Last updated September 9, 2026
A clear look at the economy around handmade work.
This reference brings together the latest available U.S. arts-and-culture figures and Etsy marketplace data. It is designed for citing, sharing, and returning to when you need a reliable snapshot of the space around independent handmade goods.
The figures below do not claim to measure every craft sale or every independent maker. They show two useful views: the broader U.S. creative economy and one of the world's largest marketplaces for original, custom, and creative goods.
U.S. Creative Economy
The larger economic picture.
These figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and describe arts and cultural production across the country.
4.2%
of U.S. GDP came from arts and cultural production.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis measured the sector at 4.2% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2023$1.17T
in U.S. arts and cultural economic activity.
That is the value of arts and cultural production reported for 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 20236.6%
real growth in arts and cultural economic activity.
Inflation-adjusted activity in the sector rose 6.6% in 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 20230.3%
growth in arts and cultural employment.
Nationwide employment in the sector increased 0.3% in 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2023Handmade Marketplace
What Etsy's 2025 results show.
These figures describe Etsy's marketplace, not the entire handmade sector. They are useful because they show the scale of a public marketplace where original, creative, and custom goods are central to the offer.
86.5M
active Etsy marketplace buyers.
Etsy reported 86.5 million buyers who made at least one purchase in the trailing 12 months as of December 31, 2025.
Source: Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual Report5.6M
active Etsy marketplace sellers.
Etsy reported 5.6 million active sellers as of December 31, 2025.
Source: Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual Report$10.46B
in Etsy marketplace merchandise sales.
Etsy marketplace gross merchandise sales totaled $10.46 billion in 2025, excluding shipping fees and net of refunds.
Source: Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual Report30%
of Etsy marketplace merchandise sales were custom or made to order.
Etsy reported that made-to-order and custom goods represented about 30% of its 2025 marketplace sales.
Source: Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual Report100M+
items were listed for sale on Etsy.
Etsy reported more than 100 million items for sale at December 31, 2025.
Source: Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual Report74%
of Etsy marketplace merchandise sales came from U.S. buyers.
Etsy reported that U.S. buyers accounted for 74% of Etsy marketplace sales in 2025.
Source: Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual ReportMethod & Sources
How to read these numbers.
Each figure is linked to the original public source that reported it. Economic figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and cover 2023, the latest annual data available in that release. Marketplace figures are from Etsy's 2025 Annual Report, filed February 19, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2023Published April 2, 2025
- Etsy, Inc., 2025 Annual ReportFiled February 19, 2026
Cite this page
Michelle Caldwell. “Handmade Goods & Craft Market Statistics.” Updated September 9, 2026. https://myshopify.space/handmade-goods-statistics.
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