US E-commerce Market: Sales and Share of Retail

Official US Census Bureau estimates of online retail sales, growth and e-commerce's share of total retail spending.

Updated October 1, 2026
6 min read
2 sources
United States

Executive Summary

Americans spent an estimated $1,192.6 billion with online retailers in 2024, 8.1% more than in 2023. Total retail grew only 2.8%, so e-commerce keeps gaining ground. It reached 16.1% of all US retail sales, up from 15.3% the year before.

Key Numbers

E-commerce sales, 2024: $1,192.6B[1]; Total US retail e-commerce sales.
Growth vs 2023: 8.1%[1]; Compared with 2.8% for total retail.
Share of retail, 2024: 16.1%[1]; Up from 15.3% in 2023.
Q4 2024 sales (adjusted): $308.9B[1]; 16.4% of total retail sales.

Charts

E-commerce share of total US retail sales

E-commerce sales as a percentage of total US retail sales.

2023
15.3%
2024
16.1%

Unit: % · 2023-2024Source: [1] U.S. Census Bureau

Growth: e-commerce vs total retail, 2024

Growth in 2024 compared with 2023, US e-commerce against total retail.

E-commerce
8.1%
Total retail
2.8%

Unit: % · 2024Source: [1] U.S. Census Bureau

Market Size

E-commerce sales, 2024: $1,192.6 billion [1]
Growth versus 2023: 8.1% [1]
Share of total retail, 2024: 16.1% [1]

Working backwards from the 8.1% growth rate gives 2023 sales of roughly $1,103 billion. This is our calculation, not a published figure.

Growth

Online sales grew about 2.9 times as fast as total retail in 2024: 8.1% compared with 2.8% [1].

The gap held at the end of the year. Seasonally adjusted e-commerce sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 were 9.4% higher than a year earlier, against 3.8% for total retail [1].

Seasonality

Holiday shopping makes the fourth quarter the biggest period for online sales. Before seasonal adjustment, Q4 2024 e-commerce sales were $352.9 billion, 17.9% of retail [1]. After adjustment they were $308.9 billion, 16.4% of retail [1].

Methodology

Figures come from the Census Bureau's Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales release [1][2]. E-commerce sales are sales where the order is placed, or the price and terms are agreed, online. Census estimates have sampling error ranges and are revised from time to time, so check the latest release for updated numbers. The Census Bureau does not report sales for individual companies.

Sources

[1]
Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, 4th Quarter 2024 / U.S. Census Bureau / 2025 / View source
[2]
Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales / U.S. Census Bureau / View source

Figures are reproduced from the publishers above. Calculations marked as our own are derived from these figures. Always check the original source before using a number.