k-flash audio commentGlobal art market returns to modest growth
k-flash audio commentGlobal art market returns to modest growth

The case

The global art market returned to growth in 2025 after three consecutive years of decline.

Source: Reuters and Tippinpoint 13. March 2026 – Beat Schmid

The commentary

According to an annual report by UBS and Art Basel, total sales rose 4 % to an estimated USD 59.6 billion, although the market remains below its 2022 peak.

Sales at auction houses increased 6 % to USD 24.8 billion, while galleries and dealers recorded a more modest 2 % rise to USD 34.8 billion.

Despite geopolitical uncertainty and rising costs, confidence in the sector has improved. Some 43 % of art dealers expect their sales to increase in 2026, up from 33 % the previous year.

Growth was driven largely by public auctions and the United States, the world’s largest art market, where sales rose by 5 %. By contrast, the markets in China and the United Kingdom stagnated while the art market in Switzerland expanded by 13 %.

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