Although most people claim to have knowledge about MLM also called Multi-level marketing most of the people tend to have received it from either friends or family or acquaintances. However, for one to actually know about the minute details is a farfetched assumption. For instance, do you happen to know the top distributor from Amway made approximately $12 million in a year or the first marketing model to have incorporated network marketing belonged to Nutrilite in 1940?

Most of the population generally misses out on such details as the history, distributors, companies, consumers, or the entrepreneurs of MLM (multi-level marketing) business.

Therefore, what’s a better solution than a well-researched and strategically arranged blog full of information and stats on MLM for the year 2021? Go ahead and take a read!

General Multi-level Marketing Statistics & Facts

Below mentioned data is an overall general statistics of MLM around the World. From leading countries in MLM sales worldwide to the status of network marketing business, it has got all the information you need. Find out the answers to all your queries and more in the general network marketing statistics bank give below!

  • In the year 2019, a business of approximately $180.479 billion was processed by the direct selling industry.
  • With a fantastic yearly sale of $35.21 billion, the USA became the worldwide leader in retail sales.
  • China on the other hand managed to make it to second place with a sale of $23.95 billion in the year 2019.
  • Korea made it to third place with revenue of around $17.68 billion from retail sales.
  • Further, the 4th and the 5th position were secured by Germany and Japan with $17.45 billion and $15.62 billion respectively.
  • A global drop of around 4.3% in sales was witnessed in the year 2019.
  • The change in the sale percentage of the top five countries can be jotted down as- USA with -0.4%, China with -30%, Korea with +3.8%, Germany with +5% and Japan with -1.2%.

Multi-level Marketing Company Statistics – Industry Worth

Big companies like Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, or herbal life are quite a famous deal and therefore are known to all. But do you know how these dynamic companies fare over the last few years? Below mentioned are the MLM statistics which will help you answer your interests.

  • In the year 2020, Amway continued to be at the top being the best direct selling company.
  • However, back in 2019 Amway is known to have suffered a revenue slump of 4.5%.
  • Amway has a wide network of distributors spread across almost a hundred countries.
  • Moving further, Natura & Co backed the second position on the global list of top direct selling companies in the year 2020.
  • The company is known to have revenue of approximately $7.16 billion in the year 2020.
  • The next company in line is Herbalife in the third position. Their annual revenue sums up to $5.5 billion.
  • With a wide network of around 94 countries, Herbalife is also known to be in connection with almost 4.5 million autonomous sellers.
  • Avon, on the other hand, had revenue of around $3.63 billion for the year 2020; which as a matter of fact is quite a decline from last year’s $4.76 billion.
  • Mary Kay is known to process with a worldwide sales force of 3.5 million.
  • A 90% percent of buyback on starter-kit purchase is offered by the new recruits (due to the DSA Code of ethics with comes in handy with membership in DSA). 
  • The year 2019 marked a dip of 6% in direct selling in Canada.
  • However, in the last five years, a growth rate of 1.5% in direct selling has been marked in Canada. 

Multi-level Marketing Distributor Statistics

Top 100+ MLM & Network Marketing Industry Statistics & Facts 2021
  • Distributors are the backbone of any business establishment. For a business to flourish, the quality, as well as quantity of distributors, is an important aspect. The statistics below provide information regarding the number of active distributors around the world, their average income, and the amount of time they put into this.

    A major percentage of around 63% get involved with this network marketing system for a long-term supplementary income.
  • However, only 25% of the same are known to actually gain the kind of profit that they initially desired for.
  • Adding to the same, only 12% out of that are known to make it to the earning bracket of $4000-$5000.
  • Based on the results of a worldwide survey, it can be said that only a mere fraction of 25% of members could earn profits from MLM.
  • And a small chunk of 10% can make over $100 per week.
  • The ending of the year 2019 marked mass recruitment of around 119.9 million people around the globe.
  • The average work hour of an average network marketer sums up to 13.3 hours per week.
  • Around 10.5 million people around the globe are involved in network marketing as their full-time job.
  • The other 42.9 million consider the network market as part-time for extra earrings.
  • The number of independent distributors in the MLM industry can be summed up to 64.9 million people.
  • Around 99% of the working force belongs to the high school graduates class and 52% of them possess a college graduate degree.
  • In the year 2019, the average retail sale summed up to $5,176.

MLM Product Statistics

  • Most of the famous companies believe in deploying their products into the network marketing business. Products like wellness products, financial services, accessories, household goods, or cosmetics are all processed in this network marketing business and further distributed accordingly. Let’s take a look at what the MLM statistics have to say about the same-
    In the year 2019-2020, a market share of 35.6% was held captive by wellness products.
  • Wellness goods were known to hold around 33.2% of sales contribution in 2018-2019.
  • Household goods on the other hand engaged around 11.5% of global sales.
  • Cosmetics marked their presence by holding around 31.5% in the year 2019.
  • Clothing and accessories on the other hand made it to 6.1% of the annual network marketing sales.
  • While the rest 3.9% of MLM sales came from financial services the other 3.1% was contributed by the food and beverages section.

Multi-level Marketing Consumer Statistics

Consumer satisfaction is the backbone of any business. A company with satisfied customers is a company all set to succeed and flourish. Similarly in the network marketing business as well, the customer-distributor relationship plays a major role in determining the growth rate of the company. Below mentioned are MLM statistics regarding the same.

  • Around 36 million people are known to have claimed products or services from MLM (Multi-level marketing business).
  • According to the 2020 statistics, most of the direct sellers are known to fall under the age bracket of 18-24 years.
  • Approximately 19% of people belonging to the age group of 25-30 years joined the global network marketing crowd in the year 2020.
  • 26% of network marketing recruits are known to belong to the age group of 35-44 years.
  • The next slot of 25% belongs to the middle-aged group of 45-54 years.
  • Further, the next batch of 23% falls in the elderly bracket of 55 years and above.
  • Overall, women form a total of 75% of the entire network marketers.

Conclusion

As one can clearly make out from the statistics that this field of business i.e. MLM is not a very reliable field and the success rate varies from entity to entity. The degree of risk involved here makes it hard for every person to make money. In fact, the harsh truth is that most people don’t really end up making surplus money out of MLM. However, success in any field depends on your commitment, hard work, and zeal to succeed. If you are looking at more such Business Statistics, check out our blog!

Author

Snigdha Biswas is a seasoned professional with 12 years of experience in Content Development, Content Marketing and SEO across SaaS, Tech, Media, Entertainment, and News categories. She crafts impactful campaigns, adapts to market trends, develops content strategies, optimizes websites, and leverages data analytics. With a track record of driving organic growth and brand visibility, Snigdha's passion for storytelling and analytical mindset drive conversions and build brand loyalty. She is a trusted advisor, helping businesses achieve growth objectives through strategic thinking and collaboration in the competitive digital landscape.