17 Compelling Canadian Toy Industry Statistics for 2024

Toys are advancing in remarkable ways—some allow personalization, while others are interactive. Our toy industry statistics will give you insight into Canada’s growing toy market. In the coming sections, we feature stats and facts on the toy industry and consumer trends, as well as give answers to the most commonly asked questions. Keep reading for the details.

Top 10 Toy Industry Statistics for 2022

• The global toy market is anticipated to generate revenues of over US$120 billion by 2023.
• China was expected to generate the most revenue—US$68,938 million in 2021.
• The global toy market size in 2019 was US$90.7 billion.
• The highest average amount spent per child was recorded in the UK—$438 per child.
• In Canada, the average yearly household expenditure on toys is $170.
• The Canadian toy industry sales increased by 12% in 2020, trends in the toy industry show.
• The trade value of sports requisites, games, and toys imported to Canada was US$4.19 billion.
• There were 584 game, toy, and hobby supplies stores in Ontario as of June 2020.
• Amazon.ca was the most popular online store in 2018 for the Toys & Baby category in Canada.
• Sales of adult toys spiked during COVID-19 isolation in 2020.

Global Toy Industry Trends

In the section below, you will learn about the standing of the toy industry on a global scale. Continue reading if you cannot wait to find out who led the industry in 2019 or how much revenue it is forecast to generate in the near future.

1. The toy and game industry leader in 2019 was Bandai Namco. 

(Statista)

According to toy industry facts, Bandai Namco, a Tokyo-based multinational video game developer and publisher, generated US$6.6 billion. Danish brand, Lego, followed Bandai Namco with more than US$5.78 billion in revenue. Other giants in the toy industry include Hasbro, Jakks Pacific, and Mattel.

2. The global toy market is anticipated to generate revenues of over US$120 billion by 2023.

(Research and Markets)

Moreover, the global toy market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 4% during 2017–2023. Two of the most significant factors increasing the global market’s growth include the growth of dual-income households and improved purchasing sentiments.

3. The worldwide toy market is projected to add over US$30 billion between 2019–2025, international toy industry facts show.

(PR Newswire)

Similar to the board games market, the toy market has witnessed astounding growth in the last decade. One of the accelerating trends backing its growth is sustainability. In other words, the demand for eco-friendly products such as plastic-free games, wooden toys, and stuffed animals made from organic cotton is rising.

4. The 0–3 years segment is forecast to generate more than US$39 billion by 2025, based on toy industry facts and stats.

(PR Newswire)

Statistics on the toy market segmentation reveal that the countries likely to lead the 0–3 years segment are China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. What’s more, by the end of 2025, Africa and the Middle East are forecast to generate US$1.15 billion.

5. China was expected to generate the most revenue—US$68,938 million in 2021.

(Statista) (India Today)

India was anticipated to follow China with US$43,494 million in revenue. That said, India’s toy industry is stricken with quite a number of obstacles. For instance, the import duty on toys has been increased by an astounding 500% within the last two years. That, in turn, drove the prices up, leading to the decline in sales.

6. The global toy market size in 2019 was US$90.7 billion, based on toy sales statistics.

(Toy Association)

The data indicates a 0.5% growth since 2018 and a whopping 15% growth compared to 2014. To put things into perspective, the global toy market size in 2014 was US$79.2 billion. Although the coronavirus pandemic affected the market’s growth, it has not hindered it entirely.

Toy Market Statistics on Spending and Consumer Trends

Expenditures on toys vary significantly from country to country and from household to household. Continue reading if you want to learn just how much Canadians are willing to spend on toys and what drives the most toy sales.

7. The highest average amount spent per child was recorded in the UK—$438 per child.

(WorldAtlas)

Overall, the average amount spent on toys and games per country varies. For instance, toy industry trends reveal that the average amount spent per child in France is $358, while it is $371 in the US. Last on the list of toy expenditures is Spain—$176.

8. In Canada, the average yearly household expenditure on toys is $170.

(Statista)

These toy industry trends and statistics are taken from a 2010–2017 survey of over 17,000 Canadians. Interestingly, stats from 2013 claim that the average expense per buyer on tech toys that year stood at $193, while it was around $203 for traditional toys.

9. Only 9% of Canadians spent between $101–$200 on toys during the holidays in 2018.

(Statista)

Statistics on consumer trends in the toy industry reveal that a surprising 28% of consumers spent anywhere between $1–$100 on toys during the 2018 holiday season. That said, 4% of Canadians opted for toys priced at $201–$300.

10. 72% of Canadian survey respondents claimed that their children wanted toys which their friends had.

(Statista)

Just glancing at one’s toy is enough to spark a child’s interest. An older survey from 2013 demonstrated that kids want the toys their friends are playing with. This particular survey involved over 1,740 parents with children aged 2–12 years.

Canadian Toy Industry Statistics

With 42% of Canadian households having a gaming console, one could safely assume that Canadians sure do love their games. That said, consoles are only one of the numerous segments of the toy market. Now, time to move to the section below to find out the residents’ favourites and their go-tos.

Number of Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores in Canada as of December 2020, by Region

11. Toy industry analysis in 2020 showed that there were 584 game, toy, and hobby supplies stores in Ontario that year.

(Statista) (Government of Canada)

That’s almost twice the number of stores in Quebec (257) and British Columbia (243). Yukon, however, only had a few of these stores. Overall, the number of establishments retailing new toys, games, hobby and craft supplies was estimated to be 2,145 in 2019.

12. Toy industry sales in Canada grew by 12% during the first three quarters of 2020.

(ToyBook)

Little Tikes, Star Wars, Barbie, Disney Frozen, and Nintendo have become the most rapidly increasing properties in Canada. Sports toys grew 31% through September, while puzzles and games witnessed a 29% growth, and arts and crafts—14%.

13. Retail sales of hobby supplies, games, and toys in 2019 amounted to around $5.15 billion, facts about the toy industry show.

(Statista)

Also, statistics reveal that the sales of traditional games and toys in Canada were forecast to reach $1.85 billion by 2018. When it comes to action figures, their sales were projected to amount to $120.8 million.

14. The trade value of sports requisites, games, and toys imported to Canada was US$4.19 billion. 

(Statista) (World’s Top Exports)

Following the Canadian toy industry statistics, this figure represents a decrease from around US$4.46 billion in 2018. As a side note, the figures in this 2011–2019 survey have been rounded. Overall, when it comes to imports, these three product categories have the biggest shares: vehicles (16.4% of total imports), machinery including computers (15.3%), electrical machinery and equipment (9.7%).

15. In the first half of 2015, plush toys were the leading toy category in Canada, with 21.3% year-over-year sales growth.

(Statista)

Statistics on the toy manufacturing industry show that youth electronics grew by 20.3% in 2015 (compared to the previous year), while games and puzzles grew by 13.1%. The sports & outdoor category witnessed an 11.3% growth, while the action figures category grew by 9.4%.

16. Amazon.ca was the most popular online store in 2018 for the Toys & Baby category in Canada.

(Statista)

More precisely, toy industry market statistics reveal that Amazon.ca generated a revenue of US$176.1 million in 2018. It is then followed by Wallmart.ca with US$105.9 million and Costco.ca with US$95.1 million in revenue. Note that the Toys & Baby category includes selling products and toys for babies, such as care products, bottles, playpens, strollers, etc.

17. Still, 66.2% of survey respondents claimed they mostly buy baby toys in-store.

(Statista)

Pre-pandemic toy industry statistics show that Canadian consumers preferred buying baby toys in physical stores, driving the visits of Walmart and other retail giants. That said, we believe the number of in-store shoppers is likely to decrease as more Canadians turn to online shopping.

Conclusion

Overall, these toy industry statistics reveal that the Canadian market is driven by fast-changing consumer preferences, increased online sales due to the pandemic, and the rising demand for high-quality, eco-friendly products. Finally, with the giftware industry on the rise, we can expect to see the further growth of the toy market both in Canada and worldwide.

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FAQ

What is the toy industry worth?

Statistics for 2020 show that the toy industry in the US is worth an estimated US$32.6 billion, representing a 16.7% growth from 2019. As for Canada’s toy industry in 2020, retail sales of hobby supplies, games, and toys add up to $5.15 billion.

The revenue of the Canadian Toys & Games segment was projected to reach US$4,875 million in 2021. What’s more, the stats point to a 2.9% annual market growth during 2021–2025.

When it comes to the global toy market, stats reveal that China generates the most revenue in the Toys & Games segment—US$68,938 million. China is closely followed by India (US$43,494 million), United States (US$33,038 million), and Japan (US$12,391 million).

(Statista) 

Is the toy industry growing?

Yes! Globally, the toy market is forecast to generate a revenue of over US$120 billion by 2023. To top it all off, the toy industry statistics point to a notable CAGR of 4% during 2017–2023.

(Research and Markets)

What toy company makes the most money?

According to statistics from 2017, the most valuable toy manufacturer globally was Lego, with a total value of US$7.6 billion. Nevertheless, a newer survey released in 2020 claims that the toy company with the most revenue in 2019 was Bandai Namco with around US$6.6 billion, followed by Lego with US$5.7 billion. Hasbro and Mattel come right after with US$4.7 billion and US$4.5 billion in revenue, respectively.

(Brand Finance) (Statista)

Who sells the most toys in the world?

The largest toy seller globally is McDonald’s, distributing an estimated 1.5 billion toys every year— that’s more than Mattel and Hasbro. In fact, an estimated 20% of total sales at McDonald’s restaurants include a toy.

(Considerable)

How big is the toy industry?

The global toy industry is gigantic. According to the latest calculations, global toy sales amounted to US$90.7 billion in 2019, marking a 15% increase compared to 2014 (US$79.2 billion).

(Toy Association)

What is the biggest toy company in the world?

Bandai Namco was the biggest toy company in 2019, based on worldwide revenue figures. As mentioned before, this Japanese video game publisher and developer generated an impressive US$6.6 billion between 2018 and 2019.

(Statista)

Sources:

• Brand Finance
• Considerable
• Government of Canada
• India Today
• PR Newswire
• Research and Markets
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Toy Association
• ToyBook
• WorldAtlas
• World’s Top Exports