Craft (Handmade) Industry Statistics for 2024

The craft industry is booming and doing a terrible job attracting new customers.

Online sales of hobby and craft supplies increased at a rate of 4.2% from 2017 to 2022. On the other hand, the creative industry is predicted to account for up to 10 percent of the global GDP by 2030.

You’ll find all the latest data on the Craft and handmade industry growth and trends in 2024 on this page.

In this statistic roundup, you’ll learn:

• Global Craft Industry, US Craft Industry, UK Crafts Industry
• Global Handicrafts Market Size, Top Exporters
• Etsy statistics in 2024
• Creative Industry, Market Share, Active Creatives in the US
• US Art and Cultural Industry, Top US imports in the art and culture category

Craft (Handmade) Industry Statistics 2024 (Editor’s Picks)

• The Global Art and Craft Market Size: The Global art and craft market size is estimated to be $50.9 billion by 2024. 
• Global Creative Industry: The Global Creative industry market share is approximately $985 billion in 2023, with around 300 million jobs
• U.S. Online Sales: Hobby and Crafts supply online sales in the United States, and sales are expected to be more than $15.7 billion as of 2021.
• Wages of Craft Artists in the U.S.: The mean annual salary of an artist in the US is $ 49,180, and the Mean Hourly Wage is $ 23.65.
• Number of Active Creatives: 85 million active creatives exist in the United States and Canada. They made approximately $35 billion in sales.
• Number of Active Crafters in the UK: There are around 19.5 million crafters in the UK
• Etsy Revenue: Etsy generated a revenue of $2.5 billion in 2022.
• Top Handicrafts/Craft Supplies Market: The United States is the biggest market for handicrafts, handmade, vintage, and craft supplies.
• Amazon’s Top Product Categories: Craft art and sewing were among the top product categories offered by Amazon sellers as of 2020.
• U.S. Perception of Handmade Products: 23% of US adults strongly believe that handmade/handicraft products are high quality.
• Top Art Market: The United States is the leading art market, with 45% of the total value of the art market. 
• Total Number of Michaels Stores: Michaels Stores has the most stores in the United States, providing art and craft supplies. As of 2020, they have 1252 stores in the United States and Canada.
• Hobby Lobby’s Stores Average Sales: Hobby Lobby has the most sales per store in the art and craft industry. On Average, Hobby Lobby’s stores had $6 million in sales. 
• Top Exporter of Handicrafts: China is the leading exporter of handicrafts, with an approximate value of $10 billion.
• Handmade Market in England: 13.3% of Adults from England bought at least one handmade craft in the year.
• Number of U.S. Workers in the Art and Culture Industry: 4.9 million workers from the US are employed to produce art and cultural goods and services for $504 billion in 2021.

Craft Industry

How much is the craft industry worth

The global art and craft market will be $ 50.9 billion US dollars by 2024. According to the Association for Creative Industries research, the craft industry size was $36 billion in the US In 2018. There exist 85 million active creatives in the United States and Canada. They made $35 billion in sales.

US Craft Industry

Hobby and Crafts supply expected online sales in the United States to be more than $15.7 billion as of 2022. Retail sales of arts and crafts in the U.S. reached ten years highest value of $1.17 billion as of  2020.

How much do crafters make a year?

According to an official US government report, the mean annual wage for craft artists is $ 49,180. On the other hand, the Mean Hourly Wage is $ 23.65. The mean salaries of Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers are higher than those of artists from other related craft industries.

What per cent of people do arts and crafts?

According to Americans for the Arts, about 49% of U.S. people are involved in art and creative activities like painting, singing in a choir, making crafts, writing poetry, or playing music.

On the other hand, in England, about 70% of children aged 5-10 and 28% of people aged 65-70 participate in arts and crafts activities.

Is the craft industry growing?

The craft industry is growing with time. According to a report, the Craft industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2023 to 2028. Retail sales of arts and crafts in the U.S. increased for ten years, with the highest value being $1.17 billion in 2020.

Read More: Best Wholesale Suppliers For Etsy Sellers

Craft Industry Statistics for US Cities

Top US Cities for Crafting

According to new research, the following are the best United States Cities for Crafting

• San Francisco
• New York
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• Portland

Read more about Arts and Crafts from Customcy Blog

US Cities with the Most Craft Stores

Following are US Cities with the Most Craft Stores

• San Francisco
• Santa Ana
• Chicago
• Newark
• Jersey City

Top Crafting States in the US

The following are the top crafting states in the United States:

• California
• New York
• Illinois
• New Jersey
• Texas

Read More: How To Sell Vintage Items On Etsy

Most Popular Crafts for US Cities

Following are the Most Popular Crafts for US Cities:

• Crochet (Minneapolis)
• Knitting (Portland)
• Pottery (Seattle)
• Fabrics (Portland)
• Art (Fremont)

Top 5 US Cities for Crafting Education

Following are the top 5 US cities for crafting education in design, crafting, and fabrics

• New York City
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• San Francisco
• Dallas

Top US Craft Cities on Social Media

Following are the Top US Craft Cities on Social Media. These cities are ranked based on hashtags from Instagram and TikTok.

• Phoenix(Arizona)
• Pittsburgh(Pennsylvania)
• San Diego(California)
• Chicago(Illinois)
• Portland(Oregon)

Sources: Liberty London

UK Craft Industry

• The craft industry’s Contribution to the UK economy is around $4.2 billion.
• The UK has almost 2.3 million jobs related to creative industries.
• An estimated 11,220 businesses in the craft industry in the United Kindom exist.
• UK exports related to the craft sector are around $6.3 billion.
• There are around 19.5 million crafters in the UK.
• 13.3% of Adults from England bought at least one handmade craft in the year.

How big is the craft industry in the UK?

The Craft industry contributed around $4.2 billion to the UK Economy. Around 19.5 million crafters and 2.3 million businesses exist in the Craft industry in the United Kingdom. 

Sources: Statista 1, Statista 2, Statista 3, Statista 4, Statista 5, Statista 6, Statista 7, Statista 8, Forbes,

, IBISWorld, Americans for the Arts, The Creative Industries 1, The Creative Industries 2, Crafts Council 1, Crafts Council 2

Note: You can find below how generative AI can be helpful in arts and crafts projects.

https://customcy.com/generative-ai-art-craft

Global Handicrafts Market Size, Share, Industry Statistics

What is the market size of the handicraft market?

The Global art and craft market is estimated to be $50.9 US billion by 2024. According to Association for Creative Industries research, the craft industry size was $36 billion in the US In 2018. There exist 85 million active creatives in the United States and Canada. They made $35 billion in sales.

What is the biggest market for handicrafts?

The United States is the biggest market for handicrafts, handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. The United States(with over 55% of users) is the top revenue-generating country from the leading handmade marketplace Etsy. The United States is the top country that imports Indian handicrafts.

Read More: Charities that Accept Handmade Items and Craft Supplies

Top Exporters of Handicrafts

China is the largest exporter of handicrafts, followed by the United Kingdom. China exported handicrafts with an approximate value of $10 billion. At the same time, the UK exported handicrafts of an approximate value of $6.3 billion. 

Other countries like India with $1.5 billion, Turkey with $1.17 billion, South Korea with $1.4 billion, Thailand with $399 million, Vietnam with $349 million, Egypt with 326 million, and Pakistan with 253 million worth value of handicrafts exports are also in the list of top exporters of handicrafts.

Which country is famous for handicrafts?

There are different countries famous for various kinds of handicrafts. For Example

• Australia: Aboriginal Dot Paintings
• Pakistan: Blue Pottery
• Laos: Traditional Weaving
• India: Embroidery and Textiles
• Turkey: carpet weaving
• Portugal: Azulejo tiles
• Kenya and Tanzania: Maasai beadwork
• Peru: Chinchero weaving
• Japan: Hakone Woodcraft
•  Vietnam: Bat Trang Pottery and Ceramics

Sources: Statista 1, Statista 2, Statista 3, Forbes, Premier Needle Arts, SimilarWeb, IBEF, The Creative Industries, United States Tour Operators Association, Travel Girls

Read More: Essential Pottery Raw Materials:

Etsy statistics in 2024

Etsy is the largest marketplace of handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. Etsy is not only popular in the US but also all over the world for its unique and handcrafted items and gifts. You can roughly estimate the global growth of the handmade and handicrafts market by following mind-blowing Etsy Revenue and Usage Statistics.

• Etsy generated gross merchandise sales of 11.8 billion US in 2022
• Etsy generated a revenue of $2.5 billion  in 2022
• Etsy has 94 million active buyers
• It has 7.3 million sellers
• Homewares and home furnishings were the top categories on Etsy, with 3.2 billion gross merchandise sales in 2020.
• Personal Jewelry and accessories are the second most popular Etsy category, with 1.6 billion gross merchandise sales.
• Craft supplies the third most popular Etsy Category, with 1.2 billion Gross merchandise sales as of 2020.
• 86% of Etsy sellers are women.

Read More: Top Etsy Sellers in 2024

What is the most popular handmade item on Etsy?

Jewelry is one of the top-selling handmade items on Etsy. ERank shows keywords like “personalized jewelry” and “handmade jewelry” as the top searched keywords on Etsy. CaitlynMinimalist Etsy’s jewelry store is a top-selling store on Etsy, with 2,133,622 sales.

Sources: Statista, Business of Apps, Etsy, Customcy, Erank

Read More: How to Find Best Selling Products on Etsy (2024)

Creative Industry

What is the market share of the creative industry?

The Global Creative industry market share is approximately $985 billion in 2023, with around 300 million jobs. The global creative industry market could represent 10% of the worldwide GDP before 2030.

US Creative Industry

• The market size of US performers and creative artists by revenue is expected to be $56.8 US billion in 2023.

Active Creatives in the US

How many crafters are there in the US?

Around 85 million active creatives exist in the United States and Canada. Active creatives have done at least one creative project in the year. They made $35 billion in sales. Around 60% of crafters in the US are women, while 40% are men(Statista).

The Global Solutions Initiative, Premier Needle Arts

US Art and Cultural Industry

Top Art Markets

The United States is the top art market, with 45% of the total value. The United Kingdom has 18%, and China is in 3rd place with 17% sales. 

Read More: Best Woods for Carving

US Art Industry Size

According to A report by Art Basel & UBS, the estimated value of the art industry in 2022 was $67.8  billion. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, art and culture contributed 1.02 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2021. In other words, it is 4.4% of GDP.

• The art industry increased at the rate of 3% YOY. 
• Online art market size increased to 5.9 US billion in 2020, according to a report by Hiscox Online Art Trade.

• 600,000 Californians are considered arts workers
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.57 million artists in the U.S. workforce as of 2020.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

• Art and culture contributed 1.02 trillion to the US economy in 2021. In other words, it is 4.4% of total US GDP.
• The Art and cultural economic activity increased by 13.7% in 2021.
• The Total number of Jobs related to Art and culture is 4.9 million in the US.
• Art and cultural employment increased by 5% in 2021.
• Maine is the US state with the most significant number of Art and cultural jobs (16,743) and a 12% increase in this field in 2021.
• Streaming services and web publishing are the most significant industries contributing to the art and cultural sector, with 171.3 billion contributions. Further, it will increase by 27.3% in 2021 than the previous year.

Read More: Essential Leather Working Tools

How many artists are there in the USA?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.57 million artists in the U.S. workforce as of 2020. The Art and cultural economic activity increased by 13.7% in 2021. The Total number of Jobs related to Art and culture is 4.9 million in the US

Top US imports in the art and culture category

Top US imports in the art and culture category were jewelry and silverware ($20.6 billion) and glass and china ($11.4 billion) in 2021.

Sources: Center for Cultural Innovation, Sanity,  Statista, BEA, National Endowment for the Arts, 

Quilting industry

• The quilting industry is expected to reach a value of 5 billion in 2026-27.
• There exist 9-11 million quilters in the United States and Canada alone
• There are around 30 million sewists in the United States and Canada.
• The majority of the Quilters enter the Quilting field during their 50s.

Source: Premier Needle Arts

Read More: We Analyzed all Etsy Shops with more than 300K sales. Here’s What We Learned about Etsy Success

Other Statistics:

Number of Michaels stores

There exist 1252 Michaels stores in the U.S. and Canada as of 2020. Further, Micheal Stores are among the top 4 chains, accounting for 34% Of all sales in the craft market In the US

Hobby Lobby’s Store Average sales

Hobby Lobby has the most sales per store in the art and craft industry. On Average, Hobby Lobby’s stores had $6 million in sales. 

Top Product Categories on Amazon

Craft art and sewing were among the top product categories on Amazon offered by sellers as of 2020.

Quality of handmade/handicrafts Products

23% of US adults strongly believe handmade/handicraft products are high quality.

Sources: Statista 1, Statista 2, Statista 3, Statista 4

Note: You can find more about craft industry and craft projects here:

https://customcy.com/blog/

Other FAQS Related to the Handmade Industry

What are the top sellers of handmade products?

In the US, 34% Of all sales in the craft market are made by four chains. These include Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Joann, and AC Moore(Bought by Micheals). Etsy will also be the largest marketplace for handmade products, with 2.57 billion in revenue in 2022. On Average, Each Hobby Lobby store’s sales are $6 million.

How Big Is The Arts And Crafts Industry

The Global art and crafts industry is estimated to be $50.9 US billion by 2024. According to Association for Creative Industries research, the craft industry size was $36 billion in the US In 2018. There exist 85 million active creatives in the United States and Canada. They made $35 billion in sales.

What is the best-selling handmade item?

Jewelry is one of the top-selling handmade items. In fact, according to research, the US imported jewelry and silverware products worth $20.6 billion in 2021. ERank also shows jewelry as one of the top searched keywords on a popular custom handmade marketplace, Etsy. 

What type of crafts sell best?

Crafts related to the following categories are the best-selling 

• Home Living (25%)
• Art and Collectibles(21%)
• Jewelry (15%)
• Clothing (11%)
• Accessories (8%)
• Bath and Beauty(6%)

Which craft makes the most money?

Crafts related to Jewelry make the most money, according to recent research. In fact, according to a study, the US imported jewelry and silverware products worth $20.6 billion in 2021. Caitlyn Minimalist Etsy sells jewelry products in the number 1 store, with total sales in the top craft marketplace Etsy at 2,133,622.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap for my roundup of craft/handmade industry statistics.

The stat that knocked my socks off was that the creative industry is predicted to account for up to 10 percent of global GDP by 2030.

Now I’d like to hear from you:

Do you think their pot industry growth is sustainable? What else would you like to see added to this roundup? Or have a question?

Either way, please jump in and leave a comment below.

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