Total investment funds in Belgium 2015-2023, by type
The number of UCITS investment funds in Belgium increased overall between the second quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of 2023. On the other hand, the number of Alternative Investment funds steadily decreased in Belgium during the same period. UCITS and AIF are terms that cover investment funds as a financial asset. UCITS stands for Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities and at its core stands for investment funds that are domiciled in Europe and regulated by the European Union. AIF stands for Alternative Investment Funds and include all investment funds that have not yet been regulated by the European Union. This includes hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, venture capital and private equity funds and real estate funds. As of the third quarter of 2023, UCITS accounted for 611 funds as opposed to 19 AIFs.