These craft business ownership figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.
Key Craft Business Ownership Statistics
The main findings are:
- Etsy marketplaces connected 8.1 million active sellers with 95.5 million active buyers worldwide at December 31, 2024 (2024-12-31; Etsy, Reverb and Depop marketplaces, global).
- Women represent 83% of Etsy sellers in the United States (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United States Etsy sellers).
- Etsy sellers report their creative business contributes 11% of household income on average (October 1-16, 2024 survey; Etsy global seller survey).
- Etsy sellers spend 52% of their business time making or designing (October 1-16, 2024 survey; Etsy global seller survey).
- U.S. clothing and clothing-accessories retail firms fell from 56,731 in 2017 to 52,909 in 2022 (2017-2022; United States, clothing and clothing-accessories retail).
- Etsy marketplace active sellers numbered 5.6 million at December 31, 2024 (2024-12-31; Etsy marketplace, global).
- Women represent 76% of Etsy sellers in the United Kingdom (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United Kingdom Etsy sellers).
- Twenty-three percent of Etsy sellers have children under 18 living at home (October 1-16, 2024 survey; Etsy global seller survey).
- In 2024, 2.06 million U.S. women were unincorporated self-employed in nonagricultural industries, according to BLS annual averages (2024 annual average; United States women workers).
- U.S. clothing and clothing-accessories retail establishments fell from 143,534 in 2017 to 121,610 in 2022 (2017-2022; United States, clothing and clothing-accessories retail).
- Sellers generated $12.6 billion in consolidated gross merchandise sales in 2024 (Etsy, Reverb and Depop marketplaces).
- The mean age of U.S. Etsy sellers is 42.6 years (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United States Etsy sellers).
- Women-owned U.S. businesses generated $2.1 trillion in annual sales in the SBA’s 2019 summary (United States women-owned businesses).
- In 2024, 2.06 million U.S. men were unincorporated self-employed in nonagricultural industries, according to BLS annual averages (2024 annual average; United States men workers).
- Employees in U.S. clothing retail fell from 1.8 million in 2017 to 1.5 million in 2022 (2017-2022; United States clothing retail).
Contents
- Key Craft Business Ownership Statistics
- Craft business ownership statistics: the scale of creative selling and entrepreneurship
- Who owns craft businesses: gender, age, education and location patterns
- Craft business income, household support and financial resilience
- How craft entrepreneurs operate: independence, time, growth and hiring
- Online craft marketplaces, exports and the changing retail business landscape
Craft business ownership statistics: the scale of creative selling and entrepreneurship
- Etsy marketplaces connected 8.1 million active sellers with 95.5 million active buyers worldwide at December 31, 2024 (2024-12-31; Etsy, Reverb and Depop marketplaces, global). (Etsy, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K)
- Etsy marketplace active sellers numbered 5.6 million at December 31, 2024 (2024-12-31; Etsy marketplace, global). (Etsy, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K)
- Sellers generated $12.6 billion in consolidated gross merchandise sales in 2024 (Etsy, Reverb and Depop marketplaces). (Etsy, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K)
- Etsy marketplace accounted for $10.9 billion, or 86.4%, of consolidated 2024 GMS. (Etsy, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K)
- Reverb generated approximately $917.9 million, or 7.3%, of consolidated 2024 GMS (Reverb marketplace). (Etsy, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K)
- Depop generated approximately $788.9 million, or 6.3%, of consolidated 2024 GMS (Depop marketplace). (Etsy, Inc. 2024 Form 10-K)
Platform population, not all craft businesses; active means a charge or sale in the prior 12 months.
Platform measure; includes hobbyists and professional merchants and is not a census of craft firms.
GMS is item value sold, excluding shipping and net of refunds; it is not seller profit or Etsy revenue.
Platform accounting measure, not craft-industry sales overall.
Marketplace includes musical instruments and is a related platform measure rather than craft-only sales.
Marketplace is primarily fashion resale and is a related platform measure rather than craft-only sales.
Who owns craft businesses: gender, age, education and location patterns
- Women represent 83% of Etsy sellers in the United States (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United States Etsy sellers). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- Women represent 76% of Etsy sellers in the United Kingdom (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United Kingdom Etsy sellers). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- The mean age of U.S. Etsy sellers is 42.6 years (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United States Etsy sellers). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- The mean age of UK Etsy sellers is 42.7 years (October 1-16, 2024 survey; United Kingdom Etsy sellers). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- Women owned 42.0% of businesses in Maine in the SBA profile’s 2021 source data (Maine, United States). (State Profiles 2024)
- Veterans owned 7.7% of businesses in Maine in the SBA profile’s 2021 source data (Maine, United States). (State Profiles 2024)
- Hispanics owned 0.9% of businesses in Maine in the SBA profile’s 2021 source data (Maine, United States). (State Profiles 2024)
- Racial minorities owned 3.3% of businesses in Maine in the SBA profile’s 2021 source data (Maine, United States). (State Profiles 2024)
Weighted seller survey; gender identity measure is platform-specific.
Weighted seller survey; not a population estimate for UK craft businesses.
Survey mean; platform population and weighting apply.
Includes equal and majority ownership across businesses, not craft-specific firms.
Broad business population, not craft-specific firms.
Broad business population; ownership shares are not craft-specific.
Broad business population; profile’s racial-minority grouping is Census-defined.
Craft business income, household support and financial resilience
- Etsy sellers report their creative business contributes 11% of household income on average (October 1-16, 2024 survey; Etsy global seller survey). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- Twenty-three percent of Etsy sellers have children under 18 living at home (October 1-16, 2024 survey; Etsy global seller survey). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- Women-owned U.S. businesses generated $2.1 trillion in annual sales in the SBA’s 2019 summary (United States women-owned businesses). (Where Does Advocacy Get Its…)
- Women-owned U.S. businesses employed 10,791,948 Americans in 2019 (United States women-owned businesses). (Where Does Advocacy Get Its…)
- Women-owned employer firms accounted for 22% of all U.S. employer firms in the SBA’s 2024 summary (2024 publication using latest Census source data). (Where Does Advocacy Get Its…)
- Women-owned businesses numbered 12,338,407 in the SBA’s 2019 summary. (Where Does Advocacy Get Its…)
Self-reported average; this is contribution, not business revenue or profit.
Self-reported household composition.
Broad women-owned business population, not craft-specific; SBA summary combines Census ABS and NES-D.
Broad women-owned business population; employment is not craft-business employment.
Employer firms only; not all businesses and not craft-specific.
Broad women-owned business count from Census source datasets.
How craft entrepreneurs operate: independence, time, growth and hiring
- Etsy sellers spend 52% of their business time making or designing (October 1-16, 2024 survey; Etsy global seller survey). (Etsy 2024 Annual Report)
- In 2024, 2.06 million U.S. women were unincorporated self-employed in nonagricultural industries, according to BLS annual averages (2024 annual average; United States women workers). (Employed persons in nonagricultural industries…)
- In 2024, 2.06 million U.S. men were unincorporated self-employed in nonagricultural industries, according to BLS annual averages (2024 annual average; United States men workers). (Employed persons in nonagricultural industries…)
- In 2024, 245,000 workers in arts, entertainment and recreation were unincorporated self-employed (2024 annual average; United States arts, entertainment and recreation industry). (Employed persons in nonagricultural industries…)
- In 2024, 470,000 workers in other services excluding private households were unincorporated self-employed (2024 annual average; United States other services excluding private households). (Employed persons in nonagricultural industries…)
Self-reported time allocation; remaining time covers administrative tasks.
BLS labor-force measure, not a count of businesses and not craft-specific.
Industry is broader than craft businesses and includes incorporated self-employment separately in the table notes.
Broad industry proxy; not a direct craft-business count.
Online craft marketplaces, exports and the changing retail business landscape
- U.S. clothing and clothing-accessories retail firms fell from 56,731 in 2017 to 52,909 in 2022 (2017-2022; United States, clothing and clothing-accessories retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- U.S. clothing and clothing-accessories retail establishments fell from 143,534 in 2017 to 121,610 in 2022 (2017-2022; United States, clothing and clothing-accessories retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- Employees in U.S. clothing retail fell from 1.8 million in 2017 to 1.5 million in 2022 (2017-2022; United States clothing retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- Annual payroll in U.S. clothing retail rose from $32.1 billion in 2017 to $35.0 billion in 2022 (2017-2022; United States clothing retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- U.S. electronic shopping and mail-order firms increased 33% from 33,241 in 2017 to 44,322 in 2022 (2017-2022; United States electronic shopping and mail-order firms). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- U.S. nonstore retailer establishments increased from 72,316 in 2021 to 77,128 in 2022 (2021-2022; United States nonstore retailers). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- New nonstore establishments created 117,379 employees at the 2020 peak reported by Census (United States nonstore retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- About 13.7 million people worked in U.S. retail in the second quarter of 2023 (2023 Q2; United States retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- Approximately 306,000 U.S. retail workers moved into new retail positions in 2023 Q2 (United States retail). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- About 140,000 retail workers moved to accommodation and food services in 2023 Q2 (United States retail to accommodation and food services). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- About 86,000 retail workers moved to health care and social assistance in 2023 Q2 (United States retail to health care and social assistance). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- About 83,000 retail workers moved to administrative and services industries in 2023 Q2 (United States retail to administrative and services). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
- About 18,000 retail workers moved to educational services in 2023 Q2 (United States retail to educational services). (While Brick-and-Mortar Stores Closed, New…)
Employer retail sector measure, not craft businesses; 2022 NAICS changes and firm/establishment distinctions matter.
An establishment is a physical location; measure is broader than craft businesses.
Broad retail industry and rounded Census presentation.
Industry payroll, not craft-business income or profit.
Related retail channel, not craft-specific; Census reports the percentage change.
Includes kiosks, catalogs and online sales; not craft-specific.
Job creation in broad nonstore retail, not craft businesses.
Broad retail employment and not an ownership measure.
Job-to-job flow, not business formation or ownership.
Job-to-job flow, not craft-business formation.