Whether you are an aspiring photographer seeking to find out more about the world of photography or just someone who wants to delve into the statistics to understand how this market has changed and grown, look no further. In this article, we’ll share with you some fascinating photography statistics that, we bet, you’ve not come across before!
Statistics on Growth and Usage
The photography industry has witnessed a remarkable rise in the number of photographers worldwide. In 2022 alone, there were estimated 1.14 million professional photographers globally, which is a substantial increase from previous years. This number is expected to increase as we move into the future, with more than 12,700 new job openings every year.
However, photography is popular not only with professionals but with average users, too. If you’re anything like us, your photo gallery is likely brimming with images. According to recent research, on average, people keep as many as 2,100 photos on their smartphones, which is a lot, to say the least.
Interestingly, Apple users tend to store more photos compared to Android users, with the number of photos being 2,400 and 1,900, respectively. Why this is the case, we’re not sure, since both brands produce smartphones with the same amount of memory, but the fact is the fact.
It is reported that the total number of photos taken throughout history is 12.4 trillion, and these are only those photos that have been officially recorded and documented. If you look at the latest statistics that show that over 1.72 trillion photos are taken every year, by 2030, this number will reach a whopping 28.6 trillion.
Statistics on Photographers
Did you know that 54% of photographers are university graduates with a bachelor’s degree? 22% of them have an associate degree, and only 7% have a high school education.
Despite having high education, not all photographers manage to make a successful career. In fact, more than 65% don’t make it to the end of a year. Statistics show that only 15% of those who try their hand at photography stay in the business for longer than 3 years.
Photographers’ salaries can be as high as $50,000 per year, mostly for those who work with portraits, which are generally higher paid.
Social Media and Photography Statistics
Social media platforms have emerged as key influencers in the photography landscape. With over 4.5 billion active users worldwide, these platforms have become instrumental in sharing and discovering photos. Instagram, in particular, boasts an impressive user base of over 1 billion.
You will be surprised, but Instagram, despite the fact that it has long been considered the hub for photographers, isn’t the most popular place for sharing photos.
While Instagram tracks over 1.3 billion shares of images daily, WhatsApp has overtaken it in terms of photo-sharing popularity, with users sharing over 6.9 billion photos a day.
Statistics on Photos on the Internet
Out of all 12.4 trillion photos that have ever been taken, 750 billion of them are on the Internet. This means that 94% of photos remain stored in physical albums, shoeboxes, or personal hard drives, tucked away from the digital realm.
The research went further and revealed that only 7% of the photos accessible on the Internet have been taken with cameras. The rest is produced by smartphone photographers.
In total, Google’s photo library contains over 136 billion images and is expected to grow to 382 billion by the end of 2030.
Smartphone Vs Cameras Statistics
Although cameras are still being used by photographers, statistics on photography show that camera sales have dropped by 84% since 2010, clearly indicating that smartphones are taking the lead. The reason for this is quite simple. Unlike professional gear, smartphones are a lot cheaper and easier to use, making them more accessible to average people.
In fact, 90% of the people surveyed have only ever taken photos with their smartphones, never getting their hands on professional equipment. We assume that Germans were not included in this survey because, according to other statistics, 64% of households still have digital cameras.
Not only Germans, though. Another country that seems to be getting along well with the camera market is the UK. While camera sales are falling everywhere, the United Kingdom is expected to generate $66 million in 2023 in revenue, which is a huge increase from the $45.28 million reported in 2019.
Sure, China remains the top seller, generating over $520.5 million in revenue now and preparing to release wearable cameras that are expected to top $814 million in sales in 2025.
Some Other Interesting Statistics Related to Photography
50% of adults surveyed in the USA acknowledge that selfies are getting on their nerves. Funnily enough, 62% of adults admitted to having taken at least one selfie in their lives. We don’t know if it is because those selfies weren’t as good as they expected that they are no longer interested in making selfies.
Along with selfies, food is another thing that 50% of Americans love to photograph. 31% of people take photos of the cooking process, while 22% only take pictures of dishes served on special occasions, considering them more interesting.
Photography, whether it be a photo of food, clothing, or a place, has a huge impact on decision-making, especially in e-commerce. According to statistics, 75% of consumers make a purchase decision based on the advertised photo. However, photos can also be very misleading, which is one of the main reasons for 22% of all products being returned.
When everyone has a smartphone and can take a photo themselves, it seems pretty weird to steal photos from other photographers. However, this is what happens daily: the number of stolen images reaches 2.5 billion! Moneywise, this translates into a daily $600 billion loss, which is an alarming issue plaguing the photography industry.
70% of the global camera sales market belongs to Canon and Sony, with shares between them of 47.9% and 22.1%, respectively. While the pandemic slowed their sales a bit, it hasn’t knocked them out of the game, and both brands remain camera market leaders.
Final Words
The photography landscape has been changing throughout history. Cameras that were so popular even a few years ago now have been almost completely substituted by smartphones, and it’s very likely most people will soon turn to using wearable devices instead. However, this is a normal thing. Trends come and go. Some tend to come back. But we can definitely say that photos, in one form or another, will always exist.