China Is the World’s Largest Images Market So Far in 2025

CIPA just lately revealed its year-to-date pictures trade statistics for January by way of June, exhibiting not solely that for the primary half of the yr, digicam and lens shipments are up in comparison with 2023 and 2024, but in addition that the Chinese market is taking part in an more and more necessary function within the digicam trade.

Looking first on the international digicam market up to now this yr, complete shipments of each interchangeable lens cameras and lenses with built-in lenses are trending above 2023 and 2024 throughout the board up to now this yr.

In the case of interchangeable lens cameras, 2025’s shipments are larger than 2023 and 2024 in each month up to now this yr. April has been the perfect month of all, pushed by elevated demand for cameras forward of tariffs being carried out within the United States. Camera corporations releasing latest monetary reviews have famous demand spikes in April, May, and June throughout the board, and this bears out in CIPA’s information. However, the Americas solely account for a few quarter of digicam shipments, so there might be extra to it than that.

In any occasion, whereas January, February, and March have been all trending larger this yr, digicam shipments surged noticeably within the following quarter. In May, for instance, digicam producers shipped 911,996 complete digital cameras, 690,731 of which have been interchangeable lens fashions. This is up from 743,965 cameras in May 2024 and 707,970 cameras throughout the identical month in 2023. That stated, the most important share improve year-over-year was in April, though solely barely.

CIPA additionally tracks lens shipments for interchangeable lens cameras. While it’s true that lens shipments are larger in each month up to now in 2025, the distinction is considerably much less noticeable than with digital digicam shipments. May has been the perfect month for lens shipments up to now, although, with tracked corporations delivery 936,889 lenses.

As Canon Rumors reports, there’s additionally attention-grabbing information to contemplate in the case of the place these shipments are headed.

In 2022, Europe was the most important marketplace for interchangeable lens cameras, accounting for 31% of worldwide shipments tracked by CIPA. That proportion has decreased since, dropping to 27% in 2023, 23% in 2024, and 24.3% this yr — a slight uptick year-over-year.

Asia (not counting China and Japan), the Americas, and Japan have all held comparatively regular over that very same interval, shifting yr to yr by one to 3 share factors every.

However, China is a massively shifting marketplace for ILC shipments. After accounting for simply 19% of the worldwide market in 2022, China’s significance has elevated yearly. China’s share of ILC shipments was 24% in 2023, 27.6% in 2024, and is a whopping 30.5% up to now in 2025, making it the most important marketplace for ILCs by over 5 share factors (the Americas is in second at 25.2%).

Perhaps as attention-grabbing as China’s booming curiosity in interchangeable lens cameras is its comparatively little curiosity in cameras with built-in lenses, together with stylish compact cameras. The Americas and Japan are the most popular markets for these cameras, with the Americas having a 26% share of shipments up to now this yr and Japan at 23%. China, in the meantime, sits simply above Asia with a 16% share.

There are a number of attention-grabbing issues to contemplate right here. One, whereas there was a demonstrable improve in demand for cameras and lenses up to now this yr, pushed partly by Americans attempting to get forward of anticipated tariffs, China’s frequently rising demand for interchangeable lens cameras can be taking part in a big function.

Earlier this yr, Nikkei Asia reported that Generation Z in China is rising more and more dissatisfied with smartphone cameras and leaping to interchangeable lens digicam fashions. The information over the previous few years helps this development, and it exhibits no indicators of slowing down.

It will likely be attention-grabbing to see not provided that this development continues, but in addition how every digicam firm responds to rising pictures demand in China. Different areas exhibit various historic preferences, and digicam corporations should navigate methods to cater to every successfully. One factor is for positive: Chinese digicam prospects are actually a particularly necessary section of the worldwide market.

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