BlackRock iShares ETFs Hit $5 Trillion AUM — A Win for the Industry, But Not Necessarily for Investors

BlackRock’s iShares ETFs have officially crossed US$5 trillion in global assets under management (AUM), marking a historic milestone for the world’s largest asset manager and the global ETF industry.

This achievement follows a record-breaking US$192 billion in net inflows during the first half of 2025, underscoring the accelerating popularity of ETFs across both retail and institutional investors.

“Crossing US$5 trillion in iShares AUM is a defining moment for investors and the industry,” said Stephen Cohen, Chief Product Officer and Global Head of iShares at BlackRock.

🔍 Key Highlights:

• Top Growth Drivers
  BlackRock attributes its surge to several high-conviction categories:

  • Fixed-Income ETFs: Over US$1 trillion in global AUM

  • Digital Asset ETFs: Approximately US$100 billion

  • Active ETFs: More than US$78 billion across 100+ products

• Canadian Market
  iShares remains the top ETF provider by AUM in Canada, with approximately US$129 billion in ETF assets as of Sept. 2, 2025.

• Global Outlook
  BlackRock anticipates continued growth and innovation, projecting that:

  “The ETF industry will nearly double from US$15 trillion to US$27 trillion over the next five years.”

  With over 1,600 ETFs offered across 25+ countries, iShares remains the most diversified issuer in the world.

🧠 AiF Insight

Institutions like BlackRock profit the moment their product is sold — whether the investor profits or not is irrelevant to them.

So who really helps investors make money? Not the brand name or the diploma on the wall, but the advisor with hands-on market experience.

A true financial advisor is not just a certified title-holder from a fancy school — they’re someone who’s been through real market cycles and knows how to manage risk and opportunity for clients. That’s who you want on your side.