The figures from Hargreaves Lansdown showed that more than one in every six thirty year olds holds at least one passive investment in their portfolio compared to the overall average of one in nine.
Some 57% of new tracker fund purchases were made by investors under 45 and investors in their 30s hold five times more of their portfolio in tracker funds than those in their 70s.
Tracker fund assets have grown nearly 50% in the last 12 months.
{desktop}{/desktop}{mobile}{/mobile}
Adam Laird, passive investment manager, at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Tracker funds are low cost, straightforward investments.
"Their simplicity appeals to younger investors who may be starting to build an investment portfolio.
"Costs have been falling and investors can now access all major bond and equity sectors for under 0.25% ongoing charge."
Mr Laird said, however, that charges are not the only consideration when choosing a tracker fund.
He said: "There are dozens of options available and it is important to balance quality with cost.
"Investors should also consider how the fund replicates its index and whether they lend stock, to gauge risk and how closely it will track its chosen index."