Young female investors are building portfolios that are typically £4,590 bigger than investments held by young men, according to data from Lloyds.

The bank’s analysis was based on customers aged 18 to 25 who were holding an Invest Wise account, as at April 30.

The average Invest Wise investment portfolio for young women is £14,040, which is 49% more than the average for young men, at £9,450, Lloyds said.

Young women are also more likely to be “engaged” investors, the research indicated, meaning they have taken steps such as funding accounts and carrying out trading and investment activity.

More than two thirds (69%) of female Invest Wise account holders were classed as active investors, compared with just 56% of men.

But despite having higher levels of engagement and bigger average investment pots, the Lloyds’ investment platform data also indicated that young women account for less than a third (32%) of investors.

Lauren Gradys, an investment specialist at Lloyds, said: “One of the most striking findings is that while young women are less likely to invest than men, those who do are often highly engaged and building larger portfolios.”

She added: “Getting started doesn’t have to mean investing large sums of money or becoming an expert overnight.

“Making investing simpler, easier to understand and more accessible can help more people feel comfortable beginning their investment journey.”

Maike Currie, vice president of personal finance at PensionBee, said: “The gap isn’t ability but rather participation – women still make up less than a third of these young investors.”

She added: “The challenge is getting more women through the door.

“We don’t need women to become better investors, we need more women to start by making investing more accessible, seeing more women like them investing and crucially, recognising that investing is for them too.”

Andrew Prosser from InvestEngine said: “These findings are encouraging because they show that when young women do invest, they are highly engaged and are building larger portfolios than their young male counterparts.

“However, with young women still accounting for less than a third of investors, there is a clear gap that needs to be addressed.”