6 Key Insights from the Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025

1. Wealthy Collectors Are Increasing Their Art Allocations

In 2025, art’s role within high-net-worth portfolios strengthened considerably. Collectors allocated an average of 20% of their wealth to art, up from 15% in 2024. Among ultra-high-net-worth individuals with assets above $50 million, the figure climbed to 28%.

Experience remains a decisive factor. Collectors with over two decades of engagement dedicated 24% of their wealth to art, compared to just 16% among those new to the market. Gen Z buyers continue to outperform expectations, assigning an average of 26% of their wealth to art acquisitions.

While blue-chip names continue to anchor most portfolios, 66% of HNW collectors purchased works by artists they had only recently discovered, an 8% rise year-on-year and a significant leap from 43% in 2022. This points to a growing confidence in discovery and an openness to emerging voices.

Within Maddox’s advisory practice, this shift toward art as a defined asset class has been evident in growing collector demand across both established and mid-tier categories, as clients seek structured, long-term strategies for portfolio growth.

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2. Female Collectors Are Reshaping the Market

The influence of women in collecting continues to expand across both market share and cultural impact. In 2024, female collectors spent 46% more on art than men and nearly half of the works in their collections were created by female artists.

Notably, 55% of women collectors reported being open to acquiring works by newly discovered artists, revealing a willingness to champion emerging talent and diversify the narrative of contemporary collecting.

At Maddox, this evolution is reflected across our exhibitions and artist roster. Alongside blue-chip icons such as Yayoi Kusama and Bridget Riley, we champion a new generation of voices, supporting emerging and established female artists including Jessica Brilli and Mulgil Kim. Recent exhibitions have celebrated these perspectives, reinforcing the importance of visibility, provenance and artistic dialogue in shaping collector demand.

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3. Next-Generation Collectors Are Redefining Taste

St. Andrew's Chronicles, Giovanni Motta (2024)

Millennials and Gen Z are driving a broader and more eclectic art conversation. Millennials are leading spending in decorative art, design and jewellery, reflecting an approach that merges collecting with lifestyle. Gen Z collectors, meanwhile, are most active in digital art, while also showing strong engagement with prints, photography and works on paper.

Their choices indicate a market increasingly motivated by cultural curiosity, digital fluency and a cross-disciplinary mindset rather than traditional hierarchies.

Insights from Maddox’s Art Advisory team echo these findings, with younger collectors increasingly drawn to editions, photography and accessible entry points that balance aesthetic appeal with long-term growth potential.

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4. Family Legacy Remains Central to Collecting

 CRAK!, Roy Lichtenstein (1964)

Despite evolving tastes, art remains a profoundly personal and intergenerational pursuit. Among Gen Z collectors who inherited artworks, nearly 90% chose to keep them, underscoring art’s emotional and familial value.

Across all demographics, 80% plan to pass their collections to family members, reinforcing art’s role as both a financial and cultural legacy.

This perspective reflects Maddox’s own approach to art as a legacy asset, where collecting is guided not only by financial foresight but by emotional continuity and shared heritage.

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5. Confidence Persists, Though Activity Has Moderated

Confidence remains strong across the upper tiers of the market. 40% of high-net-worth collectors plan to buy more art in the next 12 months, compared with 43% in 2024 and 54% in 2023, while 84% remain optimistic about short-term market prospects.

Selling intentions, however, have declined sharply. Only 25% intend to sell, down from 55% last year, while one in four plan to donate artworks, aligning with the growing trend toward philanthropic collecting.

Auction participation has eased too, with attendance among HNW collectors dropping from 74% in 2023 to 49% in 2024, a shift economist Clare McAndrew attributes to global caution and the quieter tempo of a maturing market.

Across Maddox’s client base, this tempered confidence is reflected in a preference for carefully timed acquisitions and increased demand for private sales, where discretion and personalised strategy offer collectors a steadier route through shifting conditions.

Explore Best Art to invest in 2025

6. Event Attendance Levels Off as Engagement Deepens

An Installation at Art Basel Miami Beach (2023) © Art Basel

Even as transaction volumes normalise, engagement remains high. In 2024, high-net-worth collectors attended an average of 48 art-related events, with artist studio visits rising sharply, averaging five per collector.

This growing preference for direct, immersive encounters signals a shift from spectacle to substance, where personal connection, authenticity and understanding drive acquisition decisions.

Reflecting this trend, Maddox has seen growing interest in intimate gallery events and artist studio visits that offer collectors a closer connection to both process and practice, fostering relationships that extend beyond the point of purchase.

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A Market Grounded in Confidence and Connection

Taken together, the findings depict a collecting landscape that is more balanced, deliberate and relationship-driven than ever before. Collectors are allocating more capital to art, female buyers are expanding influence and younger generations are diversifying taste through digital, design and discovery.

While global uncertainty continues to temper speculation, the underlying mood remains one of optimism, anchored in the enduring belief that art is not only a store of value, but a source of meaning.

As collectors continue to navigate a more nuanced and opportunity-rich market, Maddox continues to guide clients through these shifts, connecting them with art that balances cultural significance, emotional depth and long-term value.

Begin your Art Investment journey and speak to a Maddox Art Advisor today.

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 *The value of investments can go down as well as up, and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Return figures shown are gross; fees, including a 20% performance commission, may apply. Liquidity is not guaranteed. Terms, limitations, and withdrawal conditions apply. Minimum recommended investment is £20,000. Maddox Advisory is not FCA-regulated and does not give financial advice. Seek independent advice  before investing.