Global Market Research Industry Statistics
Key statistics for the global market research industry: $153B market size in 2024 per ESOMAR, 8% growth, sector breakdown, and growth drivers. Sourced from ESOMAR.
The global market research and insights industry provides the data intelligence that businesses, investors, and policymakers need to make informed decisions. From consumer surveys and competitive benchmarking to industry forecasts and segmentation analysis, market research services underpin strategic planning across virtually every sector of the global economy.
Key Statistics: Global Market Research & Insights Industry
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global Insights Industry Size (2024) | ~$153 billion[1] | Research World / ESOMAR |
| Growth vs 2023 | +8% from ~$142 billion[2] | ESOMAR Global Market Research Report |
| Traditional Market Research Sector | ~$56 billion[2] | ESOMAR 2024 |
| Market Research Sector Growth (2024) | +4.8%[2] | ESOMAR 2024 |
| Research Software Growth (2024) | +11.5%[2] | ESOMAR 2024 (fastest-growing sub-sector) |
| Largest Region | North America | ESOMAR |
Industry Sector Breakdown
The global insights industry comprises three distinct sectors, each with different growth profiles:
| Sector | Size (within insights) | 2024 Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Market Research[2] | ~$56B (includes full-service & fieldwork) | +4.8% |
| Research Software[2] | Fastest-growing; subscription & SaaS | +11.5% |
| Reporting / Data Services[2] | Steady; BI and analytics delivery | +8% |
Key Growth Drivers
- Digital Data Proliferation — The exponential growth of online consumer behavior data has expanded the scope and depth of market research, enabling continuous insights that were previously impossible to gather at this scale.
- AI and Automation — Artificial intelligence is accelerating data analysis, enabling faster and more accurate insights at lower cost, and creating new synthetic research methodologies that supplement traditional surveys and interviews.
- Research Software Adoption — The shift from project-based research to continuous, software-enabled insight platforms is the fastest-growing part of the industry, growing at 11.5% per year according to ESOMAR data.
- Evidence-Based Corporate Strategy — Increasing boardroom emphasis on data-driven decision-making is driving research budgets higher across most industries, particularly in technology, consumer goods, and healthcare.
Industry Challenges
- Survey Fatigue — Response rates for traditional surveys have declined as consumers receive more requests for feedback, increasing the cost and complexity of primary data collection at scale.
- Privacy Regulations — GDPR, CCPA, and similar data privacy laws are limiting certain data collection practices and increasing compliance costs for research firms operating globally.
- Data Quality — Ensuring representative, high-quality samples remains challenging in a fragmented digital environment where panelists may participate inconsistently across multiple research platforms.
How Businesses Use Market Research Statistics
- Benchmark research budgets — Companies compare their research spending as a percentage of revenue against industry norms to ensure competitive intelligence parity.
- Evaluate vendor capabilities — Understanding industry segments helps buyers select the right research methodology for their specific decision-making needs.
- Forecast team staffing needs — Insight teams use industry growth trends to plan headcount and capability investments over multi-year horizons.
- Assess market opportunity — Research firms use industry growth statistics to identify geographic and service expansion opportunities.
- Support budget justification — Research leaders use industry size and growth data to demonstrate the business value of maintaining dedicated market intelligence functions.
Related Tool: Use our Market Size Projection Calculator to model how the market research industry may grow over your planning horizon.
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Browse ReportsFrequently Asked Questions
According to ESOMAR and Research World, the global insights industry surpassed $153 billion in 2024, having grown 8% from $142 billion in 2023. The traditional market research sector (surveys, panels, full-service research) represents approximately $56 billion of the broader insights market.
Research software is the fastest-growing sub-sector, growing at 11.5% in 2024 according to ESOMAR data. This includes subscription-based insight platforms, SaaS survey tools, and analytics software that enable continuous rather than project-based research.
According to ESOMAR, the insights industry is divided into (1) traditional market research including full-service firms and fieldwork, (2) research software including subscription and SaaS platforms growing at 11.5% per year, and (3) reporting and data services growing at 8% per year.
Key growth drivers include digital data proliferation enabling new research approaches, AI and automation accelerating analysis at lower cost, rapid adoption of research software platforms replacing one-off project models, and growing corporate investment in data-driven strategy across most industries.
The industry faces survey fatigue causing declining response rates, increasing privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA that restrict certain data collection methods, and ongoing challenges maintaining data quality and sample representativeness in a fragmented digital environment.