Space industry statistics
Live figures from the Space Atlas dataset ·
Space Atlas maps 2,169 space organisations in 106 countries. United States has the most (526, 24%), followed by Canada (138) and Spain (133). In Europe, Spain leads with 133 organisations; Spain ranks #1 with 133.
There are 581 space startups (27% of all organisations). Their most common sector is satellites & spacecraft (204), and United States hosts the most (133). Of the 1,815 organisations with a known founding year, 835 (46%) were founded in 2015 or later.
Cite as: Space Atlas, “Space industry statistics”, https://spaceatlas.space/space-industry-statistics, accessed 2026-11-04. Figures cover verified organisations in the Atlas and grow as new regions are mapped.
Space organisations by country
| Country | Organisations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 526 | 24% |
| Canada | 138 | 6% |
| Spain | 133 | 6% |
| United Kingdom | 111 | 5% |
| France | 110 | 5% |
| Germany | 87 | 4% |
| Australia | 82 | 4% |
| Italy | 64 | 3% |
| China | 62 | 3% |
| Japan | 50 | 2% |
| Brazil | 46 | 2% |
| Portugal | 46 | 2% |
| Netherlands | 45 | 2% |
| India | 36 | 2% |
| Poland | 33 | 2% |
| Switzerland | 32 | 1% |
| Argentina | 27 | 1% |
| Belgium | 27 | 1% |
| Czech Republic | 24 | 1% |
| Austria | 23 | 1% |
| Norway | 23 | 1% |
| Denmark | 21 | 1% |
| South Korea | 21 | 1% |
| Luxembourg | 20 | 1% |
| Sweden | 20 | 1% |
By continent
| Continent | Organisations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 962 | 44% |
| Americas | 787 | 36% |
| Asia | 259 | 12% |
| Oceania | 90 | 4% |
| Africa | 71 | 3% |
By sector, and the leading country in each
An organisation can work in up to three sectors, so sector totals add up to more than 2,169.
By type of organisation
| Type | Organisations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Private space companies | 688 | 32% |
| Space startups | 581 | 27% |
| Space research institutes | 221 | 10% |
| Universities and academic space groups | 181 | 8% |
| Space agencies and government bodies | 154 | 7% |
| Space non-profits and societies | 136 | 6% |
| Space industry associations and clusters | 99 | 5% |
| Space media and publications | 35 | 2% |
| Spaceports and launch sites | 28 | 1% |
| Space incubators and accelerators | 25 | 1% |
| Space advocacy organisations | 11 | 1% |
| Space testing facilities | 10 | 0% |
Space startups
| Sector | Startups |
|---|---|
| Satellites & Spacecraft | 204 |
| Software & Data Analytics | 176 |
| Launch Vehicles & Propulsion | 139 |
| Earth Observation & Remote Sensing | 133 |
| Avionics & Components | 111 |
| Communications & Connectivity | 89 |
| In-Orbit Services & Sustainability | 84 |
| Manufacturing & Materials | 83 |
| Ground Systems & Infrastructure | 56 |
| Space Resources & Exploration | 37 |
| Human Spaceflight & Life Support | 25 |
| Robotics & Automation | 19 |
| Navigation & Positioning | 14 |
| Community, Education & Networks | 7 |
| Consulting, Advisory & Assurance | 5 |
| Analog Missions & Simulations | 3 |
| Finance, Insurance & Investment | 3 |
| Legal, Policy & Regulatory | 2 |
| Media, Marketing & Communications | 2 |
| Country | Startups |
|---|---|
| United States | 133 |
| United Kingdom | 46 |
| Australia | 39 |
| Spain | 37 |
| France | 32 |
| Germany | 29 |
| India | 25 |
| China | 22 |
| Japan | 20 |
| Canada | 19 |
When were they founded?
| Decade | Organisations founded |
|---|---|
| 1800s | 1 |
| 1810s | 1 |
| 1820s | 1 |
| 1830s | 1 |
| 1840s | 1 |
| 1860s | 1 |
| 1870s | 1 |
| 1880s | 2 |
| 1890s | 1 |
| 1900s | 3 |
| 1910s | 5 |
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 20 |
| 1950s | 38 |
| 1960s | 57 |
| 1970s | 60 |
| 1980s | 116 |
| 1990s | 188 |
| 2000s | 257 |
| 2010s | 682 |
| 2020s | 364 |
Based on the 1,815 organisations with a known founding year.