Adults and the toy market: some figures

This is in light of a study carried out by the Circana firm, which is currently being reported by the entire press (Le Monde, Le Parisien, All Entrepreneurs) that we are currently obtaining some precise figures on the toy market. We learn, for example, that 36% of turnover Products made in the toy sector are targeted at a population known as "kidults," which includes all customers over the age of 12, a segment that currently represents 15% of the toy market.

This is a topic that often comes up in discussions among adult LEGO fans: what percentage of the manufacturer's sales are made by adults? It's difficult to know without precise figures, and even then, it would be necessary to properly define who these adults are. At what age does a customer become an adult? The category used as a reference in various studies simply divides the customer base into two groups: under 12 and over 12.

We know that an increasingly large portion of LEGO's offerings is clearly identified as being aimed at an adult audience, but this is not to the detriment of the rest of the manufacturer's product range, which, according to a study by the Circana firm and arbitrarily attributing the percentage to the LEGO brand, still accounts for the remaining two-thirds of sales. We do know, however, that the market share attributed to construction toysacross all brands, but with LEGO inevitably at the forefront, progressed by 37% this year.

So, we're far from the tidal wave that some are convinced they saw coming for LEGO, imagining, for example, that the adult market share would have overtaken that of children. The study confirms that the share of the over-12 age group in the toy market is increasing significantly, but this includes teenagers, who we assume were already, in some cases, consuming LEGO products.

Certainly, there is probably more and more adults that consume LEGO products, that's a fact, and the study mentions a trend in the toy market unprecedented increase of 22% over the first three quarters of 2025 for this segment of the customer base. The arrival of this customer base also allows the market to show impressive growth, given the economic context, of 9% over the period, bearing in mind that purchases related to the end-of-year holidays are not yet fully accounted for and that the last quarter accounts for 52% of annual sales.

The study, as always, was conducted via survey, and the toy market also has a specific characteristic: in all cases, it is adults who buy and pay for children's toys. It remains to be quantified the proportion of adults who admit to buying toys for themselves; we know that in recent years this has become more common with LEGO toys, particularly due to the evolution of the brand's portfolio with products clearly identified as targeting adult customers. the LEGO BOTANICALS range leading the way with products regularly ranking among the top sellers across all brands. The plastic flower range has even climbed to the top this year. in the top three best-selling countries in France behind the Pokémon license and ahead of the Lilo & Stitch license.

The brand's popularity and its "geek" image, thanks to the presence of highly fashionable licenses, also make it easier to embrace one's passion for LEGO bricks through a particular universe highly prized by collectors, such as Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings. licensed toys represent in passing 30% of current salesIt is therefore easier for an adult surveyed to admit that they buy toys for themselves. This was far from being the case just a few years ago.

It's difficult to know if LEGO will ever communicate specifically on this subject. I doubt it, as the brand likely doesn't want to shift its image to one side or the other of a market it clearly intends to dominate. Everyone can see that LEGO's adult product line is constantly evolving, with ever more expensive items, so we can deduce that the manufacturer is profiting handsomely and that demand is stronger and growing than ever.

But that's all we have at this stage, and we know that LEGO doesn't intend to leave children out: the play ecosystem around the Smart Brick promised for 2026 and which we will discuss in more detail very soon, is directly intended for them.