At a glance
Industry research statistics show a market that is both large and still expanding, with the global insights industry passing US$140 billion in 2023 and expected to surpass US$150 billion by the end of 2024 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
The headline is not just size. The mix of market research, research software, and reporting shows how the industry has been shifting toward tools, platforms, and recurring services rather than a single traditional research model.
Fast facts
- Global insights industry: US$140 billion+ in 2023 and US$150 billion+ expected in 2024 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- Market research sector: US$54 billion of global insights industry value (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- Research software sector: US$56 billion (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- Reporting sector: US$33 billion (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- U.S. labor market for market research analysts: 941,700 jobs in 2024 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Median annual wage: $76,950 in May 2024 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Projected growth: 7% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
Table of contents
- Industry research statistics overview
- Global market size and sector breakdown
- Regional industry research statistics
- How study design and project mix are changing
- Client trends and research demand
- Employment and wage benchmarks
- What the numbers say about the industry
Industry research statistics overview
Industry research is no longer just a service category. The data points to a layered ecosystem where research services, software, and reporting each contribute a meaningful share of global value (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
Key takeaways:
- The market is large enough to rival many established digital and business services sectors.
- Software is not a side note; at US$56 billion, it is larger than the market research sector itself in the supplied dataset (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
- Reporting at US$33 billion shows that packaging, access, and interpretation remain major value drivers (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
- Growth remains positive across the core segments, but the pace varies by region and by product mix.
A useful way to read these numbers is to treat industry research as an operating system for decision-making. Some participants sell expertise, some sell technology, and some sell the layer that turns raw output into something clients can actually use.
Big number: the global insights industry was already above US$140 billion in 2023 and is projected to move beyond US$150 billion in 2024 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
Global market size and sector breakdown
The overall market is easier to understand when it is broken into the three major buckets supplied in the dataset: market research, research software, and reporting.
Global sector comparison
| Segment | Value | Share or note |
|---|---|---|
| Market research sector | US$54 billion | About 65% from full-service and market research services (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry) |
| Research software sector | US$56 billion | 29% from market research firms doing subscription and research software services; grew 12.4% in 2023 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry) |
| Reporting sector | US$33 billion | Grew 6.5% in 2023 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry) |
This table makes one thing obvious: market research is only one part of the industry research economy. Research software is slightly larger in the supplied 2023 split, which is a strong signal that tooling and recurring platforms are central to the industry’s current shape (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
What the sector shares suggest
Within the US$54 billion market research sector, the structure is still heavily service-led:
- 65% comes from full-service and market research services (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- 29% comes from market research firms doing subscription and research software services (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- 7% comes from consultancy services provided by those firms (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
That mix matters because it shows the industry is not purely software-driven or purely services-driven. The research market is becoming more hybrid, with firms monetizing expertise, access, recurring subscriptions, and software-enabled delivery at the same time.
Growth by core segment
The 2023 growth numbers show that software is growing faster than the adjacent segments:
- Market research sector grew 4.6% in absolute terms in 2023 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- Research software sector grew 12.4% in absolute terms in 2023 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- Reporting sector grew 6.5% in absolute terms in 2023 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
A simple reading of that spread is that the industry’s value is moving toward platforms and products faster than it is moving toward traditional research services alone.
Regional industry research statistics
The global numbers are useful, but the regional figures make the story sharper. Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa each show different combinations of growth, inflation pressure, and product mix.
Europe
Europe’s insights industry reached US$34 billion in 2023, while Europe’s market research sector reached US$15.5 billion in the same year (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry).
The UK market research turnover reached US$4.7 billion (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry), making it one of the largest individual country markets in the supplied data.
Europe also shows how inflation can distort revenue interpretation:
- The declared turnover for Europe’s research software sector in 2022 was revised down from US$4.4 billion to US$1.5 billion (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry)
- Europe’s core EU 15 inflation rate was 6.2% (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry)
- Europe’s remaining EU 27 inflation rate was 10.7% (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry)
- The rest of Europe had 7.0% inflation (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry)
- Europe’s 2024 industry turnover was expected to approach US$36 billion (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry)
The point is not just that Europe is big. It is that the region’s reported growth and turnover can move materially when inflation and currency conditions are changing at the same time.
Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific’s insights industry grew 9.5% in 2023, above the 8.0% global rate (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights).
The region’s research software sector grew even faster, at 19.5% in absolute terms (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights), which reinforces the global pattern that software is a high-growth layer in the industry.
Comparable regional measures from the dataset:
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific insights industry growth | 9.5% | ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights |
| Global comparison growth rate | 8.0% | ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights |
| Asia Pacific market research sector growth, net | 3.3% | ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights |
| Asia Pacific research software growth, net | 15.4% | ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights |
| Asia Pacific reporting growth, net | 4.0% | ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights |
The country-level data is equally telling:
- Kazakhstan was the fastest-growing Asia Pacific market at almost 24% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- Vietnam grew 17.2% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- India grew 14.8% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- Australia grew 10.2% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- Indonesia grew 8.1% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- India’s 2024 expected growth was 13.4% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- Australia’s 2024 expected growth was 5.9% (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
Asia Pacific therefore combines fast-growing emerging markets with larger, more mature markets whose growth is still positive but slower.
Latin America and the Americas outside the U.S. and Canada
The Rest of the Americas industry grew 8.7% in absolute terms and 1.1% in net terms after inflation (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America).
That gap between nominal and net growth is important. It tells you that price growth and inflation are doing a lot of the work in the headline result.
Other supplied figures include:
- The Rest of the Americas research software sector grew 14.2% in absolute terms (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- The Rest of the Americas market research sector reached US$2.2 billion (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- The Rest of the Americas reporting sector grew 2.7% and remained at US$0.7 billion (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- Colombia grew 15.1% (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- The Rest of the Americas is projected to grow 10.3% in 2024 (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- The Rest of the Americas is projected to reach approximately US$5.5 billion in 2024 (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
Country-specific turnover figures show volatility as well:
- Argentina’s market research turnover moved from US$87 million in 2022 to US$71 million in 2023 (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- Peru’s market research turnover reached US$77 million (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
- Argentina’s expected 2024 turnover was US$185 million (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa grew 9.2% in absolute terms but fell to -1.2% net growth after inflation (ESOMAR Navigating trends and challenges in the Africa and Middle East region).
That split is a reminder that nominal growth alone can overstate real momentum when inflation is strong.
The research software layer still expanded, with 15.5% absolute growth in the region (ESOMAR Navigating trends and challenges in the Africa and Middle East region). That mirrors the broader pattern seen elsewhere: software is often the fastest-growing part of the research economy.
How study design and project mix are changing
Industry research statistics are not only about market size. They also reveal how research is being designed and bought.
One of the clearest signals in the dataset is that self-serve and client-led models are becoming more visible. Self-serve study design represented 4% of total study design in 2022 (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?). That is still a small share, but it marks a meaningful presence for lower-friction, software-enabled workflows.
Other study-design splits from the dataset:
- Market research firms’ turnover venturing into the research software sector represented 29% (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?)
- Client-conducted research accounted for around 50% of total spend in ESOMAR’s Users & Buyers of Insights 2023 (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?)
- Ad hoc research represented 38% of study design (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?)
- Panel research represented around 30% of study design (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?)
- Omnibus represented around 7% of study design (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?)
- Other continuous designs represented 18% of study design (ESOMAR How have study designs evolved in 2024?)
Why this mix matters
These percentages suggest that research buyers are balancing flexibility, repeatability, and speed:
- Ad hoc research still plays a major role when teams need fast answers to specific questions.
- Panel research remains important because it supports repeat measurement and audience access.
- Continuous designs reflect the need for always-on monitoring.
- Self-serve formats show that some parts of the workflow are being compressed into easier, more automated tools.
In other words, the market is not replacing old study models overnight. It is layering new delivery methods on top of existing demand.
Client trends and research demand
The client-side data in the dataset helps explain where industry research dollars are concentrated.
About 68% of global market research turnover came from information & communication, consumer non-durables manufacturing, and other manufacturing industries (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research).
That is a concentrated demand profile. A few broad industry groups account for most of the revenue base, which means research providers often need sector expertise rather than generic survey capability alone.
Additional client-trend statistics:
- The United States accounted for 75% of global media and broadcasting research spending (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research)
- Five countries accounted for 69% of consumer non-durables research revenue (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research)
- Canada had 100% of its research turnover from domestic clients (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research)
- The UK had 100% of its research turnover from domestic clients (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research)
- Iraq derived 95% of its revenue from international clients (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research)
These figures show how differently national research markets are structured. Some are internally driven, while others rely heavily on cross-border demand.
Employment and wage benchmarks
The labor-market side of industry research statistics offers a useful reality check. It shows the scale of the profession and the value of the skills behind the data.
The U.S. market research analyst occupation is sizable and still expanding:
- Market research analysts held about 941,700 jobs in 2024 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Employment is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- About 87,200 openings are projected each year on average over the decade (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Market research analysts and marketing specialists are projected to reach 1,004,700 jobs in 2034 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- The projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034 was 63,000 jobs (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
Wage snapshot
| Wage benchmark | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $76,950 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Lowest 10% | Less than $42,070 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Highest 10% | More than $144,610 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Information industry median | $100,300 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Management of companies and enterprises median | $98,300 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Finance and insurance median | $84,990 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Wholesale trade median | $77,870 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services median | $75,640 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| All occupations median | $49,500 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
The pay gap between the overall occupation median and the all-occupations median is a clear sign that analytics and research skills remain above-average in the labor market.
The highest-paying industries in the supplied data also matter for positioning:
- Information: $100,300 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Management of companies and enterprises: $98,300 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Finance and insurance: $84,990 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
That ranking suggests the occupation is most valuable where decision speed, data interpretation, and commercial insight are tightly linked.
What the numbers say about the industry
Several themes repeat across the dataset, and they are worth separating because they define the practical meaning of industry research statistics.
1. Scale is no longer the only story
The global industry is large, but size alone does not explain where the value is going. The US$56 billion research software sector and the US$33 billion reporting sector show that infrastructure and delivery are core revenue pools, not accessory services (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry).
2. Software is the fastest-moving layer
Across the supplied regional and global figures, research software often posts double-digit growth:
- 12.4% absolute growth globally in 2023 (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- 19.5% absolute growth in Asia Pacific (ESOMAR The Remarkable Ascent of Asia Pacific in Global Insights)
- 15.5% absolute growth in Middle East and Africa (ESOMAR Navigating trends and challenges in the Africa and Middle East region)
- 14.2% absolute growth in the Rest of the Americas (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
That pattern matters because it suggests the industry is becoming more software-mediated across regions, not only in mature markets.
3. Inflation and currency effects change the reading of growth
Europe and the Middle East and Africa both show that nominal growth can look much stronger than real growth after inflation.
- Europe’s inflation rates ranged from 6.2% to 10.7% across the supplied groups (ESOMAR 2023’s Market Research Anchor Europe’s Insights Industry)
- Middle East and Africa fell to -1.2% net growth even though absolute growth was 9.2% (ESOMAR Navigating trends and challenges in the Africa and Middle East region)
- The Rest of the Americas grew 8.7% in absolute terms but only 1.1% net after inflation (ESOMAR The Economic Awakening of Latin America)
This is a useful reminder that industry research statistics should always be read with the measurement frame attached.
4. The occupation remains healthy and well paid
The labor data is consistent with a specialized profession that still has demand. A median wage of $76,950, a top-decile wage above $144,610, and projected growth of 7% all point to a field that remains relevant in business decision-making (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
5. Demand is concentrated in a few client industries
When 68% of global market research turnover comes from just a few broad sectors, providers cannot afford to be generic (ESOMAR Shifting Client Trends in Global Market Research). They need domain knowledge, repeatable delivery, and enough technology to scale service quality.
Practical reading of industry research statistics
If you are scanning the category for business planning, three figures deserve special attention:
- US$140 billion+ global insights industry size in 2023 gives you the market’s overall scale (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- US$56 billion research software sector tells you where a large part of the growth engine sits (ESOMAR Drivers of our $142bn insights industry)
- 941,700 market research analyst jobs in 2024 shows that the profession remains deeply embedded in the labor market (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
A fourth figure is just as useful: 7% projected job growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). It suggests that, even as tools change, organizations still need people who can interpret, validate, and communicate findings.
For readers evaluating the field from a strategic angle, the supplied statistics point to a market that is:
- Large enough to support specialized vendors
- Diverse enough to reward regional knowledge
- Technical enough to favor software and recurring delivery models
- Still dependent on experienced analysts and research talent
Those characteristics are what make industry research statistics especially useful. They do not just describe a market. They describe how the market is organized, where it is growing, and which parts of the workflow are capturing value.