Toy Industry Statistics (2026)

 

 

Research & Data

Toy Industry Statistics (2026)

This page compiles publicly available research and industry data on the toy market, sustainability trends, and resale growth. Figures are updated annually.

The toy industry's growth brings both opportunity and responsibility. As resale and circular models expand, lifecycle data becomes increasingly relevant for brands, retailers, and families alike.

📅 Last updated: January 2026 📊 Data year: 2024 & 2025 🔗 Sources cited inline
🌍

The Global Toy Market

Market size, scale, and economic footprint

$111.8B
Global toy sales in 2024
Total retail sales tracked across major markets worldwide, representing a 3% increase over 2023.
Source: The Toy Association / Circana (2024)
$42B
U.S. toy market size, 2024
Domestic retail toy sales in the United States as tracked by Circana's point-of-sale data across all retail channels.
Source: Circana via Toy Fair NY (2025)
~3B
Toy units sold in the U.S. annually
Approximately 3 billion individual toy units are sold across the United States each year — roughly 9 units per person.
Source: The Toy Association
573,379
U.S. jobs supported by the toy industry
Full-time equivalent jobs spanning manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and related sectors.
Source: The Toy Association
+7%
Global toy sales growth, full year 2025
Global toy sales rose 7% in value in 2025 — the strongest growth since 2021. For the first time in Circana's tracking history, all 12 major markets grew simultaneously. Units sold rose 3% and average selling price climbed 3%.
Source: Circana — Global Toy Industry Full Year 2025 (Jan 2026)
+6%
U.S. toy dollar sales growth, full year 2025
After two years of decline, the U.S. toy industry returned to growth in 2025 with dollar sales up 6%, ASP up 4%, and units up 3%. Games & puzzles (+37%), building sets (+15%), and explorative toys (+20%) contributed 92% of all growth.
Source: Circana — U.S. Toy Industry Full Year 2025 (Feb 2026)
Collectibles hit an all-time high in 2024 and grew a further 32% in 2025, now accounting for 19% of all global toy dollar sales. Building sets grew for the sixth consecutive year in 2025 (+18% globally, +15% U.S.), driven by licensed properties including Formula 1 and Star Wars.
Source: Circana Global & U.S. Full Year 2025 Reports (Jan–Feb 2026)
♻️

The Secondhand & Resale Economy

Market size, consumer behavior, and growth of pre-owned goods

$12.8B
Projected U.S. kids & baby resale market by 2030
The secondhand market for children's and baby products — including toys, clothing, and gear — was valued at $7 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow 83% by 2030. Curated recommerce marketplaces are emerging as infrastructure solutions within this ecosystem.
Source: Mercari Reuse Report via PR Newswire (2022)
$13B
Value of unused kids' items in U.S. homes
American households collectively hold an estimated 272.6 million kids' and baby items they no longer use — worth approximately $391 per household.
Source: Mercari Reuse Report via PR Newswire (2022)
23%
Online resale growth rate in 2024
Online resale saw accelerated growth for the second consecutive year in 2024 — its strongest growth rate since 2021 — and is projected to reach $40B by 2029.
Source: ThredUp 13th Annual Resale Report (2025)
46%
Consumers who prefer secondhand over new
46% of consumers say if they can find an item secondhand, they won't buy it new. Among Gen Z and Millennials, that figure rises to 55%.
Source: ThredUp 13th Annual Resale Report (2025)
93%
Americans who bought a secondhand item in 2025
93% of Americans purchased at least one pre-owned item in the past year (OfferUp 2025). 70% say the stigma around secondhand has lessened — driven by sustainability awareness, social sharing, and easier apps.
Source: OfferUp 2025 Recommerce Report
58%
U.S. consumers who shopped secondhand apparel in 2024
A record 58% of U.S. consumers shopped secondhand apparel in 2024, up 6 percentage points from 2023 — the highest level ever recorded in ThredUp's annual survey.
Source: ThredUp 13th Annual Resale Report (2025)
$306.5B
U.S. recommerce market projected value by 2030
The U.S. recommerce market is projected to grow 34% by 2030, reaching $306.5 billion — equivalent to 8% of total retail spending. 75% of this resale activity is outside fashion, spanning toys, electronics, and sporting goods.
Source: OfferUp 2025 Recommerce Report
Toycycle Synthesis

Mercari estimates U.S. households hold $13 billion worth of unused children's items — equivalent to roughly 31 cents of every dollar spent on the $42 billion U.S. annual toy market sitting idle in homes. This dormant stock represents both an economic inefficiency and one of the largest addressable supply pools in the pre-owned toy ecosystem.

Calculation based on: Mercari Reuse Report (2022) + Circana U.S. Toy Sales (2025)
59% of U.S. parents said they rely on secondhand products for family needs as of March 2025, with roughly half using online or social marketplaces. Two-thirds of American parents surveyed by Mercari said they had purchased kids' products secondhand in the past year — with toys ranking as the top unused category sitting in U.S. homes.
Sources: Morning Consult (March 2025); Mercari Reuse Report (2022)
🌱

Toy Waste & Environmental Impact

Plastic use, landfill data, and the environmental footprint of consumer toys

Only 9%
Of plastic waste effectively recycled globally
The OECD's Global Plastics Outlook found that just 9% of all plastic waste is successfully recycled globally, while 50% goes to sanitary landfills and 22% to uncontrolled dumpsites or the natural environment.
Source: OECD — Global Plastics Outlook (2022)
12%
Of all global plastic waste from consumer goods
Consumer goods — the category that includes toys — account for 12% of all plastic waste globally, according to the OECD. Nearly two-thirds of plastic waste comes from products with lifespans under five years.
Source: OECD — Global Plastics Outlook (2022)
~80%
Plastic toys that end up in landfills or waste streams
An estimated 80% of plastic toys eventually enter landfills, incinerators, or the natural environment, as most municipal recycling programs do not accept the mixed, molded plastics found in toys.
Source: Yale Environment Review (Yale University)
400M+
Tonnes of plastic produced globally each year
Humanity now produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic annually, much of which ends up in the environment. Global plastic waste is projected to almost triple by 2060 if current trends continue.
Source: UNEP — Plastic Pollution; OECD (2022)
3.4%
Of global GHG emissions attributable to plastics
Plastics contribute 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions across their lifecycle — 90% from production and conversion from fossil fuels — generating 1.8 billion tonnes of GHGs in 2019.
Source: OECD — Global Plastics Outlook (2022)
18%
Share of U.S. landfill content that is plastic
Plastics account for over 18% of what is landfilled in the United States by weight, and over 69% of plastic containers and packaging generated ends up in landfill.
Source: U.S. EPA — Plastics Material-Specific Data
12.7%
Sustainable toy market CAGR through 2032
The global sustainable toy market was valued at $25.3 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $65.9 billion by 2032, reflecting growing demand for eco-conscious products.
Source: Maximize Market Research (2024)
Toycycle Synthesis

Based on approximately 3 billion toy units sold in the U.S. annually (Toy Association) and the industry's widely cited ~90% plastic content rate, an estimated 2.7 billion plastic toy units enter U.S. circulation each year. With the OECD reporting that only 9% of plastic is effectively recycled globally and approximately 80% of plastic toys entering waste streams (Yale Environment Review), the scale of eventual accumulation from toys alone is substantial — underscoring why extending toy lifespans through reuse matters.

Calculation based on: The Toy Association + OECD Global Plastics Outlook (2022) + Yale Environment Review
Why toys are difficult to recycle: Most toys combine multiple plastic types — rigid, soft, multi-colored — often bonded with electronics or metal components. This mixed-material construction means virtually no standard municipal recycling program accepts them. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that reusable and recommerce models represent a $10+ billion innovation opportunity in the consumer goods space.
Sources: Yale Environment Review; Ellen MacArthur Foundation
See also: The Carbon Math of Used Toys — Toycycle's original analysis of how much CO₂ a used toy actually saves across its full lifecycle, including assumptions and methodology.
👩👧👦

Consumer Behavior & Spending

How families buy toys and what's changing

$482
Average U.S. toy spend per child
The U.S. ranks among the highest globally for per-child toy spending — nearly double the average of other high-income countries.
Source: Statista (2015 benchmark)
+18%
Growth in U.S. toy sales to adults (18+), full year 2025
Adults aged 18+ were the fastest-growing and highest-spending toy buyer cohort in 2025 — up 18% year-over-year. Growth was nearly equal between males and females, driven by trading cards, building sets, and licensed collectibles.
Source: Circana — U.S. Toy Industry Full Year 2025 (Feb 2026)
50%
Holiday toy revenue in Q4
The toy market is heavily seasonal. The fourth quarter alone accounts for nearly half of annual toy revenue in the United States, driven by holiday gift-giving.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2023)
>20%
U.S. toy sales represented by STEM products
STEM toys — including coding kits, robotics, and science sets — accounted for more than 20% of U.S. toy sales, a share that has held steady through 2025, reflecting a sustained educational shift.
Source: Ken Research (2024)
The "kidult" effect: Adults (18+) were the fastest-growing and highest-spending toy buyer cohort in 2025, up 18% year-over-year. Growth was nearly equal between males and females, driven by trading cards, building sets, and licensed collectibles. This trend is reshaping product development and pricing across the industry.
Source: Circana — U.S. Toy Industry Full Year 2025 (Feb 2026)
⏳

Toy Lifespan & Usage Patterns

How long toys are actually used — and what happens next

~8 months
Average lifespan of a toy "fad"
According to toy industry analyst Richard Gottlieb, the average fad toy lasts approximately 8 months from launch to markdown — meaning much of what's purchased is discarded quickly.
Source: NGPF / Richard Gottlieb, Global Toy News
Age 9
Age when toy engagement begins to decline
Research indicates that children's engagement with traditional toys gradually decreases starting around age 9, as interest shifts toward technology and social interaction.
Source: Kidscorp / Industry Research
Age 4–7
Peak years for symbolic and imaginative play
According to Piagetian developmental theory, symbolic play peaks around age 4 and begins declining after age 7, when rule-based games and structured activities take over.
Source: PMC / NCBI — Children's Utilization of Toys (2022)
Toycycle Synthesis

With toy fads lasting an average of ~8 months (NGPF/Gottlieb) and approximately 3 billion units entering U.S. homes annually (Toy Association), a significant portion of the toy stock turns over each year. Toys that outlive a child's interest window — typically beginning around age 9 — enter a secondary lifecycle. The online resale market's projected 13% annual growth rate through 2029 (ThredUp) suggests that the infrastructure for capturing that value is expanding in step with the supply.

Calculation based on: NGPF / Gottlieb + The Toy Association + ThredUp (2025)
Open-ended toys last longer. Research consistently shows that toys with open-ended play value — building sets, wooden blocks, art supplies — hold children's interest across multiple developmental stages and age groups, in contrast to niche or character-driven toys.
Source: NCBI / PMC Children's Toy Research (2022)

Methodology & Data Notes

All statistics on this page are drawn from publicly available research, including peer-reviewed studies, government and intergovernmental data (OECD, UNEP, U.S. EPA), industry trade body reports (The Toy Association, Circana), and recognized third-party analyses. Each statistic is cited inline with a direct link to its original source. We prioritize government (.gov), academic (.edu, PMC/NCBI), and recognized industry body sources wherever possible.

Market size figures for the toy industry vary across research firms due to differences in geographic scope, product category definitions, and data collection methodology. Where multiple credible figures exist, we have prioritized sources from The Toy Association and Circana, which are considered the most authoritative trackers of retail-level toy sales.

Environmental statistics are inherently difficult to verify with precision. Figures presented here are sourced directly from OECD, UNEP, U.S. EPA, and Yale University publications. They should be understood as best available estimates rather than exact counts.

"Toycycle Synthesis" callouts represent original calculations derived by combining two or more cited data points. The underlying sources are cited within each synthesis note.

This page is reviewed and updated annually. The current data reflects conditions as of January–February 2026, covering 2024 and 2025 figures where available. Select statistics — particularly global toy market performance and consumer behavior — have been updated with full-year 2025 data from Circana's January and February 2026 releases.

Next scheduled update: January 2027

All Sources

This page is maintained as a public reference resource and updated annually each January. If you reference these statistics, please cite the original sources linked above. For questions or to report an outdated figure, contact partnerships@toycycle.co.

 

How it works

Grab your exclusive rewards by being part of our loyalty program

Ways to earn

Earn more points for different actions, and turn those points into awesome rewards.

Ways to redeem

Spending your hard-earned points is easy. Simply apply your points for a discount at checkout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore this section to find comprehensive answers to all your questions about the loyalty program.