Reference page
Art Market Statistics 2026
A sourced snapshot of the global art market, online buying, and collector behavior. The newest figures available describe activity during 2025.
At a glance
The art market is broader than its headline sales.
The figures below combine market-wide reporting with a collector survey. They are useful for understanding the environment around original art, from the reach of online discovery to the ongoing importance of first-time relationships with artists and dealers.
Market statistics describe the sector as a whole. They do not predict the value, availability, or future outcome of any individual artwork.
in global art-market sales
Worldwide sales rose 4% in 2025, ending two consecutive years of declining market value.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, 2026art-market transactions
The estimated number of transactions rose 2% in 2025, showing activity beyond the top end of the market.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, 2026of global sales came from the U.S.
The U.S. remained the largest art market, with sales of $26.0 billion in 2025.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, 2026in online-only art sales
Online-only sales represented 15% of the global art market in 2025 as higher-value buying shifted back toward in-person channels.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, 2026of dealers reported higher sales
Nearly half of the dealers surveyed said sales increased in 2025, while 25% said sales were stable.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, 2026of dealer buyers were new to that business
The report found that new buyers remained especially important to smaller art businesses in 2025.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, 2026of surveyed collectors bought newly discovered artists
Among high-net-worth collectors surveyed across 10 markets, the share was up 8 percentage points from the prior year.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025, 2025of surveyed collectors bought through Instagram
The same survey found that direct purchases from artists and spending through that channel more than doubled.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025, 2025planned to buy more art in the next year
This reflects responses from 3,100 high-net-worth collectors surveyed through the first half of 2025.
Source: Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025, 2025For collectors
Good art buying begins with attention.
The market can be useful context, but it should never replace the slower part of choosing art: looking closely, checking the details, and deciding what you want to live with. Original miniature paintings offer a more intimate way into that process.
Explore Fred's miniature paintingsSources and methodology
Built for clear citation.
Every statistic on this page links to the report that supports it. Figures are presented as reported, with the reporting period stated in the surrounding text.
- Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026 Global market, dealer, auction, art-fair, and online-sales figures for 2025.
- Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 Survey of 3,100 high-net-worth collectors across 10 markets, conducted through the first half of 2025.
To cite a specific figure, link to its numbered statistic on this page and name the report shown directly beneath it.