Christie's closed 2025 with $6.2 billion in projected global sales, a nearly seven percent increase from $5.8 billion in 2024 and in line with its 2023 total. Auction sales reached $4.7 billion, up eight percent year-over-year, while private sales held steady at $1.5 billion. The year's top lot was Mark Rothko's *No. 31 (Yellow Stripe)*, which sold for $62.1 million in New York. Other highlights include a record Picasso sale in Hong Kong ($25.4 million) and the Fabergé Winter Egg in London (£22.9 million). The house also saw strong performance from its automobiles business, Gooding Christie's, which delivered $234 million in sales. Geographically, the Americas grew 15 percent to $2.58 billion, while Asia-Pacific slipped 5 percent.
The results signal a healthier but not hotter art market, with growth driven by pricing discipline, trophy consignments, and a diversified revenue stream that includes luxury goods and automobiles. Luxury sales rose 17 percent and now serve as the primary entry point for new buyers, with 63 percent of new buyers making their first purchases digitally. Millennials and Gen Z represented 46 percent of new bidders, up five percent from last year. However, the contraction in Asia-Pacific suggests a more diffused future, with increasing engagement from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Christie's task for 2026 will be finding supply that justifies its optimism.