Drone technology is driving revolutionary changes across multiple sectors. In this article, we’ll reveal the over 50 key drone statistics and intriguing facts, showcasing the impressive growth and untapped potential of this industry.
Here’s what the drone industry looks like today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Key Drone Stats
- The first official use of a drone was in 1989.
- The global drone market is worth $43 billion as of 2022.
- Revenue in the Drones segment amounts to US$1.32bn in 2023.
- The market is expected to grow annually by 1.21% (CAGR 2023-2028).
- As of 2023, there are 855,860 registered drones in the United States by the FAA.
- 96% of drone owners in the US are men and only 4% are women.
- DJI is the largest consumer drone manufacturer and owns 54% of the global market share as of 2022, and 80% in the U.S. market.
- Demand for drone landing pads has surged since 2023, and they are seen as essential for drones to take off and land.
Drone Owner Demographics
Who’s flying this thing? Mostly men between the ages of 45 and 54, but let’s take a closer look.
- 8% of Americans own a drone.
- 22% of drone owners in the US are between 45 and 54 years old, making this age range the largest segment of drone owners.
- The next largest demographic of drone users is people 35-44 years old owning 20% of drones.
- 25-34 years old is the third largest demographic, owning 17% of drones.
- The smallest group of owners is those 65 and over, making up for only 6% of all drone ownership in the US.
- 70.4% of US drone service providers earn less than $50,000 per year.
Drone Usage Statistics
More often than not, drones are just used for fun. But businesses across dozens of industries find use for them as well.
And, of course, the military.
- 63% of drone registrations (536,183) in 2023 were for recreational purposes.
- 37% of registrations (316,075) were for commercial operations.
- The largest market for commercial drones is the agriculture industry, followed by construction and infrastructure.
- The United States conducted 14,079 military drone strikes between 2015 and 2020.
- The racing drones market is estimated to reach a value of ~$786 million by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of ~19% during the forecast period.
- The military drone market is expected to reach $11.47 billion by 2024.
- The opportunity for drones in the global infrastructure market like land surveys and asset inspections is estimated as high as $45 billion.
- The global agriculture drone market is estimated to be valued at US$3,807 million in 2023.
- According to the US Department of Defense (DoD) estimates, the Pentagon “currently operates more than 11,000 UAS in support of domestic training events and overseas contingency missions.”
Drone Crash and Injury Statistics
Your drone crash probably won’t take out a whole airplane, but it could lead to some gnarly finger injuries.
- There were approximately 4,250 drone injuries from 2015 to 2020.
- 21% of drone injuries occur to those under the age of 18.
- Multirotor drones account for over 70% of reported incidents.
- About 75% of reported drone incidents took place between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., while the remaining 25% occurred overnight.
- 84% of the injured patients in drone accidents were male while only 16% were female.
- The most commonly injured body parts were the upper extremities, specifically the fingers, which accounted for 56% of injuries.
- Other frequently injured body parts were the head (24%), lower extremities (14%), and trunk (6%).
- The most common drone injury diagnoses were lacerations (72%) followed by contusion/abrasion (10%), strain/sprain (5%), and internal injury (5%).
Drone Law Statistics
Just about every state has come up with its own laws regarding where, when, and who can use drones.
- There are more than 150 state laws regulating drones.
- Six states—Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee—prohibited UAS from flying over some property, including correctional and other facilities for utilities, defense, telecommunications, and railroads.
- All states except Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Carolina have laws regulating the use of drones.
Drones + FAA Statistics
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a… drone over 55 pounds that must be registered with the FAA!
- If a drone weighs more than 55 pounds, it must be registered with the FAA’s aircraft registry. As a result, many consumers buy drones under 250 grams.
- The FAA receives more than 100 unmanned aircraft sightings each month.
- Part 107 is the guidelines for recreational drone usage. It includes restrictions on the purpose of flying the drone, interfering with other aircraft, keeping the drone within your sight, and what hours/where recreational users can fly drones.
- A Part 107 waiver is necessary for drone pilots that want to fly their drone outside of the Part 107 rules.
- 46% of Part 107 waiver requests are granted, while 54% are rejected.
- 92% of Part 107 waivers granted by the FAA are for flying drones at night.
- 5% of Part 107 waivers granted by the FAA are for flying drones in restricted airspace, like near airports and government buildings.
- 2% of Part 107 waivers granted by the FAA are for drones flying beyond visual line of sight, from a moving vehicle, and over populated areas.
Drone Revenue and Cost Statistics
Drones are a multi-billion dollar industry but you can buy one for the price of a very nice dinner out (or a few Starbucks drinks).
- Most revenue for the drone industry is generated in China (US$1,394.00m in 2023).
- Per person, drones generated revenues of US$3.92 in 2023.
- The average cost of a drone in 2022 is $540.
- Global drone revenue is expected to grow to $63.6 billion by 2025.
- The potential future value of drones in various sectors is estimated to be around $127 billion by 2032.
- Businesses and the government spent a combined total of $13 billion on drones in the past year.
- In the US, about one-third of drone purchases have been for models costing over $2,000.
- The global drone market is projected to reach a total value of $55.8 billion by 2030, with Asia being the fastest-growing market with a CAGR of 19.4%.
- Customized drone landing pad designs are a fast-growing area of drone accessories.
Drone Market and Market Growth Statistics
The market is expected to soar just as high as the drones themselves.
- The drones segment volume is expected to be 2.79m pieces by 2028.
- The drone segment is expected to show a volume growth of 6.3% in 2024.
- The market is expected to grow annually by 3.20% (CAGR 2023-2028).
- The drone services market is estimated to grow from USD $13,991 million in 2021 to USD $40,737 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 23.8%
Market Outlook for Drones
The multi-billion dollar drone market is expected to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Drones are becoming more popular for both recreational and commercial use each day.
Asia is expected to maintain its standing as the largest segment of the drone market.
As drones become more and more popular across multiple industries (including military use), laws and regulations may shift. For now, recreational use is just fine as long as you follow the rules or get a waiver.