Industry statistics · 2026 update
Direct sales by the numbers. The real ones.
Updated Oct. 2, 2026 with 2025 US data and 2024 global data
$34.2B
US retail sales, 2025
5.2M
US direct sellers, 2025
34.8M
US customers, 2025
$163.9B
Global sales, 2024
US sales
Four years of decline from the 2021 peak.
US direct selling retail sales
Billions of dollars, 2021–2025
Show as a table
| Item | Sales |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $42.7B |
| 2022 | $40.5B |
| 2023 | $36.7B |
| 2024 | $34.7B |
| 2025 | $34.2B |
What the trend says
- Sales fell from $42.7B to $34.2B between 2021 and 2025.
- The WFDSA calls the US the largest decline worldwide, a three-year compound rate of −6.6%.
- Services, not products, are now the biggest category, and the only one that grew in 2025.
- The decline lines up with companies moving to affiliate and direct-to-consumer models.
What sells
Services overtook wellness.
US sales by product category, 2025
Billions of dollars
Show as a table
| Item | Sales |
|---|---|
| Services | $14.7B |
| Wellness | $9.9B |
| Home & family care | $4.2B |
| Personal care | $3.1B |
| Clothing & accessories | $1.5B |
| Leisure & educational | $0.8B |
+10%
Services
the only category up, 2024→25
−14%
Home & family
the steepest fall, 2024→25
Who sells
Mostly women, mostly part-time, mostly over 35.
73%
are women
27% are men
92%
work part-time
4.8M part-time vs 0.4M full-time (30+ hours a week)
Age of US participants, 2025
Share of direct sellers and discount buyers
Show as a table
| Item | Share |
|---|---|
| Under 25 | 6% |
| 25–34 | 15% |
| 35–44 | 23% |
| 45–54 | 23% |
| 55–64 | 20% |
| 65+ | 13% |
Source: DSEF/DSA, Direct Selling in the United States: 2025 Industry Overview (Aug. 2026). Part-time share computed from DSEF’s 4.8M part-time and 0.4M full-time sellers.
Worldwide
A $164 billion industry that has stopped growing.
Top 10 direct selling markets, 2024
Retail sales, billions of US dollars
Show as a table
| Item | Sales |
|---|---|
| United States | $34.7B |
| Germany | $19.1B |
| China | $15.5B |
| South Korea | $15.1B |
| Malaysia | $10.2B |
| Japan | $9.6B |
| Brazil | $7.8B |
| Mexico | $6.8B |
| France | $4.7B |
| Taiwan | $4.6B |
40.3%
Asia/Pacific
the largest region by sales
37.3%
The Americas
21.6%
Europe
29.0%
Wellness
the largest product category worldwide
What people earn
The number recruiters rarely lead with.
≤ $1,000
a year for most participants
in the 70 MLM income disclosures the FTC reviewed. That's under $84 a month, before expenses.
17
MLMs where most made nothing
“In at least 17 MLMs, most participants didn’t make any money at all.” (FTC)
~50%
lost money
“Nearly half of the distributors lost money; about one-quarter broke even.” (AARP Foundation)
…most participants made $1,000 or less per year — that’s less than $84 dollars per month.
FTC figures: FTC staff report on 70 MLM income disclosure statements (Sept. 2024). AARP figures: AARP Foundation, Multilevel Marketing study (2018), a survey of 601 past participants; of those who made a profit, more than half earned less than $5,000. Sales-per-seller: DSEF.
About these numbers
Sources and definitions
- DSEF/DSA, Direct Selling in the United States: 2025 Industry Overview (Aug. 2026)
- WFDSA, Global Direct Selling Report 2024 (Nov. 2025)
- WFDSA, North America Reports 2021–2023
- FTC staff report on 70 MLM income disclosure statements (Sept. 2024)
- AARP Foundation, Multilevel Marketing study (2018)
“Direct sellers” are people who signed an agreement to sell; “discount buyers” signed one only to buy at a discount. WFDSA’s US “individuals active” count (12.2 million in 2024) combines both. Category shares for 2025 are computed from DSEF’s dollar values. Direct Sales Aid is an independent directory and is not affiliated with the Direct Selling Association, DSEF or WFDSA.
Compare the companies behind the numbers.
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