Japan’s animation industry surged 14.8 percent to reach record revenues of $25 billion (3.8 trillion yen) in 2024, with most of the growth driven by the expanding international popularity of Japan’s favorite art form. The results were released this week by the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), which presented a preview of its annual Anime Industry Report 2025 at the TIFFCOM content market held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The report showed what a global business anime has become, with overseas revenue accounting for 56 percent of 2024’s total sales at $14.25 billion (2.17 trillion yen), while Japanese domestic revenues reached $10.97 billion (1.67 trillion yen), 44 percent.
Overseas revenues also delivered the bulk of last year’s growth, with a 26 percent year-on-year uptick to $14.27 billion (2.17 trillion yen), while local sales rose just 2.8 percent to $10.98 billion (1.67 trillion yen). Overall growth in 2024 was stronger than any year other than 2019, when sales ticked up 15.3 percent, the authors said.
“The overseas market now far exceeds local revenues, and this gap will only widen,” said Masahiko Hasegawa, the AJA report’s lead author. “Growth today includes bundled contracts that span theatrical rights, streaming, merchandising, and events — not just content distribution.”
The strong 2024 expansion doesn’t even include the historic recent success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which released on Sept. 12 and has become the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time with a staggering $670 million at the global box office office. The offbeat anime fantasy Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has continued the eye-popping earnings this fall, bringing in $139 million worldwide since its Oct. 24 launch. Both films were released by Sony’s anime unit, Crunchyroll, in partnership with Sony Pictures.
The AJA has been collecting detailed data on the industry for 22 years. The organization reports that the anime business has experienced steady growth every year since 2009 — and even expanded consistently through the pandemic. International revenue for Japan’s anime sector overtook domestic sales for the first time in 2020.
The report also tracks the revenue growth of anime studios, the industry’s engine. This production business also set a record in 2024, with 9.1 percent year-on-year growth and $3.06 (466.2 billion) in total sales. Overseas studio revenue reached $781 million (118.8 billion yen), showing how much of anime’s worldwide success is still fueled by creative work done at home in Japan.
