$59.6B
Global art-market sales in 2025
The global art market grew 4% year over year after two years of declining sales values.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026Research Library
Art Market Statistics 2026
Current, citable figures on global art sales, collecting habits, artist representation, and the U.S. arts economy.
Last updated October 12, 2026
At a glance
A concise reference for the art world right now.
These figures bring together selected public findings from the Art Basel and UBS art-market research and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Each statistic is dated, linked to its primary source, and kept in one place for easy reference.
Global sales figures describe the 2025 market. Collector figures combine the 2025 and 2026 surveys, while U.S. arts-economy figures describe 2023 as a dated national benchmark.
41.5M
Estimated art-market transactions in 2025
The number reflects activity across the global dealer and auction market.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026$26B
U.S. art-market sales in 2025
The United States remained the largest individual market and accounted for 44% of global sales by value.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 202650%
Female artist representation at primary-market galleries in 2025
Across all dealers, female artist representation was 45%; their works made up 37% of sales by value.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 202666%
High-net-worth collectors who bought work by an artist new to them in 2025
That share was eight percentage points higher than the prior year.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 202551%
High-net-worth collectors who purchased art through Instagram in 2025
The survey also found that 58% bought at art fairs and galleries remained the most-used, highest-spend channel.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 202580%
Collectors planning to pass their collections to children or spouses
The 2025 survey found that family involvement remains central to collecting across generations.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025$1.17T
U.S. arts and cultural economic activity in 2023
Arts and culture accounted for 4.2% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account5.4M
U.S. arts and cultural jobs in 2023
Nationwide arts and cultural employment increased 0.3% from the prior year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account43%
High-net-worth collectors who rank uniqueness and rarity as art ownership’s top priority in 2026
It ranked ahead of expert approval and collector-circle prestige among the surveyed collectors.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 202658%
High-net-worth collectors who used online resources for art advice and recommendations in 2026
The survey also found that 22% used apps and AI tools, up from 4% in 2024.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 202628%
Collectors who say family was their primary route into collecting
For Gen Z collectors, the share rose to 40%, showing how strongly family continues to shape collecting.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026Market context
What the latest art-market research shows.
How large is the global art market?
Global art-market sales reached $59.6 billion in 2025, with the United States accounting for $26 billion. Those figures cover dealer and auction sales reported in the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026.
What does art-market research measure?
Art-market research follows sales value, the number of transactions, collector behavior, gallery representation, and the channels people use to discover and buy work. Together, those measures show both the market’s scale and how it is changing.
Why does the U.S. arts economy matter?
Beyond art sales, the U.S. arts and cultural sector contributed $1.17 trillion to the economy and supported 5.4 million jobs in 2023. It is a broad creative economy, not a narrow luxury niche.
Methodology and sources
How to read these numbers.
This page uses reported figures only. Global sales and collector figures come from the 2026 Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report and its 2025 and 2026 collector surveys. U.S. economic and employment figures come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis' Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account.
- Art Basel and UBS art-market research, 2025 market data and 2025 and 2026 collector surveys
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, 2023
This reference is reviewed regularly. Figures are updated when a primary source releases a newer report.
From Maria Hughes
See the artwork behind Lifestyle Image Shop.
Cite this page
Art Market Statistics 2026
Lifestyle Image Shop. “Art Market Statistics 2026: Global Sales, Collectors and the U.S. Arts Economy.” Updated October 12, 2026. https://lifestyleimageshop.com/art-market-statistics/