Rise Above Research forecasts a global surge in photos captured

Rise Above Research estimates the annual number of photos captured globally will approach 2.5 trillion by 2030. This translates to almost 300 photos per year for every man, woman, and child in the world.

“Photography remains an essential part of people’s lives. Its popularity grows as camera specifications continue to improve and artificial intelligence makes devices even smarter. The result is billions of photos captured every day,” said Ed Lee, director and founder of Rise Above Research. “The huge volume of digital photos creates opportunities for the entire photo industry. The key is helping people use these images. For example, artificial intelligence can make product recommendations, helping consumers turn their stored photos into something they can use or print.”

With the taking and sharing of photos on the rise, the global number of photos taken annually is expected to grow at a linear rate through 2030, with smartphones accounting for the vast majority of them. In addition, the cumulative number of photos that are saved is estimated to reach 20 trillion images in 2030.

The 2026 Worldwide Image Capture Forecast report provides a five-year forecast for the number of photos expected to be taken globally. It also includes the shares of photos taken by smartphones, cameras, and tablets; which regions of the world are most photo-active; and the cumulative number of photos saved.

Other upcoming reports

• Photo Card, Photo Book and Photo Calendar BuyingTrends Reports  – We’ve recently published a set of buying trends reports that cover the last five years of relevant consumer survey data information for photo cards, photo books and photo calendars, including the percentage of consumers buying these products, the average amounts ordered by online for mail delivery, online for store pickup and in retail stores, and spending.

• 2025 US Photo Merchandise Study  – The 2025 US Photo Merchandise Study is the most in-depth consumer study on photo merchandise in the US. Fielded in September – October 2025, it provides the results of an extensive online survey of 1,271 US consumers between the ages of 13 and 79 and covers a broad range of products including photo cards, photo books, photo calendars and photo wall/tabletop décor, as well as other products. It includes both quantitative and qualitative questions on buying habits, attitudes and future buying expectations, as well as questions on how economic uncertainty has impacted buying behaviors. The study includes three sets of data tabulations in both PDF and Excel format, PowerPoint slides and a written report.