Animation industry - statistics & facts

Cartoons have made for a very animated industry. In 2021, the size of the global animation market increased by five percent to over 372 billion U.S. dollars. That figure was forecast to grow by almost 60 percent within the following nine years, with continuous expansion across multiple media. The development impacts other sectors, like technology. The 3D animation software market worldwide was projected to more than double its size between 2021 and 2028, surpassing 39 billion dollars before the decade ends. These estimates reflect the rising demand for this type of content. Seven of the 10 highest-grossing animated feature films in the history of the North American movie market – an industry term that includes Canada and the United States and excludes Mexico –were released during the second half of the 2010s.

Animated brands

Animations have been scarce in the multi-billion-dollar sub-segment of film franchises. As of January 2023, only three of the top 20 most commercially successful movie brands in the U.S. and Canada revolved around cartoon characters: DreamWorks' "Shrek," Disney Pixar's "Toy Story," and Universal's "Despicable Me." However, there is more to the genre than box office figures. A 2022 survey asked adult internet users in the U.S. which franchises they approved. Pixar ranked first, with nearly three out of four respondents saying they had at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the studio responsible for titles like "The Incredibles," "Finding Nemo," and, of course, "Toy Story." Electronic entertainment is another recurring source material for animation. In 2022, the ranking of highest-grossing video game movies worldwide included blockbusters such as "Pokémon: Detective Pikachu" (2019) and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" (2022), with animated protagonists interacting with live action, and the fully-animated "The Angry Birds Movie" (2016).

Three-dimensional characters

Along with the overall upward trend in the segment, the global 3D animation market was projected to reach new heights. The most recent industry sources valued the market at around 18 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 and expected it to grow over 50 percent between that year and 2026. China's share in the industry was also projected to rise in the future. While the Chinese 3D animation market was sized at 3.3 billion dollars in 2022, it was predicted to surpass 5.5 billion by 2026. A similar, optimistic prognosis applies to 3D model animation, a stop motion technique created to merge with live-action footage and generate more realistic sequences. The value of this market was forecast to increase by 53 percent between 2022 and 2026, surpassing 11 billion dollars in the latter year.

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Global animation market size: 391bn USD

Global 3D animation market size: 18bn USD

Studios with the top-grossing animated feature films of all time: Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Size of the animation market worldwide from 2020 to 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Cinema & Film

Animation market size worldwide 2020-2030

Highest-grossing animated feature films of selected studios worldwide as of July 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

Cinema & Film

Top-grossing animated feature films of selected studios worldwide as of 2022

Value of the 3D animation market worldwide from 2020 to 2026 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Cinema & Film

3D animation market value worldwide 2020-2026

Recommended statistics

Global market

Premium Statistic Animation market size worldwide 2020-2030
Animation market size worldwide 2020-2030
Size of the animation market worldwide from 2020 to 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Number of TV and VOD animation series in development worldwide in 2022, by group
Number of TV and VOD animation series in development worldwide in 2022, by group
Number of ongoing animation programs commissioned for TV and video-on-demand worldwide as of May 2022, by company
Premium Statistic Number of TV/VOD animation series commissioned in selected markets worldwide in 2022
Number of TV/VOD animation series commissioned in selected markets worldwide in 2022
Number of ongoing animation programs commissioned for TV and video-on-demand in selected markets worldwide as of May 2022, by country
Premium Statistic Computer graphics modeling & animation software application market value 2012-2024
Computer graphics modeling & animation software application market value 2012-2024
Computer graphics software: modeling and animation segment market size from 2012 to 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic 3D animation market value worldwide 2020-2026
3D animation market value worldwide 2020-2026
Value of the 3D animation market worldwide from 2020 to 2026 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic 3D animation modeling market size worldwide 2020-2026
3D animation modeling market size worldwide 2020-2026
Value of the 3D animation modeling market worldwide from 2020 to 2026 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic 3D animation market size in the U.S. 2014-2025
3D animation market size in the U.S. 2014-2025
Size of the 3D animation market in the United States from 2014 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Movies and box office

Basic Statistic Top-grossing animated feature films of selected studios worldwide as of 2022
Top-grossing animated feature films of selected studios worldwide as of 2022
Highest-grossing animated feature films of selected studios worldwide as of July 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Highest-grossing animation movies in the U.S. & Canada 1937-2023
Highest-grossing animation movies in the U.S. & Canada 1937-2023
Highest-grossing animated feature films in the United States and Canada from December 1937 to January 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Highest grossing Pixar animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Highest grossing Pixar animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Ranking of highest lifetime grossing Pixar animated movies in the United States and Canada as of 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Highest grossing DreamWorks Animation animated movies in the U.S and Canada 2023
Highest grossing DreamWorks Animation animated movies in the U.S and Canada 2023
Ranking of highest lifetime grossing DreamWorks Animation animated movies in the United States and Canada as of 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Highest grossing Sony Pictures Animation animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Highest grossing Sony Pictures Animation animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Ranking of highest lifetime grossing Sony Pictures Animation animated movies in the United States and Canada as of 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Highest grossing DisneyToon Studios animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Highest grossing DisneyToon Studios animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Ranking of highest lifetime grossing DisneyToon Studios animated movies in the United States and Canada as of 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Highest grossing Studio Ghibli animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Highest grossing Studio Ghibli animated movies in the U.S. and Canada 2023
Ranking of highest lifetime grossing Studio Ghibli animated movies in the United States and Canada as of 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

United States

Premium Statistic Number of animation and cartoon consumers in China 2013-2021
Number of animation and cartoon consumers in China 2013-2021
Total number of animation and cartoon customers in China from 2013 to 2020 with an estimation for 2021 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Highest-grossing animation movies in the U.S. & Canada 1937-2023
Highest-grossing animation movies in the U.S. & Canada 1937-2023
Highest-grossing animated feature films in the United States and Canada from December 1937 to January 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic 3D animation market size in the U.S. 2014-2025
3D animation market size in the U.S. 2014-2025
Size of the 3D animation market in the United States from 2014 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Highest-grossing PG movies in the United States and Canada 2022
Highest-grossing PG movies in the United States and Canada 2022
Highest-grossing PG movies in the United States and Canada in 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Preferred TV content by genre in the U.S. 2023
Preferred TV content by genre in the U.S. 2023
Preferred TV content by genre in the U.S. as of March 2023
Premium Statistic Preferred digital video content by genre in the U.S. 2023
Preferred digital video content by genre in the U.S. 2023
Preferred digital video content by genre in the U.S. as of March 2023
Basic Statistic Box office revenue of Disney in the U.S. & Canada 2000-2022
Box office revenue of Disney in the U.S. & Canada 2000-2022
Box office revenue of Disney in the United States and Canada from 2000 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

Japan

Premium Statistic Total output value of animation industry in China 2013-2020
Total output value of animation industry in China 2013-2020
Total output value of animation industry in China from 2013 to 2020 (in billion yuan)
Premium Statistic Overseas revenue of the anime industry Japan 2012-2021
Overseas revenue of the anime industry Japan 2012-2021
Overseas revenue of the animation industry in Japan from 2012 to 2021 (in trillion Japanese yen)
Premium Statistic Most successful animated films in Japan 2022, by box office revenue
Most successful animated films in Japan 2022, by box office revenue
Leading animation movies at the Japanese box office in 2022, by revenue (in billion Japanese yen)
Premium Statistic Newly broadcast TV anime programs Japan 2012-2021
Newly broadcast TV anime programs Japan 2012-2021
Number of newly broadcast television animation programs in Japan from 2012 to 2021
Premium Statistic TV anime broadcasting market size Japan 2012-2021
TV anime broadcasting market size Japan 2012-2021
Revenue of the television animation broadcasting market in Japan from 2012 to 2021 (in billion Japanese yen)
Premium Statistic Continuously broadcast TV animation programs Japan 2012-2021
Continuously broadcast TV animation programs Japan 2012-2021
Number of continuously broadcast television animation programs in Japan from 2012 to 2021
Premium Statistic Toei Animation's net sales FY 2022, by region
Toei Animation's net sales FY 2022, by region
Net sales of Toei Animation Co., Ltd. in fiscal year 2022, by region (in billion Japanese yen)

South Korea

Premium Statistic Sales revenue of animation industry South Korea 2020, by industry
Sales revenue of animation industry South Korea 2020, by industry
Sales revenue of the animation industry in South Korea in 2020, by industry (in billion South Korean won)
Premium Statistic Sales revenue of animation movie screenings South Korea 2013-2022
Sales revenue of animation movie screenings South Korea 2013-2022
Sales revenue from animation movie screenings in cinemas in South Korea from 2013 to 2016 with forecasts for 2017 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Frequency of watching animation South Korea 2022
Frequency of watching animation South Korea 2022
Frequency of consuming animation in South Korea as of August 2022
Premium Statistic Watched animation in a movie theater in the previous year South Korea 2022
Watched animation in a movie theater in the previous year South Korea 2022
Share of respondents that watched animation in a cinema within the previous year in South Korea as of August 2022
Premium Statistic Share of animation consumers watching it almost daily South Korea 2016-2022
Share of animation consumers watching it almost daily South Korea 2016-2022
Share of animation consumers watching it almost daily in South Korea from 2016 to 2022
Premium Statistic Popular animation genres South Korea 2022
Popular animation genres South Korea 2022
Preferred animation genres in South Korea as of August 2022
Premium Statistic Most popular animation-focused TV channel South Korea 2022
Most popular animation-focused TV channel South Korea 2022
Most popular animation-focused TV channel among animation watchers in South Korea as of August 2022

China

Premium Statistic Annual animated film box office gross and growth rates in China 2015-2021
Annual animated film box office gross and growth rates in China 2015-2021
Annual box office revenue and growth rates of animated movies in China from 2015 to 2021 (in billion yuan)
Premium Statistic Total output value of animation industry in China 2013-2020
Total output value of animation industry in China 2013-2020
Total output value of animation industry in China from 2013 to 2020 (in billion yuan)
Premium Statistic Size of the 3D animation market in China 2020-2026
Size of the 3D animation market in China 2020-2026
Size of the 3D animation market in China in 2020 with forecasts until 2026 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Box office revenue share of animated film imports in China 2015-2021
Box office revenue share of animated film imports in China 2015-2021
Market share of imported animated movies in Chinese cinemas from 2015 to 2021, by country of origin
Premium Statistic Number of domestic and foreign animated films shown in Chinese cinema 2015-2021
Number of domestic and foreign animated films shown in Chinese cinema 2015-2021
Number of domestic and foreign animated movies released into the Chinese cinema market from 2015 to 2021
Premium Statistic Number of animated film imports in China 2015-2021, by country of origin
Number of animated film imports in China 2015-2021, by country of origin
Number of imported animated movies in the Chinese cinema market from 2015 to 2021, by country of origin
Premium Statistic Cinema market share of domestic and foreign animated movies in China 2015-2021
Cinema market share of domestic and foreign animated movies in China 2015-2021
Share of domestic and imported animated movies in Chinese cinema market from 2015 to 2021, by box office revenue
Premium Statistic Preferred TV content by genre in China 2023
Preferred TV content by genre in China 2023
Preferred TV content by genre in China as of March 2023

France

Premium Statistic Export sales value of French TV animation 2011-2021
Export sales value of French TV animation 2011-2021
Value of French TV animation sales to other countries from 2011 to 2021 (in million euros)
Premium Statistic Export sales of French audiovisual programs 2021, by genre
Export sales of French audiovisual programs 2021, by genre
sales of French audiovisual programs to other countries in 2021, by genre
Basic Statistic Most popular Disney animated films at the box office in France 1945-2022
Most popular Disney animated films at the box office in France 1945-2022
Ranking of the most popular Disney animated films at the box office in France from 1945 to 2022 (in millions of admissions)
Premium Statistic Annual payroll of the animated movie production sector in France 2004-2020
Annual payroll of the animated movie production sector in France 2004-2020
Annual payroll of the animated movie production industry in France between 2004 and 2020 (in million euros)
Premium Statistic Number of animated movie production companies in France 2004-2020
Number of animated movie production companies in France 2004-2020
Number of active companies in the animated movie production sector in France between 2004 and 2020
Premium Statistic Number of certified animated movies in France 2006-2020
Number of certified animated movies in France 2006-2020
Number of certified animated feature movies released in France between 2006 and 2020

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Key figures

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