GITNUXREPORT 2026

Animation Statistics

The global animation market is enormous and growing rapidly across nearly every country.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Global viewership of animation 500 billion hours on streaming 2022

Statistic 2

70% of kids under 12 watch animation daily

Statistic 3

Anime viewers worldwide 1.2 billion in 2023

Statistic 4

YouTube animation views 200 billion annually

Statistic 5

Disney+ animation 40% of watch time

Statistic 6

Adults 18-34 55% animation audience share

Statistic 7

TikTok animation videos 500 million daily views

Statistic 8

Global box office for animated films $10B in 2022

Statistic 9

Netflix kids animation 2 billion hours viewed 2022

Statistic 10

China animation TV ratings 25% audience share

Statistic 11

India toon viewership 300 million daily

Statistic 12

Europe animation streaming 30% growth

Statistic 13

U.S. primetime animation 20% ratings

Statistic 14

Gaming streams with animation 1 billion hours Twitch

Statistic 15

Social media animation shares 10 billion yearly

Statistic 16

Gen Z 80% prefer animated content

Statistic 17

Podcasts with animation clips 50 million downloads

Statistic 18

Merch sales driven by animation fans $200B

Statistic 19

Festival animation screenings 5 million attendees

Statistic 20

VR animation experiences 100 million users 2023

Statistic 21

The global animation market was valued at USD 391.7 billion in 2020

Statistic 22

Animation industry revenue reached $400 billion globally in 2022

Statistic 23

U.S. animation market generated $72 billion in 2021

Statistic 24

Japanese anime industry worth 2.92 trillion yen in 2022

Statistic 25

Europe's animation sector contributed €7.7 billion to GDP in 2021

Statistic 26

China's animation market hit 457.8 billion yuan in 2022

Statistic 27

Disney's animation revenue was $12.5 billion in 2022

Statistic 28

Pixar's films grossed over $15 billion worldwide by 2023

Statistic 29

Netflix animation content spending reached $1.5 billion in 2022

Statistic 30

Global VFX market, tied to animation, at $12.8 billion in 2022

Statistic 31

Animation ad spend in U.S. was $3.2 billion in 2022

Statistic 32

South Korea's animation exports hit $500 million in 2022

Statistic 33

India's animation industry valued at INR 38 billion in 2022

Statistic 34

Australia's animation market size $1.2 billion AUD in 2022

Statistic 35

France's animation turnover €2.1 billion in 2021

Statistic 36

Canada's animation industry $2.5 billion CAD in 2022

Statistic 37

U.K. animation production value £1.1 billion in 2022

Statistic 38

Brazil's animation market $300 million in 2022

Statistic 39

Mexico animation sector $250 million USD in 2022

Statistic 40

Turkey's animation industry 1.5 billion TRY in 2022

Statistic 41

Germany's animation market €800 million in 2022

Statistic 42

Italy's animation revenue €450 million in 2021

Statistic 43

Spain animation industry €300 million in 2022

Statistic 44

Russia's animation market 25 billion RUB in 2022

Statistic 45

Iran's animation production value $100 million in 2022

Statistic 46

Nigeria's nascent animation market $50 million in 2022

Statistic 47

South Africa's animation industry R2 billion in 2022

Statistic 48

U.A.E. animation market $200 million in 2022

Statistic 49

Singapore animation sector SGD 150 million in 2022

Statistic 50

Vietnam animation market $80 million in 2022

Statistic 51

The animation industry employs over 2.5 million people worldwide

Statistic 52

U.S. has 250,000 animation jobs in 2023

Statistic 53

India employs 300,000 in animation and VFX

Statistic 54

Japan anime studios employ 10,000 full-time

Statistic 55

Canada animation workforce 40,000 strong

Statistic 56

U.K. 12,000 animators employed in 2022

Statistic 57

France 8,000 animation professionals

Statistic 58

Australia 5,000 in animation sector

Statistic 59

South Korea 15,000 animation workers

Statistic 60

China over 500,000 in animation industry

Statistic 61

Germany 4,500 animators

Statistic 62

Brazil 10,000 animation jobs

Statistic 63

Philippines 20,000 VFX/animation roles

Statistic 64

Poland 3,000 in animation

Statistic 65

Spain 2,500 animation employees

Statistic 66

Italy 4,000 in animation production

Statistic 67

Mexico 8,000 animation professionals

Statistic 68

South Africa 2,000 animators

Statistic 69

Ireland 1,200 in animation studios

Statistic 70

Sweden 1,000 animation jobs

Statistic 71

Netherlands 1,500 animators

Statistic 72

Belgium 800 in animation

Statistic 73

New Zealand 1,000 animation workers

Statistic 74

Average animator salary in U.S. $78,790 annually

Statistic 75

Freelance animators make up 40% of workforce

Statistic 76

Women comprise 45% of animation workforce in 2023

Statistic 77

Animation training programs graduated 50,000 students globally in 2022

Statistic 78

The global animation market is projected to grow at 5.2% CAGR to 2028

Statistic 79

U.S. animation streaming market to reach $30 billion by 2027

Statistic 80

Anime market expected to hit $60 billion globally by 2030

Statistic 81

3D animation segment to grow fastest at 6.8% CAGR

Statistic 82

Animation software market to $22 billion by 2027

Statistic 83

OTT platforms drive 40% animation growth by 2025

Statistic 84

Kids animation market CAGR 7.1% to 2030

Statistic 85

VR/AR animation market to $12 billion by 2028

Statistic 86

Mobile animation apps downloads up 25% YoY in 2023

Statistic 87

Short-form animation TikTok views 1 trillion in 2022

Statistic 88

Gaming animation integration market $50B by 2025

Statistic 89

E-learning animation market CAGR 15% to 2030

Statistic 90

Merchandising from animation $100B globally 2023

Statistic 91

Asia-Pacific animation growth 8% CAGR

Statistic 92

Europe animation TV market 4.5% CAGR

Statistic 93

Latin America animation boom 10% CAGR

Statistic 94

Middle East animation market 12% growth to 2028

Statistic 95

Africa animation CAGR 20% driven by Nollywood

Statistic 96

Cloud-based animation tools adoption 35% rise

Statistic 97

AI in animation to save 30% production time by 2025

Statistic 98

Sustainable animation practices up 25% in studios

Statistic 99

User-generated animation content 50% of YouTube shorts

Statistic 100

Metaverse animation investments $5B in 2023

Statistic 101

NFT animation sales peaked at $2B in 2021

Statistic 102

Global animation festivals attendance up 15% post-COVID

Statistic 103

3D animation uses 70% of production pipelines in 2023

Statistic 104

Blender software used by 80% of indie animators

Statistic 105

AI tools automate 20% of in-betweening tasks

Statistic 106

Cloud rendering cuts costs by 50% for studios

Statistic 107

Motion capture used in 60% of feature films

Statistic 108

Unreal Engine powers 40% real-time animation

Statistic 109

VR storyboarding adopted by 30% top studios

Statistic 110

8K resolution standard for new animations

Statistic 111

Procedural animation in 25% games

Statistic 112

Haptic feedback in animation tools up 15%

Statistic 113

Global animation productions 12,000 shorts annually

Statistic 114

4K export standard for 90% TV animation

Statistic 115

Python scripting in 70% pipelines

Statistic 116

Real-time ray tracing in 50% new projects

Statistic 117

Collaborative tools reduce production time 25%

Statistic 118

Stop-motion digital hybrid 15% of features

Statistic 119

NFT integration in 5% experimental animations

Statistic 120

360-degree animation for VR 20% growth

Statistic 121

Global studios produced 500 feature films in 2022

Statistic 122

Average animation episode costs $500K USD

Statistic 123

2D digital animation 40% market share

Statistic 124

Rigging automation saves 30% time

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Sources

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As a half-trillion-dollar global juggernaut reaching billions of viewers, animation has evolved far beyond simple cartoons into the beating heart of modern entertainment, marketing, and technology.

Key Takeaways

The global animation market was valued at USD 391.7 billion in 2020
Animation industry revenue reached $400 billion globally in 2022
U.S. animation market generated $72 billion in 2021
The global animation market is projected to grow at 5.2% CAGR to 2028
U.S. animation streaming market to reach $30 billion by 2027
Anime market expected to hit $60 billion globally by 2030
The animation industry employs over 2.5 million people worldwide
U.S. has 250,000 animation jobs in 2023
India employs 300,000 in animation and VFX
3D animation uses 70% of production pipelines in 2023
Blender software used by 80% of indie animators
AI tools automate 20% of in-betweening tasks
Global viewership of animation 500 billion hours on streaming 2022
70% of kids under 12 watch animation daily
Anime viewers worldwide 1.2 billion in 2023

The global animation market is enormous and growing rapidly across nearly every country.

Audience Consumption

Global viewership of animation 500 billion hours on streaming 2022
70% of kids under 12 watch animation daily
Anime viewers worldwide 1.2 billion in 2023
YouTube animation views 200 billion annually
Disney+ animation 40% of watch time
Adults 18-34 55% animation audience share
TikTok animation videos 500 million daily views
Global box office for animated films $10B in 2022
Netflix kids animation 2 billion hours viewed 2022
China animation TV ratings 25% audience share
India toon viewership 300 million daily
Europe animation streaming 30% growth
U.S. primetime animation 20% ratings
Gaming streams with animation 1 billion hours Twitch
Social media animation shares 10 billion yearly
Gen Z 80% prefer animated content
Podcasts with animation clips 50 million downloads
Merch sales driven by animation fans $200B
Festival animation screenings 5 million attendees
VR animation experiences 100 million users 2023

Audience Consumption Interpretation

Animation has stealthily colonized global culture, proving that whether you're two or thirty-two, the world increasingly prefers its stories drawn, streamed, and shared, with a side of serious economic and creative clout.

Economic Impact

The global animation market was valued at USD 391.7 billion in 2020
Animation industry revenue reached $400 billion globally in 2022
U.S. animation market generated $72 billion in 2021
Japanese anime industry worth 2.92 trillion yen in 2022
Europe's animation sector contributed €7.7 billion to GDP in 2021
China's animation market hit 457.8 billion yuan in 2022
Disney's animation revenue was $12.5 billion in 2022
Pixar's films grossed over $15 billion worldwide by 2023
Netflix animation content spending reached $1.5 billion in 2022
Global VFX market, tied to animation, at $12.8 billion in 2022
Animation ad spend in U.S. was $3.2 billion in 2022
South Korea's animation exports hit $500 million in 2022
India's animation industry valued at INR 38 billion in 2022
Australia's animation market size $1.2 billion AUD in 2022
France's animation turnover €2.1 billion in 2021
Canada's animation industry $2.5 billion CAD in 2022
U.K. animation production value £1.1 billion in 2022
Brazil's animation market $300 million in 2022
Mexico animation sector $250 million USD in 2022
Turkey's animation industry 1.5 billion TRY in 2022
Germany's animation market €800 million in 2022
Italy's animation revenue €450 million in 2021
Spain animation industry €300 million in 2022
Russia's animation market 25 billion RUB in 2022
Iran's animation production value $100 million in 2022
Nigeria's nascent animation market $50 million in 2022
South Africa's animation industry R2 billion in 2022
U.A.E. animation market $200 million in 2022
Singapore animation sector SGD 150 million in 2022
Vietnam animation market $80 million in 2022

Economic Impact Interpretation

These figures prove the world has officially graduated from doodling on cave walls to a nearly half-trillion-dollar industry that makes bank by making us believe in talking animals, sentient toys, and our own tear ducts.

Employment

The animation industry employs over 2.5 million people worldwide
U.S. has 250,000 animation jobs in 2023
India employs 300,000 in animation and VFX
Japan anime studios employ 10,000 full-time
Canada animation workforce 40,000 strong
U.K. 12,000 animators employed in 2022
France 8,000 animation professionals
Australia 5,000 in animation sector
South Korea 15,000 animation workers
China over 500,000 in animation industry
Germany 4,500 animators
Brazil 10,000 animation jobs
Philippines 20,000 VFX/animation roles
Poland 3,000 in animation
Spain 2,500 animation employees
Italy 4,000 in animation production
Mexico 8,000 animation professionals
South Africa 2,000 animators
Ireland 1,200 in animation studios
Sweden 1,000 animation jobs
Netherlands 1,500 animators
Belgium 800 in animation
New Zealand 1,000 animation workers
Average animator salary in U.S. $78,790 annually
Freelance animators make up 40% of workforce
Women comprise 45% of animation workforce in 2023
Animation training programs graduated 50,000 students globally in 2022

Employment Interpretation

The global animation industry is a surprisingly robust and caffeinated art-and-business ecosystem, where millions of artists—nearly half of whom are women—balance freelance hustle with steady studio gigs, all while a fresh wave of 50,000 graduates annually prepares to join their vibrant, underpaid ranks.

Market Trends

The global animation market is projected to grow at 5.2% CAGR to 2028
U.S. animation streaming market to reach $30 billion by 2027
Anime market expected to hit $60 billion globally by 2030
3D animation segment to grow fastest at 6.8% CAGR
Animation software market to $22 billion by 2027
OTT platforms drive 40% animation growth by 2025
Kids animation market CAGR 7.1% to 2030
VR/AR animation market to $12 billion by 2028
Mobile animation apps downloads up 25% YoY in 2023
Short-form animation TikTok views 1 trillion in 2022
Gaming animation integration market $50B by 2025
E-learning animation market CAGR 15% to 2030
Merchandising from animation $100B globally 2023
Asia-Pacific animation growth 8% CAGR
Europe animation TV market 4.5% CAGR
Latin America animation boom 10% CAGR
Middle East animation market 12% growth to 2028
Africa animation CAGR 20% driven by Nollywood
Cloud-based animation tools adoption 35% rise
AI in animation to save 30% production time by 2025
Sustainable animation practices up 25% in studios
User-generated animation content 50% of YouTube shorts
Metaverse animation investments $5B in 2023
NFT animation sales peaked at $2B in 2021
Global animation festivals attendance up 15% post-COVID

Market Trends Interpretation

From toddlers glued to tablets to billion-dollar metaverse avatars, the entire world, it seems, is now animated.

Production Tech

3D animation uses 70% of production pipelines in 2023
Blender software used by 80% of indie animators
AI tools automate 20% of in-betweening tasks
Cloud rendering cuts costs by 50% for studios
Motion capture used in 60% of feature films
Unreal Engine powers 40% real-time animation
VR storyboarding adopted by 30% top studios
8K resolution standard for new animations
Procedural animation in 25% games
Haptic feedback in animation tools up 15%
Global animation productions 12,000 shorts annually
4K export standard for 90% TV animation
Python scripting in 70% pipelines
Real-time ray tracing in 50% new projects
Collaborative tools reduce production time 25%
Stop-motion digital hybrid 15% of features
NFT integration in 5% experimental animations
360-degree animation for VR 20% growth
Global studios produced 500 feature films in 2022
Average animation episode costs $500K USD
2D digital animation 40% market share
Rigging automation saves 30% time

Production Tech Interpretation

The animation industry's frenetic 2023 landscape sees indie creators wielding Blender like Excalibur, while studios deploy a tactical arsenal of cloud rendering, AI assistance, and real-time engines—all to slay the twin dragons of soaring costs and relentless demand for ever-higher fidelity, from ubiquitous 4K exports to the rarefied air of 8K and beyond.

Sources & References

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