The stock photography industry began with static imagery, but it has transitioned into something more diverse, with fast-growing segments including stock video and motion graphics.
Strong demand for visual content driven by social media, digital marketing, and the creator economy continues to fuel substantial growth.
Despite concerns about artificial intelligence, market projections show the industry is expected to grow significantly over the next several years. This suggests that the demand for authentic, high-quality visual content remains stronger than ever.
Key Stats
- The global stock photography market is valued at $4.34 billion
- The global stock photography market is expected to reach $5.62 billion by 2029
- The industry’s expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2029 is 5.3%
- The stock video segment is expected to grow at 8.7% CAGR
- North America accounts for 45% of the industry
- The editorial segment of the market is $2.14 billion globally
- There are an estimated 2+ billion stock photos available online
Please note that all industry statistics and projections include video content as a segment within the larger stock photography industry.
Stock Photography Market Size and Projected Growth
The global stock photography market was estimated at $4.34 billion in 2024. It is expected to grow to $5.62 billion by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% from 2024-2029.
The largest market segment is editorial images, accounting for $2.14 billion globally. The commercial segment is the second largest, at $1.99 billion.
Royalty-free licenses generated 72.4% of the industry’s revenue in 2024.
Images accounted for 68% of industry revenue in 2024. However, revenue from stock videos is expected to grow faster (8.7% CAGR) over the next few years.
The industry’s regional breakdown is:
- North America: 45%
- Western Europe: 25%
- Asia-Pacific: 20%
- Other regions: 10%
The primary drivers of growth include the increasing popularity of visual content in social media and digital marketing. The importance of high-quality visual assets will continue to grow as businesses and content creators aim to gain attention on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and others.
(Sources: Technavio, Market Research Intellect,and Mordor Intelligence)
How Many Stock Photos Are Available Online?
There are an estimated 2+ billion unique stock photos available online. There are no definitive stats that represent the number of images in the entire industry; however, numbers are available for several of the leading stock marketplaces.
| Website | Number of Stock Photos |
| Adobe Stock | 650+ million |
| Getty Images | 475+ million |
| Shutterstock | 450+ million |
| Alamy | 425+ million |
| Depositphotos | 320+ million |
| Dreamstime | 300+ million |
| 123RF | 230+ million |
| Freepik | 200+ million |
| Bigstock | 125+ million |
| Vecteezy | 60+ million |
| YayImages | 30+ million |
| Unsplash | 7+ million |
| Pixabay | 5+ million |
| Pexels | 3+ million |
What Percentage of Stock Photos Are AI-Generated?
AI-generated images reportedly make up about 50% of all stock photos on platforms that allow AI content, as of 2026. In April 2025, Photographer Robert Kneschke found that 47.85% of images at Adobe Stock were AI-generated. Kneschke also reported that AI-generated images accounted for only 2.5% of Adobe Stock’s images in May 2023 and that more than 300 million AI images had been uploaded to the platform from 2023-2025.
Despite the rise of AI and the improved quality and realistic output of AI image and video generators, many users require human-created content, especially in heavily regulated industries. Legal protections, like signed model and property releases, indemnification, and legal guarantees, lead many users to rely on stock marketplaces rather than AI image generators that may expose them to certain risks.
(Sources: PetaPixel, Everyday Life of a Photo Producer, and Mordor Intelligence)
Stock Photo Industry Trends
The industry is transforming as digital technologies and changing consumer preferences reshape how visual content is created, distributed, and consumed. Several key trends are influencing the market’s future direction.
1. Increased Demand for Video and Motion Graphics
The explosive growth of video-centric platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram has created a growing demand for stock video content. Video content creators and editors constantly need fresh footage to enhance their productions or supplement their original content with professional-quality clips and motion graphics.
Unlike stock photography, which has had decades to build comprehensive libraries, the stock video market is still relatively young and rapidly expanding.
2. Growing Popularity of Vertical Photos and Videos
The dominance of mobile devices has created a strong shift toward vertical orientation in stock photos and videos. As more consumers access content primarily through their phones, vertical images and videos provide a better viewing experience and take advantage of the full screen real estate. Marketers have recognized this shift and are actively seeking vertical content for their campaigns.
3. Authenticity
Today’s stock photo users want visual content that feels genuine and authentic. They prefer images and videos that feel more like user-generated content than the stereotypical stock photos that have been seen millions of times. Stock visuals that won’t be immediately recognized by viewers as stock content are more likely to be downloaded.
4. Subscription-Based Pricing
Here at Vecteezy, subscription-based pricing has been the norm since we introduced Vecteezy Pro in 2010. Traditionally, credit-based prices and individual license purchases have been more common throughout the industry, but a growing number of platforms have shifted to subscriptions.
Subscriptions allow users to get more for their money and benefit from predictable costs, which helps with budgeting.
5. AI Tools
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming multiple aspects of the stock photography ecosystem, from content discovery and management to image creation itself. AI-powered search capabilities and automated tagging systems have improved the user experience for both buyers and contributors, making it easier to find and categorize relevant content.
Here at Vecteezy, we’ve developed an AI-powered background remover and leveraged AI to create a powerful reverse image search functionality.
Conclusion
The stock photography industry’s fundamentals remain strong even as revolutionary technologies reshape the landscape. With the global market projected to reach $5.62 billion by 2029 and a steady 5.3% compound annual growth rate, the industry’s resilience in the face of AI disruption demonstrates the high value of authentic, high-quality visual content.
Featured image by Myron Standret.