$59.6B
Global art market sales in 2025
Worldwide art and antiques sales rose 4% year over year, returning to growth after two years of decline.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗Reference
Art Collecting & U.S. Art Market Statistics
A concise reference for writers, collectors, students, and anyone following the market for original art.
Last updated September 23, 2026
At A Glance
A market shaped by in-person relationships, with a strong local appetite for art.
These figures put the art market in context: global sales returned to growth in 2025, the United States remained its largest market, and collectors continued to buy directly from artists as well as through dealers and art fairs.
The data below uses the source date alongside each statistic. Market figures reflect 2025 activity; collector figures come from a 2025 survey of high-net-worth collectors; participation figures come from the most recent nationwide survey, conducted in 2022.
44%
Share of global sales held by the U.S.
The United States remained the largest market, with $26 billion in sales in 2025, up 5% from 2024.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗$34.8B
Dealer and gallery sales worldwide in 2025
Dealer sales grew 2% and represented 58% of the global art market by value.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗$9.2B
Online art sales worldwide in 2025
Online sales represented 15% of global market value and were down 11% from the year before.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗41.5M
Art market transactions worldwide in 2025
The reported number of transactions rose 2% from 2024, with dealer volumes edging higher while auction volumes eased slightly.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗35%
Dealer sales made through art fairs in 2025
Art fairs accounted for their highest share of dealer turnover since 2022, up from 31% in 2024.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗40%
Dealer online sales made to new buyers in 2025
Dealers reported that 40% of their online sales by value went to clients new to their business.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗49%
Dealer buyers who were new to the business in 2025
Across dealer segments, just under half of buyers were new, up from 44% in 2024.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗43%
High-net-worth collectors who bought from artists’ studios
In the 2024/2025 survey period, 43% of respondents bought work from artists’ studios.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 ↗37%
High-net-worth collectors who commissioned artwork
In the 2024/2025 survey period, 37% of respondents commissioned a work directly from an artist.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 ↗20%
High-net-worth collector spending made directly with artists
Artist-direct sales were the second-largest spending channel by value in the 2024/2025 survey, more than double the share reported for the prior survey.
Source: Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 ↗17.7%
U.S. adults who visited an art museum or gallery
This is the reported share for the 12 months ending in July 2022, down from 23.7% in 2017.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Participation Patterns in 2022 ↗12%
U.S. adults who acquired a piece of art
The 2022 survey asked about paintings, drawings, sculpture, pottery, and other visual art acquired in the prior 12 months.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Participation Patterns in 2022 ↗21%
Massachusetts adults who acquired a piece of art
Massachusetts reported a higher rate than the 12% national figure in the July 2022 survey.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 50 States of Arts Participation: 2022 ↗38%
Massachusetts adults who consumed arts programming by podcast or video
This includes arts-related audio or video programming in the 12 months ending in July 2022, compared with 27% nationally.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 50 States of Arts Participation: 2022 ↗Method & Sources
How to read these figures.
This page brings together the latest Art Basel and UBS global market report and collector survey with federal U.S. arts-participation research. The figures are not estimates by Douglas H. Caves Sr. Art Studio, and they should be read in the context of each source’s method and reporting period.
- Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2026 ↗Published March 2026. Reports on the global art and antiques market in 2025.
- National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Participation Patterns in 2022 ↗Published October 2023. National survey results for the 12 months ending in July 2022.
- National Endowment for the Arts, 50 States of Arts Participation: 2022 ↗Published September 2024. State-level results from the July 2022 survey.
- Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 ↗Published October 2025. Survey of 3,100 high-net-worth collectors across 10 markets, including the United States.
Cite This Page
Douglas H. Caves Sr. Art Studio. “Art Collecting & U.S. Art Market Statistics.” Updated September 23, 2026. https://dhcaves.com/art-market-statistics
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