For a long time, the art world was seen as a space dominated by men, from the artists exhibited to the collectors signing the checks. But the latest findings from the Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025 tell a very different story. Women are no longer simply participating in the art market. They are leading it.

Female collectors are spending more than men — by a wide margin

In 2024, high-net-worth women spent 46% more on art than men, a figure that reflects a profound shift in the balance of power within the market. Across both 2024 and the first half of 2025, women outspent men on art purchases, narrowing the historical gap not only in activity but also in influence.

This is far from a niche trend. UBS estimates that women controlled more than one-third of global wealth by the end of 2024, a share expected to grow further with the Great Wealth Transfer, as assets move not only to younger generations but increasingly to wives and female partners.

Sophie Hors, Rue Tournefort jaune, Paris, 2025 available on Artsper

They are buying works by women artists

This shift is not only about who is buying, but also what is being bought. Works by women artists now account for 49% of female collectors’ collections, compared with 40% in male collections. In the United States and Japan, this figure even exceeds 50%.

More than half of female buyers report acquiring works by previously unknown artists, and nearly half of the works in their collections are created by women. As Dr. Clare McAndrew, author of the report, notes, women are “equally risk-aware, but more willing to take risks in practice,” often exploring new mediums and championing emerging voices.

Sophie Petetin, La Couleur de mes Rêves, 2024, available on Artsper

Women artists are gaining ground in the market

This momentum is also evident on the supply side. Women artists accounted for 46% of gallery representation and 42% of sales in the primary market in 2024, up from 39% of sales in 2023. Back in 2018, women represented just 36% of artists represented by galleries and 32% of sales.

Women artists have now reached parity in representation among galleries operating exclusively in the primary market, while galleries active across both primary and secondary markets reported a 4% increase in women artists’ representation in 2025, reaching a historic high of 45%.

What we are seeing at Artsper

Artsper’s internal data reflects this ongoing transformation. The share of women artist profiles created on the platform has more than doubled over the past twelve years, rising from 21% in 2014 to 45% in 2026, bringing new artist biographies close to parity.

This growing representation is also reflected in artistic recognition: women now make up 14% of artists labelled as “great masters” or “renowned artists” on the platform, compared to just 8% ten years ago.

From a market perspective, the share of turnover generated by women artists is also increasing, rising from 32% in 2024 to 33% in 2025. While the price gap between male and female artists remains a challenge, it is narrowing — from -22% in 2024 to -15% in 2025 — an encouraging sign for the years ahead.

Joana Vasconcelos, Filament I, 2014, available on Artsper

What this means for the future

The art market is at a turning point. The buyers shaping its future are younger, more global, more connected, and increasingly female. They are bringing new artists to the forefront, diversifying collections, and redefining what it means to collect with intention.

Artsper is part of this evolution: making art more accessible, reflecting the diversity of creators around the world, and helping everyone find the work that truly resonates with them.