Anime Is Taking Over the World as Japan’s Industry Hits Record $28.2 Billion

Anime has officially become a massive global business, with Japan’s anime industry hitting a record $28.2 billion in worldwide consumer spending in 2025. That’s a 15.8% jump from the previous year, with both international and domestic markets seeing impressive growth.

When I was in high school, I used to get so much crap from people for watching anime. Back then, I never would’ve imagined it becoming this mainstream, and it’s pretty awesome to see how far it’s come.

The funniest part is that my dad, who gave me plenty of grief for watching anime growing up, now watches almost nothing but anime himself! It’s hilarious, and it drives my mom nuts!

But it’s easy to see why anime has become so popular. The storytelling is fantastic, the characters are great, and there are so many great shows and movies out there. People are discovering what anime fans have appreciated for decades, and they’re loving it.

According to preliminary figures from the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), worldwide spending on Japanese anime reached $28.2 billion in 2025. Hasegawa Masahiro, editor-in-chief of the AJA’s annual Anime Industry Report, revealed the numbers during TIFFCOM, the industry market held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival.

The 15.8% increase marks the industry's fastest annual growth on record, narrowly beating the 15.7% increase reported in 2024. International spending remains the biggest piece of the business, climbing 17.2% to $16.1 billion. Overseas audiences now account for 57.1% of the anime market, compared to 56.5% the previous year.

What makes these numbers particularly interesting, though, is what's happening in Japan. Domestic anime spending jumped 14.1% to $12.1 billion, a major improvement over the previous year's 4.6% growth.

For years, anime's international popularity was growing much faster than its home market. That changed in 2025, with Japanese audiences spending significantly more while overseas demand continued to rise.

International anime revenue first surpassed domestic revenue in 2023, and the gap has continued to grow. Hasegawa noted that currency exchange rates and global market conditions also affect these figures, so the international growth isn't simply about individual shows becoming more popular.

The AJA tracks anime spending across everything from movies, television, and streaming to merchandise, music, and live events. It also measures how much money animation studios actually earn.

That studio revenue reached another record of $3.2 billion, up 8.4% from the previous year. International business accounted for 27.9% of studio revenue, compared to 25.5% in 2024.

While that percentage might seem small considering anime's global popularity, studios don't always work directly with international distributors and other overseas partners. That's also beginning to change as studios take greater control of their creations.

“The idea of studios holding the rights to their own works and managing them to generate revenue is growing year by year,” Hasegawa said.

You don't have to look far to see how much Japanese anime has taken over entertainment. Shows like Attack on Titan, Death Note, One Piece, and Demon Slayer have built enormous international fan bases.

In fact, Japanese anime accounts for 100 of IMDb's 300 most-voted television series, including nine of the top 20. Attack on Titan leads the anime pack with 726,000 votes, ranking ahead of Rick and Morty. Death Note holds the No. 3 spot, while One Piece comes in at No. 9.

Other anime titles in the top 20 include Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Demon Slayer, One-Punch Man, Naruto Shippuden, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Hunter x Hunter.

Japanese anime is also regularly finding success at international box offices and on global streaming charts, something Hasegawa sees as proof that the industry has reached a major turning point. “Just last week, I saw a report that a Japanese anime was No. 2 globally,” he said. “I believe the breakthrough has truly been achieved.”

Japan has even bigger ambitions for its entertainment industry. The government wants overseas content sales to reach $126.9 billion by 2033, with anime contributing $38.1 billion toward that goal.

For perspective, Japanese content generated $38.7 billion in international sales in 2024, with anime responsible for roughly one-third of that total. Reaching those targets means finding new ways to make money beyond streaming subscriptions and movie tickets.

In Japan, anime has long supported a massive business built around toys, collectibles, clothing, music, events, and other merchandise. Internationally, much of the industry's success has come from audiences watching the content itself.

The next opportunity is bringing more of that merchandise-driven business to fans around the world, especially with family-friendly anime that appeals to multiple generations. “By taking the structure that has been built up in Japan overseas, I believe we can grow toward the JPY6 trillion target,” Hasegawa said.

Studios also identified two important areas for international growth: improving localization to fit different languages, cultures, and legal requirements, and strengthening efforts against piracy.

Of course, all this growth also raises questions about the people actually making the anime we love. Ishikawa Kazuko, president of both the AJA and Nippon Animation, emphasized the importance of giving creators and production teams better working conditions as the industry continues expanding.

“Above all, it is essential that we build a better environment in which the creators who make the works, and everyone involved in production management, can devote themselves to creating with peace of mind,” Ishikawa said.

Record-breaking revenue is great, but hopefully that success also translates into a better future for the artists and animators bringing these stories to life.

As someone who grew up loving anime when it was still considered pretty geeky and weird by a lot of people, seeing it become one of the biggest forces in entertainment is just awesome.

There's a reason audiences keep coming back. Anime offers incredible stories, creative worlds, exciting action, and characters that stick with you.

The rest of the world has caught on, and judging by these numbers, anime still has plenty of room to grow.

Source: Variety