Sparta, NJ—The number of photos captured globally each year is reaching into the trillions. Driven primarily by the number of smartphones in use as well as their continued popularity for capturing photos, Rise Above Research estimates the annual number of photos captured globally will exceed 2.5 trillion images by 2029. To put that into perspective, that’s more than 300 photos per year for every man, woman and child.
“Photography has been an essential part of people’s live for almost 200 years. And today its more popular than ever when you consider the huge amount of photos being taken,” said Ed Lee, director and founder of Rise Above Research.
“These photos represent opportunities for everyone in the photo industry, including handset and camera vendors, software vendors, storage services and print providers. Helping people do more with the images they capture and store is an untapped opportunity. Advances made in AI technology could help consumers scan through these images and recommend products they can make or things they can do with these photos.”
2.5 Trillion Images and More Findings 
- The number of photos taken globally will grow at a linear rate from 2025.
- Smartphones account for the vast majority of those photos.
- The number of saved photos will reach 12+ trillion images in 2025.
The 2025 Worldwide Image Capture Forecast report provides a five-year forecast for the number of photos expected to be taken globally. It also includes:
- Shares of photos taken by smartphones, cameras as well as tablets
- Which regions of the world are most photo active
- The cumulative number of photos saved
