Global Art Market Soars 29% In 2021

The global art market rebounded strongly in 2021 despite the challenges of the pandemic, according to a global art market report released Tuesday.

Aggregate sales, including sales by dealers and auction houses, jumped 29% from 2020 to an estimated US$65.1 billion last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the annual report jointly published by Art Basel and UBS and authored by Clare McAndrew, founder of Dublin-based Arts Economics.

“The art market has demonstrated incredible resilience in 2021, with a strong uplift in aggregate sales, despite still operating under some very challenging conditions,” McAndrew said in the report. “Dealers and auction houses successfully adjusted to a new two-tier system of online and offline sales and events, and the rising wealth of the high-net-worth collectors helped to support demand at the higher end of the market.”

The median expenditure by high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), those who have a net worth of more than US$1 million, excluding real estate and private business assets, reached US$274,000 in 2021, more than double the level in 2020, according to the report.

Further, 74% of HNWIs surveyed bought art-based non-fungible tokens, or NFTs in 2021, with a median price of US$9,000 each, the report said.

The findings are based on a survey of 2,339 wealthy individuals across 10 major markets, and represent one element of the wide-ranging report on the state of the global art market.

Sales by dealers amounted to approximately US$34.7 billion in 2021, increasing 18% year-on-year. Public sales by auction houses, excluding private sales, reached an estimated US$26.3 billion in 2021, an increase of 47% from a year ago, according to the report.

Geographically, the U.S. still dominates, accounting for US$28 billion, or 43% of the total global sales of art and antiques in 2021. Greater China was the second largest with a market share of 20%, or US$13.4 billion in sales.

Requiring more than 30 percent of household income to service a home loan has long been considered the benchmark for ‘housing stress’. Yet research shows it is becoming the new normal. The 2024 ANZ CoreLogic Housing Affordability Report reveals home loans on only 17 percent of homes are ‘serviceable’ if serviceability is limited to 30 percent of the median national household income.

Based on 40 percent of household income, just 37 percent of properties would be serviceable on a mortgage covering 80 percent of the purchase price. ANZ CoreLogic suggest 40 may be the new 30 when it comes to home loan serviceability. “Looking ahead, there is little prospect for the mortgage serviceability indicator to move back into the 30 percent range any time soon,” says the report.

“This is because the cash rate is not expected to be cut until late 2024, and home values have continued to rise, even amid relatively high interest rate settings.” ANZ CoreLogic estimate that home loan rates would have to fall to about 4.7 percent to bring serviceability under 40 percent.

CoreLogic has broken down the actual household income required to service a home loan on a 6.27 percent interest rate for an 80 percent loan based on current median house and unit values in each capital city. As expected, affordability is worst in the most expensive property market, Sydney.

Sydney

Sydney’s median house price is $1,414,229 and the median unit price is $839,344.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $211,456 to afford a home loan for a house and $125,499 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $120,554.

Melbourne

Melbourne’s median house price is $935,049 and the median apartment price is $612,906.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $139,809 to afford a home loan for a house and $91,642 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $110,324.

Brisbane

Brisbane’s median house price is $909,988 and the median unit price is $587,793.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $136,062 to afford a home loan for a house and $87,887 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $107,243.

Adelaide

Adelaide’s median house price is $785,971 and the median apartment price is $504,799.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $117,519 to afford a home loan for a house and $75,478 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $89,806.

Perth

Perth’s median house price is $735,276 and the median unit price is $495,360.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $109,939 to afford a home loan for a house and $74,066 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $108,057.

Hobart

Hobart’s median house price is $692,951 and the median apartment price is $522,258.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $103,610 to afford a home loan for a house and $78,088 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $89,515.

Darwin

Darwin’s median house price is $573,498 and the median unit price is $367,716.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $85,750 to afford a home loan for a house and $54,981 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $126,193.

Canberra

Canberra’s median house price is $964,136 and the median apartment price is $585,057.

Based on 40 percent serviceability, households need a total income of $144,158 to afford a home loan for a house and $87,478 for a unit. The city’s actual median household income is $137,760.

Global Art Market Soars 29% In 2021

Reaching $65 billion in sales.

New research suggests spending 40 percent of household income on loan repayments is the new normal