US Toy Sales Statistics (2019–2023)
As one of the largest online shopping categories among consumers, it’s no surprise that the US toy industry is raking in dozens of billions of dollars annually.
But just how much is the US toy market worth?
US toy market: 2019–2023
|
Year |
US toy market revenue |
|---|---|
|
2019 |
$22.3 billion |
|
2020 |
$26.0 billion |
|
2021 |
$30.1 billion |
|
2022 |
$30.3 billion |
|
2023 |
$28.0 billion |
According to the latest toy sales statistics in the US, consumers spent $28 billion on toys in 2023. This marks an 8% decrease from the previous year.
The annual decline is the first time toy sales have fallen in four years. In 2019, total sales from the US toy market registered at $22.3 billion. A year later, it grew by 17% to $26 billion, before another 16% increase in 2021 saw US toy industry sales hit $30.1 billion. In 2022, US toy sales rose by a marginal 1%, to $30.3 billion.
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Analysts attribute the growth of the US toy market in 2020 and 2021 to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected consumer behavior. With restrictions on travel and leisure in place, many people diverted their money to alternative forms of entertainment, such as toys.
US toy sales statistics: best-selling items in 2023
|
Category |
Revenue (2023) |
Annual change |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Outdoor and sports toys |
$4.5 billion |
-16% |
|
2. Games/puzzles |
$3.5 billion |
-2% |
|
3. Infant/toddler/preschool toys |
$3.4 billion |
-9% |
|
4. Building sets |
$3.1 billion |
+8% |
|
5. Dolls |
$2.9 billion |
-16% |
|
6. Plush |
$2.6 billion |
+1% |
|
7. Explorative and other toys |
$2.5 billion |
-12% |
|
8. Action figures and accessories |
$2.0 billion |
-13% |
|
9. Vehicles |
$1.8 billion |
0% |
|
10. Arts and crafts |
$1.2 billion |
-8% |
US toy sales statistics show that in 2023, outdoor and sports toys performed the best in terms of overall sales. US consumers spent $4.5 billion on items in this category—16% less than they did in 2022.
The second best-selling category in the US toy industry is games and puzzles. These accounted for $3.5 billion in sales last year, a fractional annual decrease of 2%. This is followed by infant, toddler, and preschool toys, which, following a 9% dip from 2022, saw total sales fall from $3.7 billion, to $3.4 billion.
Building sets and dolls round out the five best-performing categories of the US toy industry. These products generated sales of $3.1 billion and $2.9 billion, respectively. It’s worth noting that building sets registered the largest annual increase in revenues (8%), while sales of dolls experienced a significant decline from 2022 to 2023, falling by 16%.
Plush and explorative toys follow, with sales registering at $2.6 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively. They are followed by action figures and accessories, with $2 billion. Vehicles and arts and crafts complete the top 10 list. Revenues from these two toy categories totaled $1.8 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively.