Entertainment · K-Culture & Anime · 1 hr ago
Japan’s Anime Industry Reached a Record $28.2 Billion in 2025
Worldwide spending on Japanese anime reached $28.2 billion in 2025, a 15.8% rise from the year before.
The figures cover spending on anime-related films, TV, streaming, merchandise, music and live events, and were presented by the Association of Japanese Animations at TIFFCOM in Japan.
Both the Japanese market and overseas markets grew, unlike the previous year, when growth was concentrated abroad.
Overseas sales rose 17.2% and made up 57.1% of the total, while sales in Japan increased 14.1%.
Animation studios received $3.2 billion, a narrower measure that tracks money flowing to studios rather than the wider group of rights holders and businesses.
The figures matter as Japan seeks to expand sales of its content worldwide, though studios say reaching new markets requires adapting content for local audiences and tackling piracy.
The final figures are due in December, and Japan has set a 2033 target of $38.1 billion in anime exports.
Japan’s anime market reached a record JPY4.45 trillion, or about $28.2 billion, in 2025, up 15.8% from the previous year.
Both domestic and overseas revenues grew, with overseas sales accounting for about 57% of the total.
The Association of Japanese Animations presented preliminary figures at TIFFCOM, with final numbers due in its 2026 report.
Revenue earned by animation studios rose about 8% to roughly JPY505 billion, or $3.2 billion.
Japan’s government aims to raise content exports to JPY20 trillion by 2033, with anime targeted to contribute JPY6 trillion.
- Who
- The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) presented the figures. AJA editor-in-chief Masahiro Hasegawa presented the report.
- What
- Japan’s anime market grew 15.8% to a record JPY4.45 trillion, or about $28.2 billion, in 2025.
- When
- The figures cover 2025 and were presented on Friday, October 30, 2026.
- Where
- The figures were presented at TIFFCOM, the market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival.
- Why
- The sources attribute the growth to increases in both domestic and overseas revenues.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Overseas anime revenue grew 26%, while domestic growth was much slower, according to the sources.
Japan’s anime market grew 15.8% to JPY4.45 trillion, with growth in both domestic and overseas revenues.
AJA presented preliminary figures for 2025 at TIFFCOM.
The final figures are expected to appear in the 2026 edition of AJA’s report.
Japan’s government aims for anime exports of JPY6 trillion as part of a wider content-export target.
- Total market
- JPY4.45 trillion ($28.2 billion) in 2025
- Annual growth
- 15.8%
- Overseas revenue
- JPY2.54 trillion ($16.1 billion)
- Domestic revenue
- JPY1.91 trillion ($12.1 billion)
- Studio revenue
- JPY505.5 billion ($3.2 billion)
- Anime export target
- JPY6 trillion ($38.1 billion) by 2033
3 sources
What people are saying
Many Japanese business entities are going overseas to pursue revenue opportunities, so we expect this trend to continue
The idea of studios holding the rights to their own works and managing them to generate revenue is growing year by year
I believe the breakthrough has truly been achieved