Paris (LabNews Media LLC) – Artprice has released its 33rd annual report on the contemporary art market. The report examines a market in profound transformation, according to the company, and comes just ahead of the openings of Frieze London and Art Basel Paris. The report analyzes global auction results from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, for artists born after 1945, with a focus on artists under 40 years of age.
“The creation of this 33rd annual report on the contemporary art market was an exciting investigation into why this market, despite the long-awaited recovery, is on the verge of transformation,” said Thierry Ehrmann, Chairman of Artmarket.com and founder of Artprice.
More Active Market Without Higher Prices
During the reporting period, the global art market decisively returned to growth, with Fine Art auction sales up 41 percent, according to Artprice. However, this momentum was driven less by contemporary art and more by modern and post-war works. After three consecutive years of decline, contemporary art also returned to growth, albeit more modestly, with a 6 percent increase in sales value. Growth was stronger in volume, up 9 percent, and the number of lots sold set a new record for the sixth consecutive year. Three of these records were achieved while the sales value declined. The segment of artists under 40, on the other hand, continued to shrink, falling 26.6 percent.
The report examines in detail the drivers of the recovery, both in volume and value, according to Artprice. It also highlights the correction affecting ultra-contemporary art, reversing some speculative price surges without preventing occasional waves of enthusiasm.
Growth with a US Signature
The global contemporary art market spans 64 countries, 558 cities with an active auction market, and 1,055 auction houses, according to Artprice. Behind this broad geographical reach lies a much more concentrated reality: the bulk of the sales value remains concentrated in a handful of major market centers, while new growth centers are emerging, particularly in Asia. This geography of sales reveals both the economic balance of the market and the power dynamics that shape it.
The current boom has a clear geographical signature, according to Artprice. The increase in global auction sales of contemporary art amounts to around US$100 million, and this entire increase was recorded in the United States during the reporting period. The US alone accounted for the majority of market growth. However, this result requires a caveat: the apparent strength of the upper segment of the US market is largely due to two Basquiat paintings that sold exceptionally well. Their disproportionate impact should not be misunderstood as a broad underlying trend. US dominance extends beyond sales volume to artist price rankings: American artists accounted for half of all million-dollar sales during the reporting period.
In contrast, China recorded a significant decline, according to Artprice. The country remains the second-largest market in the world but saw auction sales fall by 18 percent. It still retained around 40 million-dollar results, predominantly achieved in Hong Kong and Beijing. At the same time, other Asian markets recovered, led by South Korea, where the market in Seoul is strengthening.
In Europe, the United Kingdom, the third most important market by sales value, remained stable, while France recorded growth of 22 percent. France's most striking result was the 18 percent increase in the number of transactions compared to the previous year, bringing it to third place worldwide by volume, behind the US and the UK. The Middle East, on the other hand, saw a 28 percent decline in auction sales, largely attributable to the Gulf states.
About the Report
According to Artprice, the report is based on global auction results for more than 60,000 contemporary artists between July 2025 and June 2026. The analysis includes all public auction sales of fine art – painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, prints, video, installation, and tapestry – as well as NFTs, excluding antiques, anonymous cultural objects, and furniture. All prices refer to public auction results including buyer's premium.
According to the company, the report includes, among other things, a market overview, an analysis of the recovery, a study of art prices, a shifting geopolitical landscape, the geography of trophy works, the nationalities behind million-dollar sales, the segment of artists under 40, the strength of Chinese artists, the role of major galleries, the representation of women, and the increasingly prominent Global South. It also includes the ranking of the Top 500 contemporary artists and the Top 100 contemporary artworks.
About Artmarket.com
Artmarket.com is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris, according to the company. The company and its Artprice department were founded in 1997 by Thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket describes itself as a global player in the art market, with its Artprice department being the world leader in collecting, managing, and utilizing historical and current art market information. The databases contain over 30 million indices and auction results for more than 920,300 artists. Artprice Images® provides unlimited access to the world's largest art market image database, with at least 181 million digital images. Artmarket, with its Artprice department, continuously enriches its databases from 7,200 auction houses, according to the company, and publishes art market trends for the main agencies and press organs in 121 countries and 11 languages.
