Anime Sells More Overseas than in Japan for First Time
The anime industry has sold more overseas than in Japan for the first time ever, according to a report from the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA).
The AJA report found that the overseas anime market — mainly in North America and China — grew by 3.2% in 2020 compared to 2019. It reached 1.24 trillion yen, or about $10.8 billion.
In Japan, however, the anime market shrank by 9.7% to 1.19 trillion yen, or about $10.4 billion.
The global anime market shrank to 2.43 trillion yen, or about $21.2 billion, in 2020, down 3.5% from 2019. This is the first time the global market has shrunk in 11 years. The AJA said the decrease was caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The report also looked at eight different areas of the anime industry in Japan, some of which were affected more by the pandemic. The live entertainment market, for example, which includes fan events and concerts, shrank more than 65%, while streaming — the only area to experience growth — grew almost 36%.
The overseas anime market has been growing for years, and had been expected to one day overtake the Japanese market. But it took time as the Japanese market grew as well.
According to a 2021 report from Grand View Research, the anime market in North America is expected to continue to grow at over 15% per year from 2021 to 2028. But the market is expected to grow even faster in the Middle East and Africa, at over 17% per year.
