DBSE

The Space Economy

How big it is, who pays for it, what it costs to reach orbit and how listed space companies are doing

Launch costs →Government budgets →Public companies →
Global Space Economy
$686B
2025, Space Foundation
Narrower Estimates
$429–600B
2025, OECD and SIA
Government Space Spending
$141B
2025, Space Foundation
Launch to Low Earth Orbit
$3,246/kg
Falcon 9 list price; the Shuttle cost $77,703/kg
Listed Space Companies
$24.6B
revenue in the last 12 months, 21 companies

Size of the Space Economy

The estimates differ because they count different things. The Space Foundation adds government space budgets to all commercial space revenue. The Satellite Industry Association counts commercial satellite revenue and adds government budgets and commercial human spaceflight on top. The OECD and the World Economic Forum use definitions of their own.

Where the Money Goes, 2025

  • Ground equipment$165.2B · 38.5%
  • Satellite services$105B · 24.5%
  • Satellite manufacturing$20.4B · 4.8%
  • Launch services$12.4B · 2.9%
  • Everything else (government budgets, human spaceflight)$126B · 29.4%

Out of $429B, from the 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report. Ground equipment includes consumer satellite dishes, satellite radio and navigation chips.

Space Agency Budgets

All budgets →
  • NASAFY2026 · Enacted
    $24.4B
  • European Space Agency2025 · Approved
    $8.97B
  • Department of Space (ISRO)2026-27 · Budget estimate
    $1.44B

Largest Listed Space Companies

All companies →

Revenue in the last 12 months, from SEC filings. Not ranked until a full year is filed: SpaceX ($7.81B in Q2 2026).

Published Estimates

FigureYearUS$ billionSourcePublished
Forecast: global space economy
Projection
20351,800World Economic Forum and McKinsey, Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth2024-04-08
Private investment in space
January to September 2026; Space Capital tracks more kinds of investment than the OECD; reported by NewSpace Economy
202692.5Space Capital, Space Investment Quarterly Q3 20262026-10-13
Government space spending
95 governments and international organisations
2025137.4Novaspace, Government Space Programs2026-01-20
Defense space spending
54% of government space spending
202573.5Novaspace, Government Space Programs2026-01-20
Civil government space spending
Defence and civil add up to $137.2 billion; the release gives the total as $137.4 billion
202563.7Novaspace, Government Space Programs2026-01-20
Global space economy
"Approached $600 billion"; reported by SpaceQ from the OECD report
2025600OECD, The Space Economy at a Glance 20262026-09-16
Civil space budgets of OECD countries
Civil space budgets of OECD countries; reported by SpaceQ from the OECD report
202546.4OECD, The Space Economy at a Glance 20262026-09-16
Private investment in space
Midpoint of the OECD's $11-13 billion range; reported by SpaceQ
202512OECD, The Space Economy at a Glance 20262026-09-16
Global space economy2025429Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Commercial satellite industry2025303Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Ground equipment2025165.2Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Satellite services2025105Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Satellite manufacturing202520.4Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Launch services
Commercial launch revenue
202512.4Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Space sustainability services
About $500 million in commercial revenue
20250.5Satellite Industry Association, 29th State of the Satellite Industry Report2026-05-13
Global space economy
Reported by Payload from the Space Foundation release
2025686Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
Commercial revenue
Reported by Payload from the Space Foundation release
2025544.3Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
Commercial space products and services
Up 11.7%
2025385.9Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
Commercial infrastructure and support
Commercial infrastructure and support industries
2025158.3Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
Government space spending
53 government budgets
2025141Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
US government space spending
57% of government space spending worldwide
202578.3Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
US national security space spending
Up $0.8 billion from 2024
202550.2Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
Chinese government space spending
Estimate; up 10.3% from 2024
202519Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
European government space spending
EU, ESA, EUMETSAT and national programmes
202515.7Space Foundation, The Space Report 2026 Q22026-07-22
Government space spending
About $135 billion; 59% from the United States
2024135Novaspace, Government Space Programs2025-01-16
Defense space spending
54% of government space spending
202473Novaspace, Government Space Programs2025-01-16
Global space economy2024415Satellite Industry Association, 28th State of the Satellite Industry Report2025-05-13
Commercial satellite industry2024293Satellite Industry Association, 28th State of the Satellite Industry Report2025-05-13
Ground equipment2024155.3Satellite Industry Association, 28th State of the Satellite Industry Report2025-05-13
Satellite services2024108.3Satellite Industry Association, 28th State of the Satellite Industry Report2025-05-13
Satellite manufacturing202420Satellite Industry Association, 28th State of the Satellite Industry Report2025-05-13
Launch services
Commercial launch revenue
20249.3Satellite Industry Association, 28th State of the Satellite Industry Report2025-05-13
Global space economy2024613Space Foundation, The Space Report 2025 Q22025-07-22
Government space spending2024132Space Foundation, The Space Report 2025 Q22025-07-22
Global space economy2023570Space Foundation, The Space Report 2024 Q22024-07-18
Commercial revenue2023445Space Foundation, The Space Report 2024 Q22024-07-18
Government space spending
About $125 billion
2023125Space Foundation, The Space Report 2024 Q22024-07-18
US space economy gross output2023240.9US Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Space Economy 2012-20232025-03-31
US space economy GDP (value added)
0.5% of US GDP
2023142.5US Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Space Economy 2012-20232025-03-31
Global space economy2023630World Economic Forum and McKinsey, Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth2024-04-08
Civil space budgets of OECD countries
Civil space budgets of OECD countries; reported by SpaceQ from the OECD report
202240.5OECD, The Space Economy at a Glance 20262026-09-16
Global space economy
Revised figure published with the 2023 estimate
2022531Space Foundation, The Space Report 2024 Q22024-07-18

Every figure links to where it was published. Estimates are added when new editions come out; company results and inflation figures are refreshed monthly from SEC filings and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.