$59.6B
Global art market sales in 2025
Sales rose 4% from 2024, marking a return to growth after two years of declining market value.
Source: Art Basel and UBS, Global Art Market Report 2026 ↗ART MARKET REFERENCE
Art market and arts participation statistics, 2026.
Recent, citable figures for writers, collectors, makers, and anyone following the creative economy. Every number below links to the original published source.
Last updated September 21, 2026
THE ART MARKET
A market growing in activity and value.
The latest global report shows more buying and selling across dealer and auction markets, with the United States retaining its leading position.
41.5M
Art market transactions in 2025
The combined dealer and auction markets recorded 2% more transactions than in 2024.
Source: Art Basel and UBS, Global Art Market Report 2026 ↗44%
U.S. share of global art sales in 2025
The United States remained the world’s largest art market by sales value.
Source: Art Basel and UBS, Global Art Market Report 2026 ↗76%
Sales held by the U.S., U.K., and China in 2025
These three markets accounted for just over three quarters of global art sales by value.
Source: Art Basel and UBS, Global Art Market Report 2026 ↗ARTS IN THE UNITED STATES
A creative economy with a wide reach.
Public data shows the economic contribution of arts and culture, alongside the many ways people continue to make, see, and support art.
$1.17T
U.S. arts and cultural production in 2023
Arts and cultural economic activity contributed this amount in current-dollar value added.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Culture, 2025 release ↗4.2%
Share of U.S. GDP from arts and culture in 2023
This is the contribution measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis arts and cultural production account.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Culture, 2025 release ↗6.6%
Real growth in U.S. arts and cultural production in 2023
The sector grew faster than overall U.S. real GDP, which increased 2.9% that year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Culture, 2025 release ↗More than 1 in 2
U.S. adults who created or performed art in 2022
The National Endowment for the Arts reported that more than half of adults took part in art-making or performance.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Participation in 2022 ↗85.2M
Average U.S. adults attending arts activities each month in spring and summer 2024
This includes attending live performances, visiting exhibits or galleries, and going to the movies.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Attendance, Art-Making, and Social Connectedness ↗10,000
Fine-artist jobs estimated in the U.S. wage-and-salary survey, May 2024
The same Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate reported a mean annual wage of $76,450 for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2024 ↗How to use these figures.
This page brings together the newest published figures available on September 21, 2026. The sources use different methods and cover different periods, so each statistic is labeled with its own date and context. For formal reporting, follow the source link beside the figure and cite the original report.
Art Basel and UBS, Global Art Market Report 2026 ↗U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Culture ↗National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Participation in 2022 ↗U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2024 ↗
Cite this page
Wendy Molinaroli Art. “Art Market and Arts Participation Statistics 2026.” Updated September 21, 2026. https://wendymolinaroliart.com/art-market-statistics