These 21 investment trusts have paid dividends for at least 20 years

One investment trust has seen annual dividend increases for 60 years, and another has made its debut on the list of dividend heroes

The capacity of investment trusts to distribute dividends even in lean economic times is one of their main draws.

Nonetheless, some investment trusts are more adept than others at steadily raising the amount they give back to their investors.

Investment trusts that have increased dividends for at least 20 years in a row are known as "dividend heroes," according to the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), an industry association that represents investment trusts.

The AIC's director, Annabel Brodie-Smith, stated: "Investment trusts can achieve these remarkable long records of dividend growth because they can smooth their dividend flow.

Watch the entire video here: "A trust may hold onto up to 15% of its annual income, which can be utilized to increase dividends during challenging market conditions.

Although dividends are never guaranteed, income investors greatly value these long histories of steady dividend growth."

The dividend heroes of investment trusts with the longest streaks of dividend increases.

After raising its dividend payout annually for the previous 60 years, the City of London Investment Trust (LON:CTY) topped the list of AICs. As of July 31, the trust's top holdings in UK-listed stocks were HSBC, Shell, and NatWest.

According to the trust, its main goals are to give clients a consistent dividend income stream and long-term investment growth.

"By reaching this milestone, we celebrate not only the UK market's resilience and the benefits afforded to us by the investment trust structure, but also 60 years of consecutive annual dividend increases," stated Job Curtis, the investment trust's fund manager.

"Patience, valuation discipline, and long-term thinking are the cornerstones of our investment strategy, and they have all helped us navigate the diverse market conditions of the last 60 years."

After continuously increasing dividends for the past 59 years, three investment trustsBankers Investment Trust (LON:BNKR), Alliance Witan (LON:ALW), and Caledonia Investments (LON:CLDN)may join City of London in the 60+ threshold the following year.

Holding a global portfolio of stocks chosen for their potential to grow and produce rising income over time is the primary goal of Bankers Investment Trusts.

As of August 31, its biggest holdings were in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, cloud and e-commerce behemoth Amazon, and chip designer Nvidia. Other holdings included Japan Post Bank and American aerospace and defense company RTX.

Eleven fund managers oversee Alliance Witan, which selects high-conviction stocks from all over the world with the intention of producing long-term returns through capital growth and an increasing dividend.

As of July 31, the company's largest holdings are Taiwan Semiconductor, Microsoft, and Alphabet; smaller holdings include the beverage company Diageo and Samsung Electronics.

Caledonia invests in both public and private companies worldwide, but primarily in stocks listed in North America, the United Kingdom, and Asia, such as investment firm Cobepa and family services firm Stonehage Fleming.

In 2026, which investment trust turned into a dividend hero?

In May, BlackRock Greater Europe (LON:BRGE) achieved its twentieth year in a row of higher dividends, making it a dividend hero.

The investment trust makes stock investments in over a dozen European nations, with the Netherlands accounting for 22.5%, France for 16%, and Switzerland for more than 16%.

Numerous industries, including technology, energy, and healthcare, have stocks. According to Morningstar data as of September 11th, the trust has a dividend yield of 1.22 percent and has increased its dividend at an annualized rate of 3.06 percent over the previous five years.

"We are happy to have delivered 20 consecutive years of dividend growth to our shareholders, reflecting the resilience of BlackRock Greater Europe's underlying portfolio holdings through different market cycles," stated Andrew Impey, chair of BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust.

"This resilience is supported by BlackRock's highly regarded and well-resourced European team, which looks for the best investment opportunities throughout Europe, concentrating on businesses with long-term competitive advantages and quality management teams dedicated to long-term value creation."

Swipe to scroll horizontally. Source: Morningstar/Theaic . co . uk, September 11, 2026.