Active ETF Launches and Closures: 2025 in Review

Nearly 1,000 active ETFs launched last year, way up from the previous record of 584 launches from 2024. In comparison, only 95 mutual funds and 150 passive ETFs launched. The 146 active ETFs that closed in 2025 were less than half the 357 traditional mutual funds that met their demise, but it was still an active ETF record. Meanwhile, just 86 passive ETFs shuttered. 

Short-term, trading-oriented active launches exploded, with more than 340. Short-term-oriented active ETFs include those that use leverage, try to move in the opposite direction of specific market segments, or offer exposure to niche areas or single stocks. 

Download the report to discover which asset classes thrived and why, as well as how to pick an active ETF with a good chance of sticking around a while.