Reference
Art Market Statistics
Current, citable figures on the art market for collectors, writers, and anyone following how art is bought, sold, and lived with.
Last updated July 22, 2026 · Reporting periods are shown with each figure.
At a glance
A market is bigger than its headlines.
These figures put the market around an artwork in view. They do not predict whether any individual work will rise in value. For a collector, the practical questions still begin with the work itself: who made it, how it was produced, how it will live in a room, and whether it stays with you.
Each statistic below links directly to its original report so it can be checked, quoted, and revisited as newer data is released.
$59.6B
Global art-market sales in 2025
Worldwide sales rose 4% from 2024, reversing two consecutive years of decline.
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026Published 2026; reports 2025 market activity
41.5M
Estimated art-market transactions in 2025
The number of transactions increased 2% year over year, showing activity beyond the market’s headline sales value.
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026Published 2026; reports 2025 market activity
$26.0B
U.S. art-market sales in 2025
The U.S. remained the largest national market, growing 5% year over year.
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026Published 2026; reports 2025 market activity
$9.2B
Online-only art sales in 2025
Online-only sales represented 15% of the total art market, even as many higher-value transactions moved back in person.
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026Published 2026; reports 2025 market activity
49%
Dealer buyers who were new to that business
Across dealer segments, just under half of buyers in 2025 were new customers, up from 44% the year before.
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026Published 2026; reports 2025 market activity
$1.17T
U.S. arts and cultural economic activity in 2023
The sector represented 4.2% of U.S. gross domestic product, according to the federal government’s latest published account.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite AccountPublished April 2, 2025; reports 2023 U.S. activity
5.4M
U.S. arts and cultural jobs in 2023
The federal account recorded 5.4 million jobs across U.S. arts and cultural production.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite AccountPublished April 2, 2025; reports 2023 U.S. activity
Sources and method
How to read this page.
This page uses published reports from Art Basel and UBS, prepared by Arts Economics, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. “Art market” figures cover the global market as defined by the Art Basel and UBS report. U.S. arts-and-culture figures use the federal agency’s broader economic account, which includes more than the commercial art market.
- The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026 Published 2026; reports 2025 market activity
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account Published April 2, 2025; reports 2023 U.S. activity
Cite this page
“Art Market Statistics.” The Art Circle Project by Jameson McShane, updated July 22, 2026. jmsn.art/art-market-statistics
Collect with attention
Start with the work you want to live with.
Market context can be useful. It should not crowd out the quiet, personal decision of choosing a work that changes a room and keeps asking for another look.