Global e-commerce market size is most commonly reported as worldwide retail e-commerce sales. This page provides a citable time series
(2022–2028) plus a clear scope definition so you don’t mix “retail e-commerce” with broader “total e-commerce” estimates.
Back to the hub:
E-commerce Statistics.
For penetration context, pair market size with
e-commerce share of retail.
Key benchmarks (quick reference)
These benchmarks refer to worldwide retail e-commerce sales (market size). Use one source consistently inside a report and keep the scope in your citation.
If you need a “share” metric to complement market size, use:
e-commerce share of retail.
Retail e-commerce sales worldwide (2022–2028)
This table is designed for citation: year, market size, and YoY change in a single view.
| Year | Retail e-commerce sales (USD, trillions) | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $5.080 | 5.9% |
| 2023 | $5.580 | 9.6% |
| 2024 | $6.007 | 7.7% |
| 2025 | $6.419 | 6.8% |
| 2026 | $6.880 | 7.2% |
| 2027 | $7.375 | 7.2% |
| 2028 | $7.886 | 6.9% |
Tip for researchers: when you cite a market-size number, include the label “retail e-commerce sales worldwide” and the forecast source/year in the citation.
How to interpret global market size
Market size is a top-line metric. It becomes more useful when paired with penetration, regional concentration, and device behavior.
- Penetration: link to e-commerce share of retail to show how online compares to total retail.
- Device behavior: explain growth context with mobile share of traffic and mobile share of revenue.
- Funnel performance: connect demand growth to conversion realities with CR benchmarks.
Definition (scope)
Avoid scope confusion: “retail e-commerce sales” is not the same as “total e-commerce sales by businesses”.
Global e-commerce market size (retail) typically refers to worldwide retail e-commerce sales:
Retail e-commerce sales = online retail transaction value in a given year
- Retail e-commerce is a subset of total e-commerce activity.
- Total e-commerce sales by businesses can include large B2B volumes and is therefore much larger than retail-only numbers.
- Always include the words “retail e-commerce sales worldwide” (or equivalent) when citing market size.
Reference pages: Glossary • Methodology
Sources
Primary sources for the global retail e-commerce sales time series and scope clarification.
-
Shopify — Global Ecommerce Sales Growth Report (includes the 2022–2028 retail e-commerce sales table; cites EMARKETER Forecast, Feb 2025):
shopify.com/blog/global-ecommerce-sales -
EMARKETER — Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Forecast 2025 (forecast methodology / chart reference):
emarketer.com/content/worldwide-retail-ecommerce-forecast-2025 -
UNCTAD — Business e-commerce sales (scope distinction between retail online sales and broader business e-commerce sales):
unctad.org/publication/business-e-commerce-sales-and-role-online-platforms
Hub-wide pages:
Sources •
Methodology •
Glossary
Cite this page
Copy and paste (adjust date if needed).
Suggested citation (APA style):
Best for Ecommerce. (2026). Global e-commerce market size (retail e-commerce sales). Retrieved from
/ecommerce-statistics/market-size-growth/market-size-global/