Market size of the civilian UAV market in China 2015-2022

In 2022, the Chinese civilian drone market size amounted to over 115 billion yuan, which was a significant increase compared to the previous year. In China, civilian use accounted for 60 percent of the drone market. Civilian UAVs (Unmanned Arial Vehicle) include consumer drones, drones for logistic application, and drones used for precision farming.

Consumer market

The Chinese consumer drone market has grown from 12.6 billion yuan in 2015 to over 28 billion yuan in 2019. The most notable company in the industry is DJI from Shenzhen who has a domestic market share of around 70 percent. Over the course of the development of the consumer drone market, the UAV technology had advanced, spilling over to the commercial section of the industry.

The future is commercial

While in the early stages of civilian drone development, consumer use was at the forefront, in recent years the commercial application market has caught up. In 2015, commercial drones only accounted for around 20 percent of the market. By 2020, it was forecasted that the share of commercial use of UAVs will reach over 45 percent. Areas of application include farming, infrastructure inspections, and surveillance.