A near-$500 billion gulf now exists between active and passive equity flows globally, with the overall gap in the US reaching a record level in 2015, new figures show.

Active equity funds globally registered outflows of $89.3 billion in 2015, while inflows for their passive equivalents soared to $398.4 billion, according to Morningstar's global asset flows report, published on March 22. The statistics left a gulf between the two of $487.7 billion, compared with $340.3 billion in 2014.