How many third-party sellers are on Amazon? (2025 figures)
Amazon hosts approximately 1.9 million active third-party sellers worldwide as of early 2025. This figure represents sellers who maintain live product listings and actively fulfill orders, out of roughly 9.7 million total registered seller accounts. Third-party merchants now handle over 60% of all units sold on Amazon’s platform, underscoring their dominant role in the marketplace ecosystem.
The distinction between total and active sellers matters significantly—while Amazon has accumulated nearly 10 million seller registrations over its 25-year marketplace history, only about one-fifth maintain active storefronts with regular sales activity.
Numbers at a glance
- 1.9 million active third-party sellers worldwide (2025)
- 9.7 million total registered seller accounts globally
- Over 60% of Amazon sales come from third-party sellers (2025)
- 1.1 million active sellers in the United States alone
- 550 new sellers join Amazon daily (2025)
- $56.15 billion in third-party seller services revenue (2024)
- 82% of sellers use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Latest 2025 count
As of early 2025, Amazon hosts about 1.9 million active third-party sellers worldwide, with roughly 1.1 million based in the United States. Third-party merchants now supply over 60% of all sales on the platform, representing continued dominance in Amazon’s marketplace ecosystem.
Third-party sellers are independent businesses that list and sell products through Amazon’s marketplace infrastructure, as opposed to Amazon’s own retail operations (first-party). These sellers range from individual entrepreneurs to major brands, utilizing Amazon’s customer base, payment processing, and often its fulfillment network through FBA.
The 1.9 million active seller count comes from cross-referencing multiple industry trackers including eDesk’s 2025 Amazon statistics, ForceGet’s seller analysis, and GoFBAHub’s marketplace research. This represents sellers who have processed at least one order or received a review in the past 12 months across Amazon’s 20+ global marketplaces.
How the number has grown since 2000
Amazon’s third-party marketplace launched in 2000 as a small experiment, but has since become the company’s primary growth engine. Interestingly, while total registrations continue growing, active seller counts have stabilized after pandemic-era peaks.
Marketplace launch to 2010
Amazon introduced third-party selling in 2000 with just a few hundred merchants. By 2010, the platform hosted approximately 50,000 active sellers, primarily in books, electronics, and media categories. Early growth was constrained by limited fulfillment options and basic marketplace tools.
Rapid scaling 2011-2020
The introduction of Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in 2006 began transforming seller adoption, but real acceleration started around 2011. Key milestones included:
- 2011: 100,000 active sellers
- 2015: 500,000 active sellers
- 2018: 1.2 million active sellers
- 2020: 1.9 million active sellers (pandemic surge)
Post-pandemic stabilization 2021-2025
Unlike expectations of continued exponential growth, active seller counts have stabilized as competition intensified and marketplace dynamics matured:
| Year | Active Sellers (Millions) | Third-Party Sales Share | Daily New Sellers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2.4 | 57% | 4,000+ |
| 2022 | 2.2 | 58% | 3,200 |
| 2023 | 2.0 | 60% | 750 |
| 2024 | 1.9 | 60%+ | 600 |
| 2025 | 1.9 | 60%+ | 550 |
This stabilization reflects marketplace maturation—while total sales and third-party revenue share continued growing, remaining sellers captured larger market shares as weaker competitors exited and barriers to success increased.
Amazon Third-Party Seller Growth (2021-2025)
Post-pandemic stabilization reflects marketplace maturation and increased competition barriers
Active vs. dormant sellers – why the distinction matters
Understanding Amazon’s seller ecosystem requires distinguishing between total registrations and genuinely active merchants. This difference significantly impacts competitive analysis and market opportunity assessments.
Active seller definition & Amazon data caveats
Active sellers are typically defined as accounts that have processed at least one order or received a product review within the past 12 months. However, Amazon doesn’t publish official active seller counts, requiring industry analysts to estimate based on:
- Seller performance metrics crawling
- Product listing activity monitoring
- Cross-referencing with Amazon’s third-party services revenue
- Survey data from seller communities
Current active 3P seller estimate
Of Amazon’s 9.7 million total registered sellers globally:
- 1.9 million are considered active (regular sales activity)
- 1.0 million are semi-active (occasional sales, maintained listings)
- 6.8 million are dormant or inactive accounts
Active vs. Total Amazon Seller Accounts (2025)
The 20% active rate reflects normal marketplace dynamics—many sellers test Amazon briefly, seasonal sellers operate periodically, and account registrations often exceed sustained business activity. The declining active percentage indicates increased barriers to sustained success in today’s competitive environment.
Attrition & churn rates
Amazon seller churn runs approximately 20-25% annually among active accounts, higher than historical rates due to:
- Increased competition and advertising costs
- Rising fulfillment and storage fees
- Policy compliance complexity
- Inventory management challenges
- Profitability pressures in saturated categories
However, daily registration rates (550+ new sellers in 2025) continue offsetting departures, though fewer new registrants achieve sustained profitability compared to earlier years.
Regional breakdown of third-party sellers
Third-party sellers operate across Amazon’s global marketplace network, with concentration reflecting both market maturity and local business ecosystems.
Top Countries by Active Amazon Sellers
North America
The United States dominates with approximately 1.1 million active sellers (58% of global total), benefiting from:
- Largest customer base (over 200 million customers)
- Most mature fulfillment infrastructure
- Highest average order values and profit margins
Canada hosts roughly 100,000 active sellers, many cross-selling to the U.S. market through Amazon’s North American fulfillment network.
Europe
United Kingdom ranks second globally with 280,000-300,000 active sellers. Brexit initially disrupted EU selling but sellers have adapted through Amazon’s Pan-European FBA program.
Germany follows with 240,000-280,000 active sellers, serving as a key hub for European marketplace expansion. German sellers benefit from strong logistics infrastructure and high consumer trust in online retail.
France, Italy, and Spain each host 60,000-120,000 active sellers, with growth stabilizing as markets mature and competition intensifies.
Asia-Pacific
India represents Amazon’s largest emerging market opportunity with approximately 150,000 active sellers, though local competition from Flipkart and regulatory challenges remain significant.
Japan maintains around 120,000 active sellers in a mature but competitive market dominated by domestic preferences and complex logistics requirements.
Australia hosts roughly 80,000 active sellers since Amazon’s 2017 launch, with steady growth in home goods and lifestyle categories.
Emerging marketplaces
Amazon’s expansion into UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Mexico has added approximately 100,000 combined active sellers, with moderate growth expected as fulfillment networks mature and local competition evolves.
What drives third-party seller growth?
Despite stabilizing active seller counts, multiple factors continue attracting new marketplace participants, though success rates have decreased significantly.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) adoption
82% of active sellers now use FBA services, up from roughly 75% in 2021. FBA adoption drives seller retention by:
- Enabling Prime eligibility for faster delivery
- Reducing operational complexity for small businesses
- Providing customer service and returns handling
- Offering Multi-Channel Fulfillment for off-Amazon sales
FBA sellers typically achieve 25-35% higher conversion rates and can command premium pricing due to Prime badge recognition and customer trust.
Barriers to entry & daily new-seller sign-ups
Amazon attracts approximately 550 new seller registrations daily in 2025 (down from 4,000+ in 2021) through:
- Low startup costs: No upfront fees for individual selling plans
- Global reach: Access to over 310 million customers worldwide
- Integrated tools: Built-in payment processing, advertising, and analytics
- Scalable infrastructure: Automatic handling of traffic spikes and international expansion
However, successful sellers increasingly require:
- Professional product photography and optimization
- Significant advertising budget (often 20-35% of sales)
- Sophisticated inventory management and forecasting capabilities
- Deep understanding of Amazon’s complex algorithm and policy requirements
Amazon fee structure & profit incentives
Despite rising fees, Amazon’s revenue-sharing model continues attracting sellers, though margins have compressed:
- Referral fees: 8-15% of sales (varies by category)
- FBA fees: $3-8 per unit (varies by size/weight)
- Advertising costs: 15-35% of sales for competitive visibility
- Storage fees: $0.75-2.40 per cubic foot monthly
According to eDesk’s 2025 data, 58% of Amazon sellers turn a profit within their first year, though successful sellers typically achieve 10-20% profit margins after all Amazon fees, down from 15-25% in previous years.
Is Amazon too crowded?
With 1.9 million active sellers competing for customer attention, marketplace dynamics have shifted significantly toward established, well-funded sellers with strong brand recognition.
Third-party sales dominance – over 60% in 2025
Third-party sellers account for over 60% of all Amazon sales in 2025, according to eDesk’s marketplace analysis. This dominance continues despite fewer active sellers due to:
- Improved seller tools and advertising capabilities
- Amazon’s strategic focus on marketplace services revenue
- International marketplace expansion where third-party sellers dominate
- Category expansion into consumables and everyday essentials
The sales share represents actual revenue, not just listings—indicating remaining sellers are more successful at winning customer purchases and building sustainable businesses.
Category concentration hotspots
Most competitive categories based on eDesk’s 2025 analysis:
- Home & Kitchen: 35% of sellers, highest competition density
- Beauty & Personal Care: 26% of sellers, premium pricing potential
- Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry: 20% of sellers, high return rates
- Toys & Games: 18% of sellers, seasonal demand spikes
Emerging opportunity categories with lower competition:
- Handmade: 6% of sellers, highest profit margins (32% average)
- Musical Instruments: 2% of sellers, specialized expertise required
- Industrial & Scientific: 5% of sellers, B2B growth potential
- Collectibles & Fine Art: 5% of sellers, niche expertise advantage
Success factors in today’s marketplace
Based on eDesk’s seller research:
- 76% of successful sellers manage their business in under 20 hours per week
- 69% plan to expand with new products in 2025
- 40% report monthly sales between $2,000-$5,000
- 30% earn over $60,000 annually from Amazon selling
Key differentiation strategies include:
- Focus on profitable niches: Target specific customer problems rather than broad categories
- Build defensible brands: Invest in trademark protection and brand registry benefits
- Master Amazon advertising: PPC expertise now essential for visibility
- Optimize for conversion: Professional photography and A+ content critical
- Diversify platforms: 80% of successful sellers operate across multiple channels
Future outlook – projected seller count through 2027
Amazon’s seller ecosystem shows signs of stabilization in developed markets, with growth increasingly dependent on international expansion and platform innovations.
Conservative scenario (flat to slight decline):
- 2025: 1.9 million active sellers
- 2026: 1.8 million active sellers
- 2027: 1.8 million active sellers
Moderate growth scenario (2-3% annual increase):
- 2025: 1.9 million active sellers
- 2026: 2.0 million active sellers
- 2027: 2.1 million active sellers
Key variables affecting growth:
- Amazon’s international expansion: New marketplaces could add 200,000-300,000 sellers
- Fee structure evolution: Continued increases may accelerate seller consolidation
- Economic conditions: Recession could drive business creation while reducing consumer spending
- AI and automation tools: May lower barriers for sophisticated selling operations
- Competition from TikTok Shop and other platforms: Could slow Amazon seller acquisition
Most likely outcome: Modest growth around 2-3% annually, reaching approximately 2.0 million active sellers by 2027, with growth concentrated in emerging international markets and specialized categories.
Sources & references
- eDesk – Amazon Marketplace Statistics 2025 — Comprehensive seller counts, profitability data, and category analysis
- ForceGet – How Many Sellers Are on Amazon 2025 — Active seller counts and geographic distribution
- Marketplace Pulse – Amazon Third-Party Seller Share — Unit share analysis and revenue data
- GoFBAHub – Amazon Seller Statistics — Seller success metrics and FBA adoption rates
- Cahoot – Amazon’s Shrinking Competition — Active seller decline analysis and competitive dynamics
- Amazon Investor Relations – Third-Party Seller Services Revenue — Official financial disclosures and quarterly reports
