Auction House Statistics 2026

These auction house statistics focus on the global art and high-end collectibles auction market, which is where the most consistent public reporting is available across major houses such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Heritage, and Phillips.

Auction House Statistics (Top Highlights)

• The global art market grew 4% to $59.6 billion in 2025.
• Combined public and private auction-house sales rose 6% to $24.8 billion in 2025.
• Public auction sales increased 9% to $20.7 billion in 2025.
• Private sales at auction houses declined 5% to just under $4.2 billion in 2025.
• In 2024, combined public and private auction-house sales fell 20% to $23.4 billion, their lowest level since 2020.
• In 2024, public auction sales dropped 25% year over year, while private sales rose 14% to $4.4 billion.
• The number of fine art works selling for more than $10 million fell 39% in 2024, while the value of those sales fell 45%.
• The sub-$5,000 segment grew 7% in value and 13% in lots sold in 2024.
• Sotheby’s reported $7.1 billion in consolidated sales for 2025.
• Christie’s projected $6.2 billion in total sales for 2025, including $4.7 billion in auction sales and $1.5 billion in private sales.
• Heritage Auctions closed 2025 above $2.15 billion in total sales and said HA.com had more than 2 million registered bidder-members.
• Phillips reported $927 million in global sales for 2025, with nearly 70% of works sold online and 33% of buyers being first-time buyers.

Auction House Market Mix (2025)

Label	Bar	Value
Combined total		$24.8B
Public auctions		$20.7B
Private sales		~$4.2B

Max = $24.8B. Widths: Combined total 100.00%, Public auctions 83.47%, Private sales 16.94%

Selected Auction House Sales (2025)

Label	Bar	Value
Sotheby’s		$7.1B
Christie’s		$6.2B
Heritage Auctions		$2.16B
Phillips		$927M

Max = $7.1B. Widths: Sotheby’s 100.00%, Christie’s 87.32%, Heritage Auctions 30.40%, Phillips 13.06%

Fine Art Auction Sectors (2024)

Label	Bar	Value
Post-War and Contemporary		$4.6B
Modern Art		$2.2B
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist		$1.2B
Old Masters		$803M

Max = $4.6B. Widths: Post-War and Contemporary 100.00%, Modern Art 47.83%, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist 26.09%, Old Masters 17.46%

Leading Public Auction Markets by Value (2024)

Label	Bar	Value
United States		31%
China		25%
United Kingdom		14%
France		10%

Max = 31%. Widths: United States 100.00%, China 80.65%, United Kingdom 45.16%, France 32.26%

Digital and Buyer Trends

• Christie’s said 81% of bids were placed online in 2025, and Millennial and Gen Z clients made up 33% of its client base.
• In the first half of 2025, Christie’s reported an 88% sell-through rate and said 80% of bids were placed online.
• Sotheby’s said 35% of bidders in 2025 were first-time participants at a Sotheby’s auction.
• Heritage said HA.com had more than 2 million registered bidder-members and searchable archives of 7,000,000 past auction records.
• Phillips said nearly 70% of works were sold online in 2025, while 33% of buyers were first-time buyers.

What These Auction House Statistics Show

The latest numbers show a market that improved in 2025 after a difficult 2024, but with a clear split between high-end volatility and broader activity at lower price points. Public auctions rebounded in 2025, yet the 2024 data also shows how quickly high-ticket lots can drag down headline sales when fewer trophy works come to market.

They also show that the largest auction houses are leaning harder on digital participation, private sales, and younger or first-time buyers. That mix is helping large houses diversify beyond the traditional evening-sale model and making online infrastructure more central to growth.

Sources

• Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026
• Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2025, Auction Houses section
• Sotheby’s Reports 2025 Financial Results
• Christie’s $6.2B Projected Global Sales in 2025
• Christie’s $2.1B Projected Auction Sales in First Half of 2025
• Heritage Auctions Closes 2025 Above $2.15 Billion for Its Fifth Consecutive Annual Sales Record
• Phillips global sales release for 2025