D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Mattel (Barbie) - statistics & facts
Mattel Inc. is a household name in the global toy market, standing alongside major players. The company placed behind only LEGO, Bandai Namco, and Hasbro in a ranking of the biggest toy companies in the world. Mattel was co-founded by Ruth Handler, Elliot Handler, and Harold Mattson all the way back in 1945. Two years in, Mattel released its first big hit, namely the Uke-A-Doodle, a small and playful instrument designed for children. Mattel is famously responsible for the iconic Barbie doll, but it wasn’t until 1959 that Ruth Handler came up with the idea after observing her daughter, Barbara, play with paper dolls. In the decades since, Mattel has become the creator of many kinds of children's products, from toys for infants and building sets, to dolls and action figures.
Barbie
Since the announcement of the Barbie movie, Barbie has become a hot topic and this change is reflected in the doll’s global brand value. In 2023, the Barbie brand was valued at approximately 700 million U.S. dollars, almost twice the value recorded just two years earlier. In terms of gross sales, however, Mattel generated about 1.68 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and 1.54 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 from its Barbie brand. Over half of these gross sales were made specifically in North America.Other Mattel brands
While Barbie is one of Mattel’s top brands, the company is also responsible for several other well-known and lesser-known toy products. Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends, as well as Hot Wheels are just some notable examples. In 2023, Fisher-Price made the company just over 850 million U.S. dollars’ worth of gross sales, while Hot Wheels, the brand of toy car and track sets, generated roughly 1.4 billion U.S. dollars. All other toy brands under Mattel (including Uno, American Girl, Dino Riders, and many more) earned the company a cumulative total of nearly 2.3 billion U.S. dollars that year.
