GITNUXREPORT 2026

Museum Industry Statistics

Global museums thrive with billions in revenue and visitors post-pandemic.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

In 2022, U.S. museums welcomed 850 million visitors.

Statistic 2

The Louvre Museum in Paris attracted 7.8 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 3

UK museums saw 91 million visits in 2022/23.

Statistic 4

Smithsonian museums had 21.5 million visits in 2023.

Statistic 5

Global museum visits reached 1.3 billion in 2019 pre-pandemic.

Statistic 6

New York City's museums drew 57 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 7

The British Museum had 5.8 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 8

U.S. art museums saw 232 million visits in 2019.

Statistic 9

Tokyo National Museum had 1.5 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 10

Australian museums recorded 52 million visits in 2022.

Statistic 11

Vatican Museums attracted 6.7 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 12

China's museums had over 1.2 billion visits in 2022.

Statistic 13

Metropolitan Museum of Art had 5.4 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 14

German museums saw 108 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 15

Canadian museums had 58 million visits in 2019.

Statistic 16

Prado Museum in Madrid had 2.4 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 17

Indian museums attracted 10 million visitors annually pre-pandemic.

Statistic 18

Brazilian museums saw 40 million visits in 2019.

Statistic 19

Egyptian Museum in Cairo had 2 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 20

Russian museums recorded 100 million visits in 2022.

Statistic 21

Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum had 2.2 million visitors in 2023.

Statistic 22

South Korean museums had 70 million visits in 2022.

Statistic 23

Mexico's National Museum of Anthropology had 2.5 million in 2022.

Statistic 24

Swedish museums saw 20 million visits in 2022.

Statistic 25

U.S. children's museums had 40 million visits in 2019.

Statistic 26

Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg had 3.1 million in 2022.

Statistic 27

Dutch museums totalled 30 million visits in 2022.

Statistic 28

Turkish museums had 25 million visitors in 2022.

Statistic 29

New Zealand museums saw 4.5 million visits in 2022.

Statistic 30

U.S. museums' attendance grew 10% from 2021 to 2022.

Statistic 31

Global museums collection totals 3 billion objects.

Statistic 32

U.S. museums hold 1 billion artifacts.

Statistic 33

British Museum has 8 million objects.

Statistic 34

Louvre collection: 380,000 objects.

Statistic 35

Smithsonian 155 million items.

Statistic 36

Met Museum 1.5 million works.

Statistic 37

Prado 35,000 objects.

Statistic 38

Hermitage 3 million items.

Statistic 39

Vatican Museums 70,000 works.

Statistic 40

Rijksmuseum 1.1 million objects.

Statistic 41

U.S. art museums 11 million artworks.

Statistic 42

Australian museums 25 million objects.

Statistic 43

China has 6,000 museums with vast collections.

Statistic 44

Natural history museums hold 1.5 billion specimens globally.

Statistic 45

UK museums 200 million objects.

Statistic 46

Egyptian Museum 160,000 items.

Statistic 47

Tokyo National Museum 120,000 objects.

Statistic 48

Canadian museums 100 million artifacts.

Statistic 49

German museums 200 million items.

Statistic 50

90% of U.S. museum collections not on display.

Statistic 51

Brazilian museums 50 million objects.

Statistic 52

Swedish museums 10 million items.

Statistic 53

Digitized collections: 50% in U.S. museums.

Statistic 54

Russian museums 40 million artifacts.

Statistic 55

Mexican anthropology collections millions.

Statistic 56

New Zealand museums 15 million taonga.

Statistic 57

U.S. history museums 800 million objects.

Statistic 58

Indian museums 2 million artifacts.

Statistic 59

Turkish museums 5 million items.

Statistic 60

South Korean collections 1 million.

Statistic 61

70% of global collections undigitized.

Statistic 62

55% of U.S. museums offer virtual tours.

Statistic 63

Museum app downloads surged 300% post-pandemic.

Statistic 64

80% of museums increased digital content in 2022.

Statistic 65

NFT art sales in museums $50 million in 2022.

Statistic 66

Hybrid exhibitions grew 40% globally.

Statistic 67

U.S. museums social media followers 500 million.

Statistic 68

AI used in 25% of museums for curation.

Statistic 69

Virtual reality visits 100 million in 2022.

Statistic 70

Sustainability focus in 60% of museums.

Statistic 71

Inclusivity programs in 75% U.S. museums.

Statistic 72

Post-pandemic attendance recovery 85%.

Statistic 73

Experiential exhibits up 50%.

Statistic 74

Membership growth 15% in 2022.

Statistic 75

Podcasts by museums reached 50 million downloads.

Statistic 76

Decolonization efforts in 40% European museums.

Statistic 77

Mobile ticketing 70% adoption.

Statistic 78

Younger visitors (18-34) up 25%.

Statistic 79

ESG reporting in 30% museums.

Statistic 80

AR apps in 20% exhibitions.

Statistic 81

Online donations up 200%.

Statistic 82

Global museum closures down to 5% in 2023.

Statistic 83

Biennials and triennials 500 worldwide.

Statistic 84

Women-led museums rising to 50%.

Statistic 85

Climate exhibits in 35% museums.

Statistic 86

Crowdfunding success $100 million.

Statistic 87

Multilingual digital content 60%.

Statistic 88

Post-COVID budget recovery 90%.

Statistic 89

Gaming collaborations 15% museums.

Statistic 90

Visitor satisfaction 95% average.

Statistic 91

Future: 20% growth in Asia museums.

Statistic 92

U.S. museums employ 172,000 people directly.

Statistic 93

Global museum workforce is 2.5 million.

Statistic 94

UK museums employ 67,000 staff.

Statistic 95

Smithsonian employs 6,000 staff.

Statistic 96

Louvre has 2,200 employees.

Statistic 97

U.S. art museums have 30,000 paid staff.

Statistic 98

British Museum staff numbers 1,100.

Statistic 99

Met Museum employs 1,500.

Statistic 100

Australian museums employ 25,000.

Statistic 101

Vatican Museums staff 700.

Statistic 102

China's museums have 100,000 staff.

Statistic 103

NYC museums employ 20,000.

Statistic 104

Prado employs 800.

Statistic 105

Canadian museums 15,000 jobs.

Statistic 106

German museums 50,000 employees.

Statistic 107

40% of U.S. museum staff are part-time.

Statistic 108

Rijksmuseum has 800 staff.

Statistic 109

Museum volunteers in UK number 90,000.

Statistic 110

Met Museum volunteers 1,000.

Statistic 111

Global curators 200,000.

Statistic 112

Brazilian museums 10,000 staff.

Statistic 113

Hermitage employs 3,000.

Statistic 114

Swedish museums 10,000 jobs.

Statistic 115

U.S. museums support 726,000 jobs indirectly.

Statistic 116

Japanese museums employ 40,000.

Statistic 117

Mexican museums 8,000 staff.

Statistic 118

Women make up 65% of U.S. museum workforce.

Statistic 119

U.S. museums have 35,000 volunteer positions.

Statistic 120

Diversity: 12% BIPOC in U.S. museum staff.

Statistic 121

U.S. museums generated $12 billion in tax revenue annually.

Statistic 122

Global museum market size was $12.5 billion in 2022.

Statistic 123

UK museums' income reached £2.3 billion in 2022/23.

Statistic 124

Smithsonian annual budget is $1.5 billion.

Statistic 125

Louvre Museum revenue exceeded €200 million in 2022.

Statistic 126

U.S. museums receive 24% of funding from government.

Statistic 127

British Museum earned £55 million from tickets in 2022.

Statistic 128

Met Museum operating budget is $350 million annually.

Statistic 129

Global museum funding from philanthropy is $5 billion yearly.

Statistic 130

Australian museums' total revenue was AUD 1.2 billion in 2022.

Statistic 131

Vatican Museums revenue hit €100 million in 2022.

Statistic 132

China's state funding for museums reached 20 billion yuan in 2022.

Statistic 133

NYC museums generated $7 billion economic impact in 2022.

Statistic 134

Prado Museum budget is €60 million annually.

Statistic 135

Canadian museums revenue totalled CAD 2 billion in 2019.

Statistic 136

German museums' public funding is €2.5 billion yearly.

Statistic 137

U.S. history museums revenue from admissions 15% of total.

Statistic 138

Rijksmuseum revenue was €70 million in 2023.

Statistic 139

UK museums corporate sponsorship grew 20% in 2022.

Statistic 140

Met Museum endowment is $4 billion.

Statistic 141

Global digital ticketing revenue for museums $1 billion in 2022.

Statistic 142

Brazilian museums government funding 60% of budget.

Statistic 143

Hermitage Museum budget €150 million annually.

Statistic 144

Swedish museums total income SEK 5 billion in 2022.

Statistic 145

U.S. museums retail sales $1.5 billion yearly.

Statistic 146

Japanese museums revenue up 15% post-pandemic.

Statistic 147

Mexican museums funding from tourism $500 million.

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Picture this: if the collective visits to museums in a single year were a country, it would be the third largest on Earth—but beyond those staggering headcounts lies an even more fascinating story of economic impact, cultural preservation, and digital transformation shaping this global industry.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, U.S. museums welcomed 850 million visitors.
The Louvre Museum in Paris attracted 7.8 million visitors in 2022.
UK museums saw 91 million visits in 2022/23.
U.S. museums generated $12 billion in tax revenue annually.
Global museum market size was $12.5 billion in 2022.
UK museums' income reached £2.3 billion in 2022/23.
U.S. museums employ 172,000 people directly.
Global museum workforce is 2.5 million.
UK museums employ 67,000 staff.
Global museums collection totals 3 billion objects.
U.S. museums hold 1 billion artifacts.
British Museum has 8 million objects.
55% of U.S. museums offer virtual tours.
Museum app downloads surged 300% post-pandemic.
80% of museums increased digital content in 2022.

Global museums thrive with billions in revenue and visitors post-pandemic.

Attendance and Visitors

In 2022, U.S. museums welcomed 850 million visitors.
The Louvre Museum in Paris attracted 7.8 million visitors in 2022.
UK museums saw 91 million visits in 2022/23.
Smithsonian museums had 21.5 million visits in 2023.
Global museum visits reached 1.3 billion in 2019 pre-pandemic.
New York City's museums drew 57 million visitors in 2022.
The British Museum had 5.8 million visitors in 2022.
U.S. art museums saw 232 million visits in 2019.
Tokyo National Museum had 1.5 million visitors in 2022.
Australian museums recorded 52 million visits in 2022.
Vatican Museums attracted 6.7 million visitors in 2022.
China's museums had over 1.2 billion visits in 2022.
Metropolitan Museum of Art had 5.4 million visitors in 2022.
German museums saw 108 million visitors in 2022.
Canadian museums had 58 million visits in 2019.
Prado Museum in Madrid had 2.4 million visitors in 2022.
Indian museums attracted 10 million visitors annually pre-pandemic.
Brazilian museums saw 40 million visits in 2019.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo had 2 million visitors in 2022.
Russian museums recorded 100 million visits in 2022.
Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum had 2.2 million visitors in 2023.
South Korean museums had 70 million visits in 2022.
Mexico's National Museum of Anthropology had 2.5 million in 2022.
Swedish museums saw 20 million visits in 2022.
U.S. children's museums had 40 million visits in 2019.
Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg had 3.1 million in 2022.
Dutch museums totalled 30 million visits in 2022.
Turkish museums had 25 million visitors in 2022.
New Zealand museums saw 4.5 million visits in 2022.
U.S. museums' attendance grew 10% from 2021 to 2022.

Attendance and Visitors Interpretation

These numbers prove that humanity, for all its digital distractions, still harbors a stubborn and rather beautiful urge to stand quietly before a real object from the past and simply wonder.

Collections Size

Global museums collection totals 3 billion objects.
U.S. museums hold 1 billion artifacts.
British Museum has 8 million objects.
Louvre collection: 380,000 objects.
Smithsonian 155 million items.
Met Museum 1.5 million works.
Prado 35,000 objects.
Hermitage 3 million items.
Vatican Museums 70,000 works.
Rijksmuseum 1.1 million objects.
U.S. art museums 11 million artworks.
Australian museums 25 million objects.
China has 6,000 museums with vast collections.
Natural history museums hold 1.5 billion specimens globally.
UK museums 200 million objects.
Egyptian Museum 160,000 items.
Tokyo National Museum 120,000 objects.
Canadian museums 100 million artifacts.
German museums 200 million items.
90% of U.S. museum collections not on display.
Brazilian museums 50 million objects.
Swedish museums 10 million items.
Digitized collections: 50% in U.S. museums.
Russian museums 40 million artifacts.
Mexican anthropology collections millions.
New Zealand museums 15 million taonga.
U.S. history museums 800 million objects.
Indian museums 2 million artifacts.
Turkish museums 5 million items.
South Korean collections 1 million.
70% of global collections undigitized.

Collections Size Interpretation

We proudly display the tip of humanity's cultural iceberg while the vast, dark depths of our collective memory remain submerged in storage, waiting for light or relevance.

Digital and Trends

55% of U.S. museums offer virtual tours.
Museum app downloads surged 300% post-pandemic.
80% of museums increased digital content in 2022.
NFT art sales in museums $50 million in 2022.
Hybrid exhibitions grew 40% globally.
U.S. museums social media followers 500 million.
AI used in 25% of museums for curation.
Virtual reality visits 100 million in 2022.
Sustainability focus in 60% of museums.
Inclusivity programs in 75% U.S. museums.
Post-pandemic attendance recovery 85%.
Experiential exhibits up 50%.
Membership growth 15% in 2022.
Podcasts by museums reached 50 million downloads.
Decolonization efforts in 40% European museums.
Mobile ticketing 70% adoption.
Younger visitors (18-34) up 25%.
ESG reporting in 30% museums.
AR apps in 20% exhibitions.
Online donations up 200%.
Global museum closures down to 5% in 2023.
Biennials and triennials 500 worldwide.
Women-led museums rising to 50%.
Climate exhibits in 35% museums.
Crowdfunding success $100 million.
Multilingual digital content 60%.
Post-COVID budget recovery 90%.
Gaming collaborations 15% museums.
Visitor satisfaction 95% average.
Future: 20% growth in Asia museums.

Digital and Trends Interpretation

Despite surviving a pandemic on digital Band-Aids and virtual reality tours, museums are now thriving by finally embracing the radical idea that their future lies not just in guarding dusty treasures, but in becoming dynamic, inclusive, and surprisingly buzzworthy community hubs for a new generation.

Employment

U.S. museums employ 172,000 people directly.
Global museum workforce is 2.5 million.
UK museums employ 67,000 staff.
Smithsonian employs 6,000 staff.
Louvre has 2,200 employees.
U.S. art museums have 30,000 paid staff.
British Museum staff numbers 1,100.
Met Museum employs 1,500.
Australian museums employ 25,000.
Vatican Museums staff 700.
China's museums have 100,000 staff.
NYC museums employ 20,000.
Prado employs 800.
Canadian museums 15,000 jobs.
German museums 50,000 employees.
40% of U.S. museum staff are part-time.
Rijksmuseum has 800 staff.
Museum volunteers in UK number 90,000.
Met Museum volunteers 1,000.
Global curators 200,000.
Brazilian museums 10,000 staff.
Hermitage employs 3,000.
Swedish museums 10,000 jobs.
U.S. museums support 726,000 jobs indirectly.
Japanese museums employ 40,000.
Mexican museums 8,000 staff.
Women make up 65% of U.S. museum workforce.
U.S. museums have 35,000 volunteer positions.
Diversity: 12% BIPOC in U.S. museum staff.

Employment Interpretation

While they may seem like quiet temples of history, the global museum industry is a bustling, multi-trillion-dollar employer, with the U.S. alone supporting nearly a million jobs directly and indirectly, even if it’s still figuring out how to share the stage equitably with its 65% female and 12% BIPOC workforce.

Revenue and Funding

U.S. museums generated $12 billion in tax revenue annually.
Global museum market size was $12.5 billion in 2022.
UK museums' income reached £2.3 billion in 2022/23.
Smithsonian annual budget is $1.5 billion.
Louvre Museum revenue exceeded €200 million in 2022.
U.S. museums receive 24% of funding from government.
British Museum earned £55 million from tickets in 2022.
Met Museum operating budget is $350 million annually.
Global museum funding from philanthropy is $5 billion yearly.
Australian museums' total revenue was AUD 1.2 billion in 2022.
Vatican Museums revenue hit €100 million in 2022.
China's state funding for museums reached 20 billion yuan in 2022.
NYC museums generated $7 billion economic impact in 2022.
Prado Museum budget is €60 million annually.
Canadian museums revenue totalled CAD 2 billion in 2019.
German museums' public funding is €2.5 billion yearly.
U.S. history museums revenue from admissions 15% of total.
Rijksmuseum revenue was €70 million in 2023.
UK museums corporate sponsorship grew 20% in 2022.
Met Museum endowment is $4 billion.
Global digital ticketing revenue for museums $1 billion in 2022.
Brazilian museums government funding 60% of budget.
Hermitage Museum budget €150 million annually.
Swedish museums total income SEK 5 billion in 2022.
U.S. museums retail sales $1.5 billion yearly.
Japanese museums revenue up 15% post-pandemic.
Mexican museums funding from tourism $500 million.

Revenue and Funding Interpretation

While museums are often seen as quiet keepers of the past, these figures shout that they are, in fact, multi-billion dollar engines of culture, tourism, and tax revenue, proving that history is not just priceless—it has a very clear and substantial price tag.

Sources & References

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