9. Collection Plans

Overall, 39% of HNWIs planned to buy more art in the next 12 months, while 23% planned to sell, pointing to net additions to collections across the sample. Buyers outweighed sellers in every region, with the widest gap in Mainland China, where buying intent rose to 53% (from 39% in 2025) while selling intent fell to 15% (from 31%). The UK (32%), US (30%), and Australia (29%) had the highest selling intent and led in collectors planning to both buy and sell.

Paintings were the top planned purchase (49%), while antiques (33%) and decorative art (27%) led collectibles. Gen Z led buying intentions in most categories, with 64% planning to buy a painting in the next 12 months.

Twenty-three percent of HNWIs planned to donate works to museums or charities in the next 12 months, with the highest shares in the US (30%) and France (27%). A further 28% planned to support artists through prizes, mentorships, or residencies, and 26% planned to establish a foundation or private museum – the most popular philanthropic measure among Gen Z collectors (29%).

Some collectors planned to use their collections for financial leverage: 19% intended to use artworks as loan collateral in the next 12 months (rising to 30% in the US). Around 20% had already borrowed against their art (45% in the US), with over three-quarters having secured over $1 million (and 15% over $25 million). Among these borrowers, the main purposes were to acquire more art (53%), to cover collecting costs such as taxes and storage (50%), and to finance business or investment activities (48%).