Over the past couple of years, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning have started to find a place for themselves in many of our regular day to day conversations. You can discuss augmented reality with friends, family, or people you’ve just met, because more often than not, people will have something to share on the matter.
- 10 Fascinating Facts about Augmented Reality
- General Augmented Reality Statistics
- Augmented Reality Market Size
- Augmented Reality in Education Statistics
- Augmented Reality Retail Statistics
- Augmented Reality Revenue
- 14 AR Companies Around The World In 2021
- Augmented Reality Trends
$3.5 billion is the total market value of augmented reality (AR) today.
Looking at some of the most interesting augmented reality stats, we can easily find some mind blowing numbers that will make us realize the huge potential and exponential growth this industry is going through at the moment.
1% of retailers have stated that they are already using augmented reality.
But you don’t need to take my word for it. We can look over some of the most interesting and exciting augmented reality statistics for 2021 and for the years to come.
Augmented Reality has over 1 billion users in 2020.
Start scrolling to learn more about augmented reality, by looking at the numbers and analyzing the latest stats.
10 Fascinating Facts about Augmented Reality
- $9.7 billion is the total worth of AR/VR headsets as of 2020.
- Augmented Reality had over 1 billion users in 2020.
- 2.4 billion AR mobile users are the projected number for 2023.
- $3.5 billion is the total market value of augmented reality (AR) today.
- $18 billion is the total estimated market value of augmented reality by 2023.
- The United States has approximately 83.1 million people using AR.
- AR is growing at a 73.8% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate).
- 65.9 million AR/VR headsets will be used in 2022.
- $9.7 billion is the total worth of AR/VR headsets as of 2020.
- Microsoft sold more than 50,000 Hololens units.
General Augmented Reality Statistics
Augmented reality has all the necessary requirements of becoming the world’s leading disruptive technology in the upcoming period, especially if adoption rates will continue to grow.
Augmented Reality had over 1 billion users in 2020.
That’s 1 out of every 8 people living on the planet, just to put things into perspective.
Augmented Reality (AR) has surpassed Virtual Reality (VR) in revenue for the year 2020.
This just proves to show the huge potential AR has in changing the way most companies operate at the moment.
16-34 is the age group that uses AR the most.
Augmented reality uses many games and devices to “showcase†its capabilities and this will prove to be a real game-changer in the future, especially since the most economically viable age group is the one using AR the most.
Approximately 70% of people aged between 16 to 44 years know what AR is or have some basic knowledge on the matter.
One of the most important economical categories of today’s society is very well aware of AR and its many possible uses.
2.4 billion AR mobile users is the projected number for 2023.
That means that 1 out of every 4 people will have some form of AR or AR-related applications on their smartphone or tablet.
208 different meanings are currently in use for the acronym AR (Augmented Reality).
It’s funny how you could wind up reading about a completely different subject, simply by searching “AR + add any words here†on Google.
3.5 billion is the total estimated number of augmented reality installs on mobile devices.
The numbers apply for the year 2022, which will be a record-breaking year for AR, so far.
1,952 augmented reality companies were listed on AngelList in 2020.
AngelList is one of the biggest angel investing platforms in the United States, having over 5 million companies displayed in their portfolio.
AR amounts for 2,151 investors and 527 jobs on AngelList.
These numbers are pretty high, considering that they amount to more than the total number of AR companies listed on the platform.
Pokemon Go turned AR into a worldwide phenomena in 2016.
Most people used augmented reality for the first time when they played the Pokemon Go app.
Augmented Reality Market Size
The Augmented Reality industry is constantly growing, and given the fact that it is such a new technology, growth potential can be exponential in this sector.
$3.5 billion is the total market value of augmented reality (AR) today.
AR is generating billions of dollars per annum, which means that it is one of the world’s leading new technologies.
$18 billion is the total estimated market value of augmented reality by 2023.
Augmented reality market leaders will drive this industry to grow by approximately 5 times within just 2 years.
Approximately 3.5 billion augmented reality users will be registered by 2022.
In less than 1 year, 1 out of every 4 people will be using augmented reality almost on a daily basis.
The United States has approximately 83.1 million people using AR.
Most users don’t even realize that they are using augmented reality in their day-to-day lives when they’re accessing apps or playing games.
85 million is the number of Americans using mobile AR.
That’s a quarter of the total United States population.
AR is growing at a 73.8% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate).
The market size of augmented reality games is a huge factor when it comes to this exponential CAGR which is predicted for the time period between 2019 and 2025.
46% of Americans are using AR without knowing it.
It’s easy to make confusion in this regard, especially if you use apps like Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook. They use AR filters, and that means that you’ve been using a form of augmented reality without you even knowing it.
9% is the United Kingdom’s total AR global market share.
Augmented reality statistics for the UK show that the country has over 1,000 companies registered as AR/VR enterprises.
15.6% is the total share of AR/VR consumer spending on hardware.
That means that most of the money is coming from games, apps and add-ons.
$50 billion is the total projected market value of augmented reality by 2024.
The amounts will only grow higher and higher with more companies and more consumers getting involved in AR.
Approximately 17% of Americans will use augmented reality on a monthly basis 2022.
That’s more than 50 million consumers in the United States.
Around 26% of all smartphones in the world today are ARKit- or ARCore-compatible.
This means that 1 out of every 4 smartphones in the world has built-in AR functions, making augmented reality much more accessible to a larger population.
Augmented Reality in Education Statistics
Augmented reality has proven itself to be a very strong and efficient tool when it comes to the educational sector. Both students and specialized professionals use AR as a form to learn and improve their skills.
Microsoft sold more than 50,000 Hololens units.
Microsoft’s Hololens’ 1st generation AR glasses first came into existence back in 2016, and since then they have been used in educational institutions, tested by developers and applied for various businesses.
Approximately 70% of all Americans don’t know exactly what augmented reality is.
However, this does not mean that they are opposed to learning more, especially if AR were to be implemented more in education.
30% is the United States’ average Augmented Reality literacy rate.
The education sector still has a lot of room to grow when it comes to AR adoption, but the numbers and trends are positive regarding this aspect.
70% of AR consumers consider augmented reality a good learning tool.
People say that they use AR in order to improve their personal and professional skills.
AR was invented in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland.
He was a Harvard professor that designed the first AR version of a head mounted display screen which he called the “Sword of Damocles.â€ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
1990 was the year when the term “AR†was finally coined.
Tim Caudell, a Boeing researcher,.is the person behind the term “augmented reality.â€ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
AR will “step inside the classroom†by 2022.
Based on the COVID-19 pandemic situation, when most schools around the world were shut down, AR has been making rapid steps into being widely implemented as an alternative learning method in 2022. More than 95% of students have smartphones, which will make the transition a lot easier.
Augmented Reality Retail Statistics
Retail is one of the industries that has adopted augmented reality at a very rapid pace, seeing its huge potential to generate revenue even from its early stages.
1% of retailers have stated that they are already using augmented reality.
Although only 1% of retail companies stated that they were using AR as part of their operations, the numbers will most definitely rise in the next couple of years.
Approximately 67% of all media planners and buyers choose augmented and virtual reality ads.
The numbers apply for ads that are part of digital marketing campaigns, which proves yet again just how effective AR and VR can be in generating sales.
Around 63% of online shoppers said that Augmented Reality improved their experience.
With such huge numbers, the future of AR in retail looks extremely bright.
Another 61% of online shoppers choose websites that offer an AR experience.
And this percentage refers to people who are also making a purchase, meaning that they generate revenue for online stores that have implemented AR in one form or another.
45% of people say that augmented reality shortens their decision making time.
Judging by these augmented reality stats, we can easily see that people are willing to spend more money and less time on deciding whether or not to buy something.
$100 is the estimated cost to mass produce a new AR headset prototype.
Leap Motion is the company behind this new prototype that could make AR headsets accessible worldwide.
52% of all retailers consider themselves unprepared for AR integration.
That means that more than half of the world’s retailers don’t have the necessary infrastructure or specialized personnel to handle AR adoption and integration.
66% of all Japanese consumers want some form of AR experience from the offline stores they visit.
AR is being more and more pushed in retail, so much to the extent that even brick and mortar stores have to start offering augmented reality experiences to attract clients.
5% of the total AR apps and products will be used in retail by 2022.
Retail is an industry that will have gained 5% of the total augmented reality market by the end of next year.
Approximately 100 million people have shopped using augmented reality in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic also had a huge impact on the growth of AR in online shopping.
Around 39% of all AR retailers use augmented reality for the consideration phase.
Retailers use this as part of their strategy to make the consumer’s experience all the more enjoyable, thus making the end-user much more likely to purchase a product or a service.
16% of all retailers use augmented reality for their sales phase.
AR can help in sealing the deal with consumers and potential customers.
Businesses can get a 40% higher conversion rate by using augmented reality.
That almost doubles the current conversion rate for most retailers present on the market today.
Augmented Reality Revenue
The revenues generated by the global AR and VR sectors is extremely impressive, especially if you think about the fact that over 20 years ago this technology was barely growing roots.
37.4% is the total share of consumer spending out of the total AR/VR customer market.
This means that more than a third of the money in this industry comes from consumer spending.
$9.7 billion is the total worth of AR/VR headsets as of 2020.
The GDP of the entire country of Chad is $9.87 per year. That’s just how impressive the AR/VR industry actually is.
35% of online shoppers say that AR would influence them to spend more time shopping online.
This means that if companies are looking to increase their revenues in the near future, augmented reality could prove itself to be a very nice addition to their product or service.
49% of people state that they are willing to pay more for something if they are being offered an AR preview.
Almost half of all online shoppers have no issue with spending more money, thus generating a company more revenue, as long as they are being offered some form of augmented reality preview for the product or service they are thinking of buying.
$7.05 billion is the projected revenue for Augmented and Virtual Reality in the healthcare sector.
Having such huge amounts of money coming in, we will continue to see a rise of investments in AR/VR technology.
Microsoft’s Hololens has a price range between $3,000 and $5,000.
The high price of AR headsets is one of the main reasons why this technology is not being adopted at an even faster rate.
Pokemon Go had over 800 million downloads, being the biggest AR trendsetter in history (so far).
The augmented reality mobile app generated more than $2 billion in revenue in approximately 2 years.
22.8 million AR glasses will be sold in 2022 worldwide.
That’s close to the entire population of a European country like The Netherlands.
14 AR Companies Around The World In 2021
Being such a rapidly growing and constantly expanding industry, the augmented reality companies sitting at the top could very well lose their positions within the next couple of years.
Niantic -US (San Francisco, California, USA)
- 2011 is the year when Niantic was founded and it currently employs 715 people.
- $104 million is this AR’s company total annual revenue.
Scanta (Lewes, DE, USA)
- The company was founded back in 2016 and operates with only 22 employees.
- $4 million is the total generated annual revenue.
Next/Now (Chicago, USA)
- 2011 is the year of foundation for this AR and VR global studio.
- $9.3 million is generated annually by the companies 65 to 74 employees.
4Experience (Bielsko-biala, Slaskie, Poland)
- The company was founded in 2014 and it focuses on AR and VR game and app development and currently employs 31 people.
- It’s the 1st non-American AR top company in the world.
CitrusBits (San Francisco, California, USA)
- $2.8 annual revenue is generated by CitrusBits.
- 54 employees work at the AR company founded way back in 2016.
Apple – US (Cupertino, California, USA)
- $274.5 Billion in annual revenue makes Apple the most important corporation in this top.
- 137,000 people work for Apple, and the company plans on employing more to expand its AR/VR branches.
Microsoft – US (Washington, USA)
- $143 Billion in annual revenue is generated by yet another large corporation present in this top.
- Microsoft has between 100,000 and 144,000 employees, and much like Apple, it plans on expanding its AR/VR research and development teams.
VironIT (San Francisco, California, USA)
- 2004 is the year when the company started operating and it currently has just 22 employees.
- $17.60 million is the company’s total annual revenue.
VR Vision Inc. (Toronto, Canada)
- 31 employees work the largest VR/AR Canadian company in the world.
- $12 million is the total annual revenue generated by VR Vision Inc.
Groove Jones (Dallas, Chicago, USA)
- 35 to 41 employees work for this Dallas and Chicago-based company established in 2015.
- The generate approximately $10.3 million in revenue each year.
Fundamental VR (London, Great Britain)
- With 48 employees, Fundamental VR is the most important UK-based VR/AR company.
- $7.5 million per annum in revenue is generated by the London-based enterprise.
Valence Group/8ninths (Seattle, Washington, USA)
- 2008 is the year when the company was founded in Seattle, WA.
- 4.2 out of 5 is the company’s current rating for AR/VR enterprises active today.
Gravity Jack (Liberty Lake, Washington, USA)
- 2009 is the year of foundation and in just a little over 10 years, the company has managed to be one of the world’s leaders in the AR/VR sector.
- Only 30 employees work for this AR/VR top industry player.
TechSee (Herzliya, Illinois, USA)
- It was founded in 2015 and today it has 81 employees.
- $10 million per year in revenue is generated by this organization.
Augmented Reality Trends
Since augmented reality and virtual reality are growing at a never before seen rate, it comes as no surprise that the number of AR/VR headsets will also rise. This is just one of many visible AR trends of the moment.
65.9 million AR/VR headsets will be used in 2022.
In just 1 year from now, approximately 66 million headsets will be used for gaming, retail, education and science.
65% of AR companies are shifting towards industrial applications.
The latest AR trends show a shift from customer software to the industrial sector.
Augmented Reality on mobile will have 1.96 billion users, surpassing mobile VR usage.
One of the most important trends for augmented reality will be covering more areas through basic mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
AR/VR will play a huge role in the global automobile market, reaching a total value of $673 billion.
This number is projected to be reached by 2025. Augmented reality will go through a 175.7% CAGR in the automobile sector, between 2018 and 2025.
11 AR/VR companies were acquired by Facebook over the past 5 years.
Trends show that AR/VR are becoming more and more profitable and that’s why you have titans like Facebook buying more and more enterprises operating with augmented and virtual reality technology.
5G will lead to an increase in Mobile AR and Accelerated Growth.
With 5G technology getting implemented in more and more countries, augmented reality will stand to gain both popularity and adoption rates.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that augmented reality is about to take off as one of the leading technologies of the future in almost all domains imaginable and unimaginable. The uses of augmented reality can exceed our imagination by far, and it’s up to the professionals working in this field to bring it to an even bigger audience.
Augmented reality stats offer a very promising prediction when it comes to this technology’s adoption rate and benefits it can bring to many industries.
The moment when we’ll see augmented reality being used in healthcare as much as it is being used in gaming, our society and humanity for that matter, will be taken to the next level of evolution.
But that’s our two cents on the matter. What’s your prediction regarding augmented reality?
