15 Crafty Etsy Stats to Piece Together in 2023

If you’re tired of supporting the billionaire class by shopping at certain gigantic online marketplaces that we shan’t name here, but you don’t want to lose the convenience of doing so, you should totally read along.

Whether you’re an Etsy neophyte or expert, buyer or seller, it’s always a good idea to know more about who you’re dealing with—and boy have we got a lot of numbers for you!

Sneak peek into our collection of staggering Etsy stats: The platform’s user base doubled virtually overnight in 2020.

Impressive, right?

Keep reading to find out more about this artful marketplace.

Crafty Etsy Facts (Editor’s Choice)

• Etsy’s annual revenue more than doubled in 2020.
• 96.3 million buyers are active on Etsy.
• 64% of sales happen on mobile devices.
• There are 7.5 million sellers on Etsy.
• 81% of Etsy sellers are female.
• In 2021, 41% of sales were international.
• 88% of buyers find Etsy items to be unique.

The Demographics of Etsy: A World Dominated by Women

At its essence, Etsy is a free-for-all bazaar where anybody can set up shop and sell handmade or vintage goods.

Sounds simple enough—and it really is—but that doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself browsing around for hours on end, immersed in the astonishing variety of items sellers offer.

But who are these sellers, and who are “you”, the buyer?

The answer to this and other existential questions, you’ll find below.

1. On December 31, 2021, Etsy reached 96.3 million active buyers.

(Source: Cision PR Newswire)

Let’s face it, this is probably what you came here for, so we won’t keep you waiting—how many users does Etsy have?

Dozens of millions.

Just to clarify, though, Etsy doesn’t consider people who just browse the site to be “users”. Etsy only really cares about people who sell and buy.

Back in 2019, Etsy only saw 46.3 million people make a purchase. But a year later, the site boasted 81.9 million buyers. So, as you see, we weren’t kidding when we said that the pandemic doubled the site’s user base.

Fun fact: For comparison’s sake, we looked at some older Etsy stats, too. Turns out that in 2012, there were nine million buyers. In other words, Etsy has grown ten times larger in about ten years.

2. As of 2021, 58% of Etsy sellers are from the US.

(Source: WallStreetZen)

To be fair, the company is based here, so it’d be more shocking if the majority of users were actually foreigners.

But with the way international sales are going, we wouldn’t be surprised if a shift happened in the next few years to tip the scales in non-Americans’ favor. In Q1 2021, 42% of Etsy’s sales were international. For comparison, the number stood at only 36% in Q1 2020.

3. 14% of US Etsy sellers are Californians.

(Source: Statista)

Who are the top Etsy sellers in 2022?

Californians. Hands down.

And, honestly, it makes sense. After all, California is by far the most populous state, and hosts about 12% of the total US population.

Where are the rest of Etsy’s shop owners from?

They’re from all over the country, really. Although Texas (7%), Florida (7%), and New York (6%) are the most popular states apart from California.

4. Women make up 81% of Etsy sellers.

(Source: United States Securities and Exchange Commission)

A quick look at Etsy’s seller demographics indicates that more than four-fifths are female.

That being said, it’s worth noting that the website is becoming less female-dominated over time. In 2015, 86% of sellers were female. By 2020, the number had dwindled down to 83%.

So, it appears that an increasing number of men are developing an interest in the crafting world.

5. 88% of Etsy buyers say items on the site are one-of-a-kind.

(Source: United States Securities and Exchange Commission)

Shopping on Etsy is a fairly personalized experience that allows for better communication between a seller and their buyers.

So, who shops on Etsy?

People who want to get their hands on items that they’re unlikely to find elsewhere.

Buying goods online from Etsy is quite similar to shopping locally offline. You're directly supporting creative individuals and small-scale entrepreneurs instead of big corporations.

The Competition: How Many Etsy Shops Are There?

In other words: do you stand a chance?

The sheer growth Etsy has seen recently might make you think now’s the right time to dust off your crafting supplies, quit your job, and set up shop on the platform.

And we’re not saying you shouldn’t do that, but we’d like to point out that with the boom of potential buyers, there has also been a boom of sellers. You’d better read on to find out how many sellers are on Etsy already before you make any life-changing decisions.

6. There are 7.5 million sellers on Etsy.

(Source: Cision PR Newswire)

Disclaimer: Etsy immediately classifies anybody who lists an item for sale as an “active seller”, so it’s hard to say how many of these people actually sold anything. 

Regardless, the trend is telling—2020 saw a massive boost (61%) compared to 2019, going from 2.7 million to 4.3 million sellers. Then, Etsy statistics show another astounding increase in 2021 (73%), reaching the 7.5 million mark.

Considering that listing fees are a thing, we like to think all these people must be making at least some profit.

7. The top six most popular categories brought in 87% of GMS.

(Source: United States Securities and Exchange Commission)

The most successful Etsy shops in 2022 are the ones selling homewares and home furnishings. This category is not only the largest, but it’s also about two times the size of the runner-up: jewelry and personal accessories.

Apparel, craft supplies, paper and party supplies, as well as beauty and personal care products also made the top six. Combined, they were responsible for more than $8 billion in gross merchandise sales, which equals about 87% of the total.

Fun fact: At this very moment, there are 74.3 million items for sale on Etsy.

8. Etsy sold 12 million masks in April 2020 alone.

(Source: Statista)

Etsy sale statistics rarely disappoint, but this one’s straight-up spectacular.

In Q2 2020, masks accounted for 14% of the site’s GMS. In fact, 110,000 Etsy shops sold at least one mask during this period. April, especially, saw the highest demand of this product, with people purchasing 12 million masks during this month alone.

All in all, Etsy sellers vended $600 million worth of masks in the first half a year after the pandemic broke out. True, the boom subsided towards the end of the year, but it was good while it lasted.

The best part?

Around half of the three million new users who initially only signed up to buy a mask later returned and bought other goods. That’s 1.5 million new Etsy customers overnight!

Average Etsy Income: Can It Replace a Full-Time Job?

Most sellers use Etsy to generate additional income. However, it is technically possible to turn your Etsy shop itself into a full-time job—as long as you’re willing to invest the necessary time and energy.

You should also keep in mind that effort alone won’t guarantee results. You’ll also need to employ a degree of entrepreneurial spirit to figure out what sells and how viable it is long-term.

Let’s walk you through some numbers so you can see how profitable Etsy can be.

9. Etsy sellers make an average of $2,900 annually.

(Source: Artisan Hopper)

Official Etsy sales data shows that the average seller makes less than $3,000 per year—disappointing, we know.

That being said, it could be that most people only sell very few items and don’t take their shops seriously, skewing the statistics downwards. In fact…

10. Some Etsy sellers make more than $100,000 per year.

(Source: Artisan Hopper)

A look at more detailed Etsy statistics reveals quite an optimistic outlook for people who invest their time and effort on the platform. While the exact numbers vary depending on the dedication of the group being surveyed, it’s safe to say around 20% of sellers make $50,000 or more, some even reaching $100,000.

However, a similar percentage reported annual Etsy profits of under $1,000, so you’ll really need to put significant effort into building up your online shop if you’re to quit your regular job.

Pro tip: If you want to review your shop’s performance, you can check out your detailed Etsy stats from the Shop Manager menu on the platform. This contains a Metrics Overview section, which details the visits your listings have received, as well as orders and revenue. You can also see how buyers found your shop.

11. Newcomers usually make a sale within a month.

(Source: Tips for Efficiency)

The thing with Etsy is that the longer you have been around, the more likely your listings are to appear higher up in the search results. So, it can be a bit tough for new Etsy users to gain popularity. Especially since they won’t typically have any customer reviews yet.

And, let’s face it, most of us—85% of online shoppers, to be precise—avoid buying from sellers who don’t have a reputation.

Still, you shouldn’t lose heart.

Recent surveys show that new sellers generally make their first successful transaction within a month of signing up for the platform.

Furthermore, you can expect to make anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000 on average in Etsy sales in your first year. This depends on multiple factors, such as what you’re selling and, of course, how serious you are about your business.

Pro tip: If you want to make the most of your Etsy shop, we’d recommend optimizing your listings. There are some keyword research tools that work well for Etsy (like Keyword Tool Dominator) and could help you crack the market. 

Etsy Revenue Statistics: How Good a Business Is It?

Although Etsy doesn’t actually sell anything itself, it’s still a business. And maintaining the necessary structure to support more than 100 million active users isn’t easy—or cheap.

Is the platform itself profitable?

Let’s take a look into Etsy’s finances. 

12. In 2021, Etsy’s revenue growth was 35%.

(Source: Cision PR Newswire)

As you know by now, Etsy has flourished in recent years. In 2021, the platform reported a total revenue of $2.3 billion, which represents a 35% increase year over year.

Where did this money come from, might you ask?

Well, 74% of it ($1.7 billion) was direct marketplace revenue—i.e., listing and payment fees—whereas the remaining $583 million were services revenue (aka on-site ads).

13. Etsy spent $654.8 million on marketing in 2021 alone.

(Source: United States Securities and Exchange Commission)

Etsy’s annual revenue has risen substantially since the coronavirus pandemic, but so have its marketing expenses.

The platform went from spending $215.6 million in 2019 to splurging $500.8 million in 2020. You read that right—that’s a 132% increase in just one year!

Although the 30.8% increase in marketing expenditures for 2021 might seem modest now, it’s still a fairly significant number. After all, it represents 28.1% of the total revenue for the same year.

Unsurprisingly, most of this money went towards digital ads.

14. Etsy generates 60% of its revenue in the US.

(Source: United States Securities and Exchange Commission)

As of 2022, Etsy’s main revenue stream is still heavily reliant on the domestic market—which isn’t all that surprising given user demographics. What did take us aback is how fast the international Etsy scene has been growing.

Compared to 2020, revenue generated in the US rose by 21%, growing from $1.15 billion to $1.4 billion. On the other hand, revenue from non-US territories (excluding the UK) rose 60%, going from $379 million to $606 million.

The UK is the only country other than the US considered a separate region since it’s the only foreign market whose revenue exceeds a tenth of the total. It’s also the fastest-growing one, surging 69% year over year.

15. Etsy bought Reverb in 2019.

(Source: Etsy)

This compilation of Etsy statistics simply wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Reverb. If you’re a musician, you’ve definitely heard of it—and probably even used it, too. After all, it’s one of the world’s largest marketplaces for musical instruments.

Etsy acquired it in a massive $275 million deal, though Reverb continues to operate as a standalone business. The only difference is that now there’s extensive cooperation going on, mostly centered around improving the search algorithms of both platforms.

Wrap Up

Etsy caters primarily to creative individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset. If you’re just now thinking about turning your hobby into a money-making gig, it could be a good option for you. After reading our collection of Etsy stats, you should have a pretty accurate idea of what running a shop on the platform is like—in terms of numbers, at least.

Of course, if you’re an Etsy veteran, you already know just how great this marketplace is.