Updated May 2026
Data Broker Statistics 2026: How Many Exist, What They Sell & Who Buys It
30+ data broker statistics — industry size, number of brokers, types of data sold, buyers, and how much money changes hands for your personal information in 2026.
The data broker industry operates largely in the shadows — buying, aggregating, and selling your personal information to thousands of companies without your knowledge or consent. These statistics reveal the true scale of an industry most people don't know exists.
Industry Scale
$250B
estimated annual revenue of the global data broker industry
— IBISWorld, 2024
4,000+
data broker companies operating in the United States
— Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2024
450
largest data brokers profiled in the EFF's Atlas of Surveillance
— EFF, 2024
1,000×
markup: brokers pay $0.0005 to acquire your data record, sell it for $0.50+
— Brookings Institution, 2023
What They Know About You
1,000+
data points held by large brokers per person — name, address, income, health, behavior
— FTC Data Broker Report
72%
of broker records include home address and phone number
— IAPP, 2024
80%
include estimated income and financial data
— FTC Data Broker Report
100%
of major brokers sell 'sensitive' data: political affiliation, religion, or health conditions
— FTC, 2023
Who Buys It
#1
insurance companies — use broker data to set premiums and assess risk
— FTC, 2023
#2
marketers and advertisers — the largest customer segment by volume
— IAB, 2024
#3
employers and background check services — often without candidate knowledge
— SHRM, 2024
600+
companies purchase data from Acxiom (one broker) alone
— Acxiom, 2024
Consumer Awareness
91%
of Americans don't know what a data broker is or what they sell
— Pew Research Center, 2023
79%
are concerned about how companies use their personal data
— Pew Research Center, 2024
3%
have ever successfully removed their data from a broker site
— Ghostery, 2024
7 years
how long broker records can persist after opt-out requests — re-listed from third-party sources
— Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
How many data brokers are there?
Over 4,000 in the US alone. The largest — Acxiom, Experian, Oracle Data Cloud, LexisNexis — sell data to 600+ companies each. The EFF has profiled 450 of the most significant operators in their Atlas of Surveillance.
What data do brokers have on me?
The largest brokers hold 1,000+ data points per person: name, address, phone, estimated income, political affiliation, health conditions, purchase history, and behavioral data. 100% of major brokers sell sensitive categories most people assume are private.
Can I get my data removed?
Technically yes, but difficult. Only 3% of people have successfully removed their data from broker sites (Ghostery, 2024). Records can persist 7 years after opt-out requests because brokers re-acquire data from third-party sources. Services like DeleteMe automate ongoing removal.
Cite This Page
Data Broker Statistics 2026: How Many Exist, What They Sell & Who Buys It. TakeBackYourData. https://takebackyourdata.com/stats/data-broker-statistics-2026. Accessed 2026.
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