D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Toy industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts
Toys are sold all over the world, but nowhere on the globe is the industry as large and lucrative as in the United States. In 2023, for instance, the U.S. toy industry generated close to 40 billion in sales, a figure that dwarfs even the biggest countries in the industry, such as China, Japan, and Germany. Furthermore, three out of the five largest players in the global toy industry are American companies, namely JAKKS Pacific, Inc., Hasbro, and Mattel, the company responsible for big brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels. Overall, the toy industry's annual total economic impact in the U.S. was more than 100 billion U.S. dollars.
Although certain toy staples have been produced for decades, the U.S. toy industry is not shy of innovation either, as it strives to remain the biggest player within the industry. Toy and games revenue within this market is expected to keep growing, increasing by a projected seven billion U.S. dollars by 2028.
Toy trade
The United States may be the leader in terms of toy sales, but a different territory sits upon the throne of trade. For many years, the U.S. has been the leading importer in the global toy industry by a wide margin. In 2022, the country imported toys, dolls, and sports requisites with a value of over 40 billion U.S. dollars. Where does the United States import these goods from? Most toys, dolls, and sports requisites brought over to the United States come from China each year. In general, China has unequivocally been the leading exporter of toys in the world. Although the United States ranks second, there is an export value divide of about 95 billion U.S. dollars between the two countries.Popular toys
Some of the most lucrative kinds of toys in the United States include construction kits and models, as well as toys for toddlers and young kids. In 2023, these product categories generated between seven and nine billion U.S. dollars in the U.S. market, and both are projected to reach around 10 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of revenue by 2028. Construction sets and models encompass toys designed to have children build objects using various materials, LEGO sets being a prime example of such a product. Toys for toddlers and young children may seem simple on the surface, but they tend to be designed to aid the target audience in their development (e.g., hand-eye coordination and motor skills).Although certain toy staples have been produced for decades, the U.S. toy industry is not shy of innovation either, as it strives to remain the biggest player within the industry. Toy and games revenue within this market is expected to keep growing, increasing by a projected seven billion U.S. dollars by 2028.
