16 Eye-Opening Drone Stats [2024 Update]

Drones have reached new heights.

According to the FAA, there are now almost 900,000 drones registered in the United States.

We’ve compiled the most interesting drone-related stats below:

Drone Registrations

  1. As of July 2023, there were 863,728 drones registered in the United States by the FAA.
    • 59% of registrations (506,635) were for recreational purposes
    • 41% of registrations (352,222) were for commercial operation.
  2. The FAA has awarded 331,573 remote pilot certificates. (FAA)

Drone Usage

  1. 15% of Americans have ever flown a drone (Philly by Air Survey)
  2. 24% of men in the US own a drone, while only 10% of woman (Philly by Air Survey)
  3. Drone ownership by age
    • 18-24 years old – 19%
    • 25-34 years old – 17%
    • 35-44 years old – 20%
    • 45-54 years old – 22%
    • 55-64 years old – 13%
    • 65+ years old – 6%

Drone Ownership

  1. 8% of Americans own a drone (Philly by Air Survey)
  2. 9% of men own a drone in the US compared with 7% of women (Philly by Air Survey)
  3. Drone ownership by age
    • 18-24 years old – 9%
    • 25-34 years old – 9%
    • 35-44 years old – 10%
    • 45-54 years old – 5%
    • 55-64 years old – 9%
    • 65+ years old – 4%

Drone Market

  1. The annual growth rate of drones in the US is estimated to be approximately 6.4% (FAA)
  2. The number of recreational drones in the US is forecasted to peak at around 1.5 million drones (FAA)
  3. The number of commercial drones is expected to double by 2024 (FAA)

Commercial Drone Usage

  1. In 2019, the construction segment held the largest market share (Research and Markets)

FAA Waivers

  1. Nighttime operation represent the most common type of waiver being approved (FAA)
  2. Almost 50% of airspace authorizations were approved for controlled airspace (FAA)

DJI

  1. DJI owns nearly 80% of the market for drones in the United States (DroneII)
  2. The commercial drones market is expected to reach $6.30 Billion by 2026 (Fortune Business Insights)
  3. DJI makes the popular Phanton, Mavic (including the Mavic 2 Air), and Inspire series.