A citable reference
Current U.S. figures on online commerce, independent craft work, and one of the largest marketplaces for unique goods. Every figure is dated and linked to its original source.
Updated October 28, 2026
Handmade businesses do not sit inside one neat government category. This reference brings together the clearest publicly available measures that relate to the work: online retail, the Etsy marketplace, craft artists, and the wider U.S. arts economy.
Use the figures with their stated scope. Etsy metrics describe Etsy’s marketplace, not every handmade seller. Arts-economy data is broader than craft work. That precision makes the page more useful when a statistic is cited or shared.
The figures
$10.4607B
Etsy reported $10.46 billion in marketplace gross merchandise sales for the year ended December 31, 2025. This is the value of goods sold, excluding shipping fees and net of refunds.
Source: Etsy 2025 annual report86.5M
As of December 31, 2025, Etsy counted 86.5 million active buyers. Etsy defines an active buyer as someone who made at least one purchase in the previous 12 months.
Source: Etsy 2025 annual report5.6M
Etsy reported 5.6 million active sellers at December 31, 2025. Its definition includes sellers who had a charge or sale in the prior 12 months.
Source: Etsy 2025 annual report17.1%
In the second quarter of 2026, e-commerce accounted for 17.1% of U.S. retail sales on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Q2 202612.2%
Seasonally adjusted U.S. retail e-commerce sales rose 12.2% from the second quarter of 2025 to the second quarter of 2026.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Q2 2026About 11,500
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 11,500 craft artist jobs in 2025 and projects 11,800 in 2035.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 202558%
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists self-employed workers as the largest employer group for craft and fine artists in 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025$1.17T
Arts and cultural industries contributed $1.17 trillion, or 4.2% of U.S. GDP, in 2023. This broad measure includes industries beyond handmade goods.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts and Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023Methodology & sources
Figures are taken from the latest public release available on October 28, 2026. Sources are linked directly on each statistic so readers can check definitions, reporting periods, and any revisions.
Cite this page
Mystically Divine Custom Creations and Gifts. Handmade & Craft Business Statistics. Updated October 28, 2026. https://mysticallydivinecustoms.com/handmade-craft-statistics
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