Key Takeaways
- • Portfolio allocation accelerating: Current private investors allocate an average of 30% of their portfolios to private markets, with nearly all respondents (91%) viewing private markets as an attractive route for capital appreciation and expressing willingness to increase exposure.
- • Mainstream adoption confirmed: Private markets have transitioned from niche to mainstream, becoming a standard component of high-net-worth investor strategies, with investors demonstrating increasing sophistication in their approach to the asset class.
- • Wealth transfer reshaping demand: The report identifies the impending great wealth transfer as a structural driver reshaping how private investors allocate capital and positioning private markets for continued growth within portfolios.
- • Comprehensive research foundation: Barclays surveyed over 550 wealthy individuals globally and captured perspectives from nearly 150 General Partners to assess investor behaviors, motivations, and barriers to private market adoption, complemented by PitchBook market data.
- • Industry alignment gap identified: The report analyzes how the investment industry is responding to changing private investor requirements and identifies key barriers preventing broader adoption of private markets.
Summary
Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management released its second annual private markets report in early November 2025, titled "Mind the gap: How private markets can align to the evolving needs of private investors." The report builds on findings from 2024's inaugural "Forging New Paths" study and provides an updated perspective on the evolving landscape of private capital markets through multiple data sources and stakeholder perspectives.
The research methodology combined qualitative and quantitative insights from three primary sources: perspectives from more than 550 wealthy individuals globally, gathered in partnership with research agency Savanta; views from nearly 150 General Partners actively involved in private equity fund operations; and proprietary market data from PitchBook. The respondent base of current private investors allocates an average of 30% of their portfolios to the asset class, providing insights from investors with material exposure rather than peripheral participants.
A central finding underscores the normalization of private markets within institutional and high-net-worth investor strategies. Private markets are no longer characterized as niche investments but have become a common component of sophisticated investor portfolios. This shift reflects broader maturation in how wealthy individuals approach the asset class, moving beyond exploratory positioning toward deliberate, informed allocation decisions. The overwhelming majority of surveyed investors—91%—identify private markets as an attractive vehicle for capital appreciation, signaling strong conviction around risk-adjusted returns available in this segment.
The report identifies the impending great wealth transfer as a structural tailwind supporting continued growth in private market allocations. Additionally, the research explores the specific behaviors, motivations, and attitudes driving private investor decision-making, while simultaneously analyzing how the industry is adapting to meet these evolving requirements. Critically, the report identifies persistent barriers preventing broader adoption, suggesting friction points between investor demand and industry capacity or product structure that warrant attention from fund managers and wealth platforms seeking to capture share of capital migration into private markets.
The dual-year tracking provides institutional investors and family offices with a longitudinal perspective on how investor preferences, market conditions, and competitive dynamics within private capital have shifted since the initial 2024 assessment.
The research methodology combined qualitative and quantitative insights from three primary sources: perspectives from more than 550 wealthy individuals globally, gathered in partnership with research agency Savanta; views from nearly 150 General Partners actively involved in private equity fund operations; and proprietary market data from PitchBook. The respondent base of current private investors allocates an average of 30% of their portfolios to the asset class, providing insights from investors with material exposure rather than peripheral participants.
A central finding underscores the normalization of private markets within institutional and high-net-worth investor strategies. Private markets are no longer characterized as niche investments but have become a common component of sophisticated investor portfolios. This shift reflects broader maturation in how wealthy individuals approach the asset class, moving beyond exploratory positioning toward deliberate, informed allocation decisions. The overwhelming majority of surveyed investors—91%—identify private markets as an attractive vehicle for capital appreciation, signaling strong conviction around risk-adjusted returns available in this segment.
The report identifies the impending great wealth transfer as a structural tailwind supporting continued growth in private market allocations. Additionally, the research explores the specific behaviors, motivations, and attitudes driving private investor decision-making, while simultaneously analyzing how the industry is adapting to meet these evolving requirements. Critically, the report identifies persistent barriers preventing broader adoption, suggesting friction points between investor demand and industry capacity or product structure that warrant attention from fund managers and wealth platforms seeking to capture share of capital migration into private markets.
The dual-year tracking provides institutional investors and family offices with a longitudinal perspective on how investor preferences, market conditions, and competitive dynamics within private capital have shifted since the initial 2024 assessment.
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