion in year-to-date worldwide inflows.