GITNUXREPORT 2026

3D Animation Industry Statistics

The 3D animation industry is booming globally, with strong growth expected through 2030.

Sarah Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

65% of Gen Z prefer 3D animated content on streaming platforms in 2023.

Statistic 2

3D animation viewership on YouTube grew 28% to 500 billion hours in 2023.

Statistic 3

Gaming 3D animation demand projected to grow 15% annually to 2030.

Statistic 4

72% of consumers engage more with 3D product ads in 2023.

Statistic 5

AR/VR 3D animation experiences used by 40% millennials daily 2023.

Statistic 6

Short-form 3D animations on TikTok views up 55% to 1 trillion in 2023.

Statistic 7

58% parents prefer 3D animated educational content for kids 2023.

Statistic 8

Metaverse 3D animation events attendance projected 300% growth by 2027.

Statistic 9

3D animated NFTs sales peaked at $4 billion but dropped 80% in 2023.

Statistic 10

Sustainability-themed 3D animations views up 42% in 2023.

Statistic 11

Global 3D animation market projected CAGR 12.5% to $60B by 2032.

Statistic 12

AI-generated 3D content acceptance 55% among viewers 2023.

Statistic 13

3D vs 2D preference 68% for films among under-25s 2023.

Statistic 14

Streaming 3D originals subscriptions drove 20% growth 2023.

Statistic 15

Gaming live-service 3D updates retention 75% higher 2023.

Statistic 16

82% gamers expect photoreal 3D graphics by 2027.

Statistic 17

User-generated 3D animations on Roblox 2 billion monthly 2023.

Statistic 18

Diversity in 3D characters demanded by 70% audiences 2023.

Statistic 19

Interactive 3D storytelling engagement 3x higher 2023.

Statistic 20

3D animation in social commerce sales up 35% 2023.

Statistic 21

The 3D animation industry employed 2.1 million people globally in 2023.

Statistic 22

U.S. 3D animation workforce totaled 45,000 professionals in 2023.

Statistic 23

India has over 300,000 3D animators and artists employed in 2023.

Statistic 24

Canada’s animation industry employs 28,000 people, 60% in 3D in 2023.

Statistic 25

Average salary for 3D animators in U.S. was $98,000 in 2023.

Statistic 26

UK 3D animation jobs grew 8% to 15,200 in 2023.

Statistic 27

China employs 500,000 in animation, 40% in 3D segment in 2023.

Statistic 28

France has 12,000 3D animation professionals in 2023.

Statistic 29

Global demand for 3D modelers increased 22% in 2023.

Statistic 30

Women represent 35% of 3D animation workforce globally in 2023.

Statistic 31

Entry-level 3D animator salary in India averages ₹4.5 lakhs ($5,400) in 2023.

Statistic 32

Senior 3D animators in U.S. earn $150,000+ annually in 2023.

Statistic 33

Australia employs 8,500 in 3D animation in 2023.

Statistic 34

South Korea has 25,000 3D animators, up 15% in 2023.

Statistic 35

3D rigging specialists jobs surged 18% globally in 2023.

Statistic 36

Remote 3D animation jobs increased to 40% of total postings in 2023.

Statistic 37

U.S. BLS projects 4% growth in multimedia animators jobs to 2032.

Statistic 38

Europe animation employment at 120,000, 55% 3D-focused in 2023.

Statistic 39

Average 3D animator experience is 6.2 years globally in 2023.

Statistic 40

28% of 3D animators hold bachelor's in computer graphics in 2023.

Statistic 41

Japan employs 18,000 in 3D animation studios in 2023.

Statistic 42

Brazil 3D animation workforce 10,000 strong in 2023.

Statistic 43

Philippines outsourcing employs 50,000 in 3D animation in 2023.

Statistic 44

VFX artists unemployment rate 5.2% in Hollywood 2023.

Statistic 45

65% of 3D animators freelance globally in 2023.

Statistic 46

The global 3D animation market was valued at USD 22.67 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 45.67 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2024 to 2030.

Statistic 47

In 2023, North America dominated the 3D animation market with a share of 35.2%, driven by major studios like Pixar and DreamWorks.

Statistic 48

Asia Pacific 3D animation market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 12.5% from 2024 to 2030 due to rising demand in gaming and VFX.

Statistic 49

The visual effects (VFX) segment accounted for 42.3% of the 3D animation market revenue in 2023.

Statistic 50

Cloud-based 3D animation software held a 28.7% market share in 2023, fueled by remote collaboration needs.

Statistic 51

The global animation market, including 3D, reached $400 billion in 2022 with 3D contributing 45%.

Statistic 52

U.S. 3D animation market size was $8.5 billion in 2023, representing 37% of global share.

Statistic 53

Europe's 3D animation industry grew by 9.8% YoY in 2023 to €12.4 billion.

Statistic 54

India's 3D animation market expanded to $1.2 billion in 2023, up 15% from 2022.

Statistic 55

South Korea's 3D animation sector valued at $2.1 billion in 2023, driven by K-content exports.

Statistic 56

The 3D animation market in gaming applications was $9.8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 57

Film and TV 3D animation segment reached $10.2 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 58

Projected global 3D animation market to hit $50 billion by 2028 at 12% CAGR.

Statistic 59

China’s 3D animation market size was RMB 150 billion ($21 billion) in 2023.

Statistic 60

Latin America's 3D animation market grew 14% to $1.8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 61

Middle East 3D animation market valued at $0.9 billion in 2023 with 18% growth.

Statistic 62

Australia’s 3D animation industry reached AUD 1.5 billion ($1 billion) in 2023.

Statistic 63

The 3D animation market for advertising was $4.5 billion in 2023 globally.

Statistic 64

Medical visualization 3D animation sub-market at $1.1 billion in 2023.

Statistic 65

Architecture and construction 3D animation market $2.3 billion in 2023.

Statistic 66

Global 3D animation software market size $12.4 billion in 2023.

Statistic 67

On-premise deployment held 71.3% share in 3D animation market in 2023.

Statistic 68

Large enterprises dominated 3D animation market with 68% share in 2023.

Statistic 69

Modeling segment led 3D animation market with 32.5% revenue share in 2023.

Statistic 70

The 3D animation market CAGR from 2018-2023 averaged 10.8% globally.

Statistic 71

U.S. dominates with 38% of global 3D animation market share in 2023.

Statistic 72

Japan’s 3D animation market $3.2 billion in 2023, up 11% YoY.

Statistic 73

Canada’s 3D animation sector $1.4 billion in 2023.

Statistic 74

UK 3D animation market £2.1 billion ($2.7B) in 2023.

Statistic 75

France 3D animation industry €1.8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 76

Feature films generated $15.2 billion in box office revenue using 3D animation in 2023.

Statistic 77

Gaming industry 3D animation revenue $45.6 billion in 2023.

Statistic 78

Streaming platforms spent $8.9 billion on 3D animated content in 2023.

Statistic 79

Advertising revenue from 3D animations $6.7 billion globally 2023.

Statistic 80

Merchandising from 3D animated films $12.4 billion in 2023.

Statistic 81

VFX services for Hollywood films $4.2 billion revenue 2023.

Statistic 82

Mobile gaming 3D assets revenue $18.3 billion 2023.

Statistic 83

Theme parks 3D animation attractions $3.1 billion 2023.

Statistic 84

Educational 3D animation content sales $1.8 billion 2023.

Statistic 85

Architectural visualization services $2.9 billion revenue 2023.

Statistic 86

Pixar’s 2023 films grossed $1.9 billion worldwide.

Statistic 87

DreamWorks Animation revenue $2.1 billion in 2023.

Statistic 88

Disney Animation Studios $4.5 billion revenue 2023.

Statistic 89

Epic Games Unreal Engine licensing $1.8 billion 2023.

Statistic 90

Autodesk Maya subscriptions $1.2 billion from animation users 2023.

Statistic 91

Unity Technologies animation revenue $900 million 2023.

Statistic 92

Netflix original 3D animations cost $2.3 billion production 2023.

Statistic 93

Fortnite 3D skins and emotes generated $5.6 billion 2023.

Statistic 94

Product visualization 3D animation $1.5 billion services 2023.

Statistic 95

Medical 3D animation training videos $850 million 2023.

Statistic 96

Global box office for 3D animated films $10.5 billion in 2023.

Statistic 97

Merchandise licensing from top 3D franchises $25 billion 2023.

Statistic 98

Blender users among professionals reached 52% in 2023.

Statistic 99

Adoption of Unreal Engine 5 in 3D animation rose to 68% in studios by 2023.

Statistic 100

AI-driven 3D animation tools usage increased 45% in 2023.

Statistic 101

Real-time rendering adoption in VFX hit 75% in 2023.

Statistic 102

NVIDIA RTX GPUs used in 82% of 3D animation workstations 2023.

Statistic 103

Cloud rendering services market for 3D animation grew 35% to $2.5B in 2023.

Statistic 104

Motion capture technology improved accuracy to 99.5% in 2023 systems.

Statistic 105

VR integration in 3D animation workflows reached 55% adoption 2023.

Statistic 106

USD (Universal Scene Description) standard adopted by 70% of major studios 2023.

Statistic 107

Machine learning for auto-rigging used in 40% pipelines 2023.

Statistic 108

8K texture workflows standard in 62% high-end 3D animation 2023.

Statistic 109

Houdini software market share in 3D animation 28% in 2023.

Statistic 110

Maya remains top tool at 75% usage in film 3D animation 2023.

Statistic 111

Substance Painter adoption 85% for texturing in 2023.

Statistic 112

ZBrush sculpting used by 92% character artists 2023.

Statistic 113

OpenUSD Alliance members grew to 50 companies in 2023.

Statistic 114

Nanite virtual geometry in UE5 sped up workflows 300% 2023.

Statistic 115

Lumen global illumination real-time in 65% projects 2023.

Statistic 116

AI upscaling tools like Topaz used in 35% pipelines 2023.

Statistic 117

Procedural generation tools adoption 48% in environments 2023.

Statistic 118

WebGPU acceleration for 3D animation browsers 22% usage 2023.

Statistic 119

Metahuman creator used in 30% character pipelines 2023.

Statistic 120

Chaos Physics integration in 42% simulations 2023.

Statistic 121

Alembic cache format used in 88% VFX shots 2023.

Statistic 122

USD Hydra render delegate in 55% pipelines 2023.

Statistic 123

Python scripting in 3D tools 95% prevalence 2023.

Sources
Trusted by 500+ publications
Harvard Business ReviewThe GuardianFortune+497
With the global 3D animation market poised to more than double to nearly $46 billion this decade, fueled by everything from blockbuster films and immersive video games to cloud-based collaboration and a booming demand in Asia-Pacific, understanding the forces reshaping this dynamic industry has never been more critical for creators and businesses alike.

Key Takeaways

  • The global 3D animation market was valued at USD 22.67 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 45.67 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2024 to 2030.
  • In 2023, North America dominated the 3D animation market with a share of 35.2%, driven by major studios like Pixar and DreamWorks.
  • Asia Pacific 3D animation market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 12.5% from 2024 to 2030 due to rising demand in gaming and VFX.
  • The 3D animation industry employed 2.1 million people globally in 2023.
  • U.S. 3D animation workforce totaled 45,000 professionals in 2023.
  • India has over 300,000 3D animators and artists employed in 2023.
  • Blender users among professionals reached 52% in 2023.
  • Adoption of Unreal Engine 5 in 3D animation rose to 68% in studios by 2023.
  • AI-driven 3D animation tools usage increased 45% in 2023.
  • Feature films generated $15.2 billion in box office revenue using 3D animation in 2023.
  • Gaming industry 3D animation revenue $45.6 billion in 2023.
  • Streaming platforms spent $8.9 billion on 3D animated content in 2023.
  • 65% of Gen Z prefer 3D animated content on streaming platforms in 2023.
  • 3D animation viewership on YouTube grew 28% to 500 billion hours in 2023.
  • Gaming 3D animation demand projected to grow 15% annually to 2030.

The 3D animation industry is booming globally, with strong growth expected through 2030.

Consumer Trends and Projections

  • 65% of Gen Z prefer 3D animated content on streaming platforms in 2023.
  • 3D animation viewership on YouTube grew 28% to 500 billion hours in 2023.
  • Gaming 3D animation demand projected to grow 15% annually to 2030.
  • 72% of consumers engage more with 3D product ads in 2023.
  • AR/VR 3D animation experiences used by 40% millennials daily 2023.
  • Short-form 3D animations on TikTok views up 55% to 1 trillion in 2023.
  • 58% parents prefer 3D animated educational content for kids 2023.
  • Metaverse 3D animation events attendance projected 300% growth by 2027.
  • 3D animated NFTs sales peaked at $4 billion but dropped 80% in 2023.
  • Sustainability-themed 3D animations views up 42% in 2023.
  • Global 3D animation market projected CAGR 12.5% to $60B by 2032.
  • AI-generated 3D content acceptance 55% among viewers 2023.
  • 3D vs 2D preference 68% for films among under-25s 2023.
  • Streaming 3D originals subscriptions drove 20% growth 2023.
  • Gaming live-service 3D updates retention 75% higher 2023.
  • 82% gamers expect photoreal 3D graphics by 2027.
  • User-generated 3D animations on Roblox 2 billion monthly 2023.
  • Diversity in 3D characters demanded by 70% audiences 2023.
  • Interactive 3D storytelling engagement 3x higher 2023.
  • 3D animation in social commerce sales up 35% 2023.

Consumer Trends and Projections Interpretation

Move over, 2D—our future is looking decidedly three-dimensional, as this flood of data reveals that from gaming and streaming to advertising and the metaverse, audiences aren't just watching 3D animation anymore, they're demanding it in every corner of their digital lives.

Employment Statistics

  • The 3D animation industry employed 2.1 million people globally in 2023.
  • U.S. 3D animation workforce totaled 45,000 professionals in 2023.
  • India has over 300,000 3D animators and artists employed in 2023.
  • Canada’s animation industry employs 28,000 people, 60% in 3D in 2023.
  • Average salary for 3D animators in U.S. was $98,000 in 2023.
  • UK 3D animation jobs grew 8% to 15,200 in 2023.
  • China employs 500,000 in animation, 40% in 3D segment in 2023.
  • France has 12,000 3D animation professionals in 2023.
  • Global demand for 3D modelers increased 22% in 2023.
  • Women represent 35% of 3D animation workforce globally in 2023.
  • Entry-level 3D animator salary in India averages ₹4.5 lakhs ($5,400) in 2023.
  • Senior 3D animators in U.S. earn $150,000+ annually in 2023.
  • Australia employs 8,500 in 3D animation in 2023.
  • South Korea has 25,000 3D animators, up 15% in 2023.
  • 3D rigging specialists jobs surged 18% globally in 2023.
  • Remote 3D animation jobs increased to 40% of total postings in 2023.
  • U.S. BLS projects 4% growth in multimedia animators jobs to 2032.
  • Europe animation employment at 120,000, 55% 3D-focused in 2023.
  • Average 3D animator experience is 6.2 years globally in 2023.
  • 28% of 3D animators hold bachelor's in computer graphics in 2023.
  • Japan employs 18,000 in 3D animation studios in 2023.
  • Brazil 3D animation workforce 10,000 strong in 2023.
  • Philippines outsourcing employs 50,000 in 3D animation in 2023.
  • VFX artists unemployment rate 5.2% in Hollywood 2023.
  • 65% of 3D animators freelance globally in 2023.

Employment Statistics Interpretation

Despite the globe-trotting, screen-dominating ubiquity of its 2.1 million-strong workforce, the 3D animation industry's reality is a wildly uneven patchwork of freelance hustle, geographic salary gulfs, and specialized niches all racing to keep up with a 22% surge in demand.

Market Size and Growth

  • The global 3D animation market was valued at USD 22.67 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 45.67 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2024 to 2030.
  • In 2023, North America dominated the 3D animation market with a share of 35.2%, driven by major studios like Pixar and DreamWorks.
  • Asia Pacific 3D animation market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 12.5% from 2024 to 2030 due to rising demand in gaming and VFX.
  • The visual effects (VFX) segment accounted for 42.3% of the 3D animation market revenue in 2023.
  • Cloud-based 3D animation software held a 28.7% market share in 2023, fueled by remote collaboration needs.
  • The global animation market, including 3D, reached $400 billion in 2022 with 3D contributing 45%.
  • U.S. 3D animation market size was $8.5 billion in 2023, representing 37% of global share.
  • Europe's 3D animation industry grew by 9.8% YoY in 2023 to €12.4 billion.
  • India's 3D animation market expanded to $1.2 billion in 2023, up 15% from 2022.
  • South Korea's 3D animation sector valued at $2.1 billion in 2023, driven by K-content exports.
  • The 3D animation market in gaming applications was $9.8 billion in 2023.
  • Film and TV 3D animation segment reached $10.2 billion globally in 2023.
  • Projected global 3D animation market to hit $50 billion by 2028 at 12% CAGR.
  • China’s 3D animation market size was RMB 150 billion ($21 billion) in 2023.
  • Latin America's 3D animation market grew 14% to $1.8 billion in 2023.
  • Middle East 3D animation market valued at $0.9 billion in 2023 with 18% growth.
  • Australia’s 3D animation industry reached AUD 1.5 billion ($1 billion) in 2023.
  • The 3D animation market for advertising was $4.5 billion in 2023 globally.
  • Medical visualization 3D animation sub-market at $1.1 billion in 2023.
  • Architecture and construction 3D animation market $2.3 billion in 2023.
  • Global 3D animation software market size $12.4 billion in 2023.
  • On-premise deployment held 71.3% share in 3D animation market in 2023.
  • Large enterprises dominated 3D animation market with 68% share in 2023.
  • Modeling segment led 3D animation market with 32.5% revenue share in 2023.
  • The 3D animation market CAGR from 2018-2023 averaged 10.8% globally.
  • U.S. dominates with 38% of global 3D animation market share in 2023.
  • Japan’s 3D animation market $3.2 billion in 2023, up 11% YoY.
  • Canada’s 3D animation sector $1.4 billion in 2023.
  • UK 3D animation market £2.1 billion ($2.7B) in 2023.
  • France 3D animation industry €1.8 billion in 2023.

Market Size and Growth Interpretation

The global 3D animation market is exploding faster than a poorly rendered simulation, with North America currently holding the Hollywood crown, but all eyes are on Asia Pacific's meteoric rise, proving that the entire world is now in a serious, multi-billion dollar race to make the unreal look real.

Revenue Streams

  • Feature films generated $15.2 billion in box office revenue using 3D animation in 2023.
  • Gaming industry 3D animation revenue $45.6 billion in 2023.
  • Streaming platforms spent $8.9 billion on 3D animated content in 2023.
  • Advertising revenue from 3D animations $6.7 billion globally 2023.
  • Merchandising from 3D animated films $12.4 billion in 2023.
  • VFX services for Hollywood films $4.2 billion revenue 2023.
  • Mobile gaming 3D assets revenue $18.3 billion 2023.
  • Theme parks 3D animation attractions $3.1 billion 2023.
  • Educational 3D animation content sales $1.8 billion 2023.
  • Architectural visualization services $2.9 billion revenue 2023.
  • Pixar’s 2023 films grossed $1.9 billion worldwide.
  • DreamWorks Animation revenue $2.1 billion in 2023.
  • Disney Animation Studios $4.5 billion revenue 2023.
  • Epic Games Unreal Engine licensing $1.8 billion 2023.
  • Autodesk Maya subscriptions $1.2 billion from animation users 2023.
  • Unity Technologies animation revenue $900 million 2023.
  • Netflix original 3D animations cost $2.3 billion production 2023.
  • Fortnite 3D skins and emotes generated $5.6 billion 2023.
  • Product visualization 3D animation $1.5 billion services 2023.
  • Medical 3D animation training videos $850 million 2023.
  • Global box office for 3D animated films $10.5 billion in 2023.
  • Merchandise licensing from top 3D franchises $25 billion 2023.

Revenue Streams Interpretation

In 2023, the 3D animation industry quietly transformed from a box-office sideshow into a $150-billion-plus economic juggernaut, proving that while we may go to the movies for the stories, the real blockbuster business is in everything from a Fortnite dance to a medical training video.

Technological Advancements

  • Blender users among professionals reached 52% in 2023.
  • Adoption of Unreal Engine 5 in 3D animation rose to 68% in studios by 2023.
  • AI-driven 3D animation tools usage increased 45% in 2023.
  • Real-time rendering adoption in VFX hit 75% in 2023.
  • NVIDIA RTX GPUs used in 82% of 3D animation workstations 2023.
  • Cloud rendering services market for 3D animation grew 35% to $2.5B in 2023.
  • Motion capture technology improved accuracy to 99.5% in 2023 systems.
  • VR integration in 3D animation workflows reached 55% adoption 2023.
  • USD (Universal Scene Description) standard adopted by 70% of major studios 2023.
  • Machine learning for auto-rigging used in 40% pipelines 2023.
  • 8K texture workflows standard in 62% high-end 3D animation 2023.
  • Houdini software market share in 3D animation 28% in 2023.
  • Maya remains top tool at 75% usage in film 3D animation 2023.
  • Substance Painter adoption 85% for texturing in 2023.
  • ZBrush sculpting used by 92% character artists 2023.
  • OpenUSD Alliance members grew to 50 companies in 2023.
  • Nanite virtual geometry in UE5 sped up workflows 300% 2023.
  • Lumen global illumination real-time in 65% projects 2023.
  • AI upscaling tools like Topaz used in 35% pipelines 2023.
  • Procedural generation tools adoption 48% in environments 2023.
  • WebGPU acceleration for 3D animation browsers 22% usage 2023.
  • Metahuman creator used in 30% character pipelines 2023.
  • Chaos Physics integration in 42% simulations 2023.
  • Alembic cache format used in 88% VFX shots 2023.
  • USD Hydra render delegate in 55% pipelines 2023.
  • Python scripting in 3D tools 95% prevalence 2023.

Technological Advancements Interpretation

While Blender democratizes creation and AI turbocharges the process, the industry's beating heart now runs on real-time engines, cloud-powered NVIDIA muscle, and the unifying arteries of USD and Python, all converging to make the impossible merely overnight render.

Sources & References

Logos provided by Logo.dev