If you make decisions in network marketing—whether you’re an aspiring distributor, a company executive, or a software buyer—numbers are your best friend. The right statistic separates optimism from realism, short-term hype from sustainable models, and guesswork from strategy. In 2025, the landscape of direct selling continues to change: some legacy players keep impressive scale, others pivot business models, and technology increasingly separates high-performing teams from the rest.
This article collects the most important Trending MLM Statistics 2025, explains what the numbers actually mean for real businesses, and offers practical steps for brands and builders. Along the way, I explain how technology — from the best MLM software to bespoke MLM software development — is playing a central role in outcomes. Where relevant, I cite original sources so you can link, verify, and read deeper.
Executive Snapshot — The Five Trending MLM Statistics 2025 Numbers You Should Bookmark
Global market size (direct selling): ~$223.8 billion in 2024, with forecasts pointing to growth through 2025 and beyond. Grand View Research
Industry momentum in H1–2025: Roughly 50% of companies reported year-over-year revenue growth in a mid-2025 pulse of direct-selling firms. directsellingnews.com
Income realities: FTC analysis of dozens of income disclosure statements (IDS) found most participants earn very little — often under $1,000 per year, highlighting the importance of conservative earnings expectations. Federal Trade Commission+1
Service-led revenue in mature markets: In the U.S., over 60% of direct-selling sales are now service-based in markets where services dominate consumer spending — a structural shift worth noting for companies and software providers. directsellingnews.com
Top-company concentration: The DSN Global 100 continues to show that a relatively small group of large firms capture a meaningful share of global direct-selling revenues — scale still matters. directsellingnews.com
These headline stats frame everything else: the industry is large, selective in rewards, and increasingly dependent on technology and transparent business models. Below, we unpack what’s behind the numbers and how to act on them.
How I assembled the “Trending MLM Statistics 2025”
This analysis synthesizes:
Market research (Grand View Research and industry summaries). Grand View Research
Regulatory reporting (FTC staff analysis of IDS). Federal Trade Commission
Trade news and industry pulse updates (Direct Selling News H1–2025 coverage). directsellingnews.com
Company filings, press releases and income disclosure statements (examples: Herbalife Q2–2025, Plexus IDS, USANA Q2–2025). Herbalife Ltd.CloudinaryUSANA Health Sciences, Inc.
I used conservative interpretations when sources varied. Where I cite company results or IDS figures, those are the original, public disclosures.
Trending MLM Statistics 2025: Market Size & Growth at a Glance
The direct selling market remains a heavyweight category: analysts estimate the global direct-selling market at roughly $223.8 billion in 2024, with continued growth projected through 2030 under mid-single-digit CAGR assumptions. That gives network marketing real retail gravity: this is not a fringe channel. Grand View Research
Why this matters:
A large market means product demand exists for well-positioned brands.
Growth is uneven across regions — APAC and LATAM frequently show higher expansion rates, while developed markets shift toward services and digital subscriptions.
For companies and entrepreneurs, the implication is clear: if you want scale, invest in platforms and systems that support multi-country operations, subscription billing, and secure payment rails. In practice, that’s where MLM software development and enterprise-level direct selling software become essential.
Practical note: Use the market-size figures to build reasonable three- to five-year growth scenarios for investor decks and business plans; assume expansion requires investment in logistics and software.
(source: Grand View Research) Grand View Research
Participation & demographics: who’s joining (and why)
Counting people in MLMs varies by definition (registered vs active), but the patterns are consistent:
Women still make up the majority of frontline distributors across most markets.
Millennials and Gen Z increasingly enter the channel, but they often prefer digital-first, creator-friendly, or affiliate models rather than legacy downline-building paradigms. directsellingnews.com+1
The takeaway: the next wave of participants is more digital-savvy, more skeptical of old-style hype, and more attracted to subscription and service models. For companies, that means investing in modern distributor UX (mobile dashboards, transparent commission statements) through best MLM software solutions.
Income Reality: The FTC’s Wake-Up Call in Trending MLM Statistics 2025
One of the most important regulatory signals of 2024 was the FTC staff report analyzing public income disclosure statements. The core finding: across many statements, the majority of participants earn very modest amounts — often under $1,000 annually — though a small share earn significant incomes. The FTC recommended clearer, standardized disclosures to help consumers make better comparisons. Federal Trade Commission+1
What this statistic means for builders and companies:
Prospective distributors should read IDS documents before joining and use those figures to set realistic expectations and budgets. Federal Trade Commission
Companies that publish clear, conservative IDS documents and that train their field to focus on retail buyers (not just recruitment) build sustainable trust markets.
Software implication: platforms that can show transparent, real-time commission and retail-vs-team income breakdowns (features often found in leading MLM systems) help companies comply and build trust.
Trending MLM Statistics 2025: Company Performance and Who’s Growing This Year
Direct Selling News’ H1–2025 pulse showed a mixed but constructive pattern: around 50% of companies reported YoY revenue growth, with a minority growing 20%+ and some reporting declines. This divergence indicates the industry isn’t moving in a single direction — winners are differentiated by product-market fit, marketing, and platform investments. directsellingnews.com
Examples of company-level signals in 2025:
Herbalife reported Q2–2025 net sales near guidance (constant currency flat), showing resilience in consumer demand for nutrition products. Herbalife Ltd.
USANA reported Q2–2025 net sales growth and reiterated FY–2025 guidance, highlighting pockets of strong execution. USANA Health Sciences, Inc.
Action: If you’re evaluating companies to join or benchmark, look beyond brand nostalgia. Check recent quarterly updates and the field’s activity metrics (active distributors, retention rates, subscription uptake). Those operational stats matter more than surface-level buzz.
Product categories: what’s selling right now
In 2025, top-performing categories within direct selling include:
Nutrition & wellness (protein, recovery, daily vitamins) — still core to many fitness MLM companies.
Beauty & personal care — high repurchase rates and strong social content fit.
Services & subscriptions — coaching, streaming fitness content, and digital memberships are growing rapidly in mature markets. directsellingnews.com+1
The business implication: build products and bundles that encourage daily or habitual usage (so repurchase becomes the engine of sustainable distributor commissions). From a tech perspective, that requires subscription management, automated reorder flows, and analytics — all standard features in professional MLM software development projects.
Compensation model trends: matrix, binary, hybrid, and pivoting plans
Compensation models remain varied, but trends in 2025 show:
Tuning toward retail-first economics, i.e., rewarding customer acquisition and recurring purchases more than pure recruitment. directsellingnews.com
Continued use of matrix and binary plans in many firms, sometimes blended into hybrid plans that introduce caps, customer-bonuses, or recycled commissions. These designs remain popular because they’re familiar to the field and offer intuitive rank pathways.
Growing pivot to affiliate models for creator-driven channels (BODi’s shift to an affiliate model in Nov 2024 being a high-profile example). directsellingnews.comBusiness Wire
From a software standpoint, this means your platform should support flexible compensation engines — matrix MLM software and binary MLM software modules — and allow plan testing without full system rewrites. That’s where modular MLM software development and custom MLM platforms shine.
Technology adoption — the silent multiplier
A clear 2025 pattern: technology separates winners from followers. Companies that invested earlier in mobile dashboards, transparent commission reporting, and e-commerce integrations delivered better distributor experience and lower admin friction.
Key tech capabilities that correlate with better outcomes:
Real-time commission calculations and mobile dashboards, so distributors can see earnings as events post.
E-commerce & subscription integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce), enabling a multi-channel retail strategy.
Multi-currency settlement and tax handling, for cross-border scale.
Flexible compensation engines that support matrix and binary plans, or hybrid experiments.
If you’re a brand leader, budget for MLM software development early — it’s not an optional cost; it’s a growth lever. If you’re a builder, favor companies that provide these tools: less time on admin equals more time building relationships and content.
Regional hotspots — where to focus your expansion
2025 regional trends:
Asia-Pacific & Latin America: higher growth rates due to younger populations and mobile-first distribution. Companies expanding there see outsized incremental customer growth. Grand View Research
North America & Europe: service and subscription adoption is stronger; regulatory scrutiny is higher, favoring companies with clear income disclosures. directsellingnews.comFederal Trade Commission
For brands, localized operations and payment rails are not optional in APAC & LATAM. That means investing in custom MLM platforms or enterprise direct selling software development that supports localized payments, shipping, and language.
Reputation, compliance & the cost of non-transparency
The FTC’s 2024 staff report on income disclosures is a watershed moment. Its conclusion — that many participants earn little and disclosure presentation varies — put pressure on companies to clean up their messages. Companies that publish clear, conservative IDS documents and enforce compliant marketing push will likely face less regulatory risk and enjoy higher long-term retention. Federal Trade Commission+1
Company action items: publish IDS, train uplines on compliant language, and enable software features that surface retail vs team income splits to distributors automatically.
Builder playbook: read the numbers, then act
If you’re building in 2025, use the statistics to design a measured plan:
Read the IDS before joining — it’s the most honest public signal about field economics. (FTC’s analysis supports this as a core consumer protection principle.) Federal Trade Commission
Focus on customer acquisition and subscription conversions — recurring customers produce predictable income and reduce churn risk.
Choose companies with modern tools — mobile dashboards, subscription support, and transparent reporting reduce admin load. If a company’s native tools are weak, consider third-party MLM system developers or custom platform projects.
Model realistic timelines — use median earnings from IDS and conservative conversion rates to build 12-month P&Ls.
Invest in content and community — numbers show habit-based products and challenge-style programs retain customers better than one-off purchases.
Trending MLM Statistics 2025: Data-Driven Hiring and Platform Investment for Brands
Brands that want to scale in 2025 should think like product companies:
Hire a product manager for the distributor experience.
Invest in ops automation (order fulfillment, returns processing).
Prioritize platform investments that support flexible pay engines: modular matrix MLM software and binary MLM software components reduce future migration costs.
A strong platform shortens sales cycles, reduces disputes about commissions, and improves compliance reporting. The ROI is often realized through faster rank progression for builders and fewer support tickets.
Case signals (short examples to illustrate the trend)
Herbalife Q2–2025: Net sales near guidance with constant-currency stability — signaling continued retail demand for nutrition SKUs in many markets. Herbalife Ltd.
USANA Q2–2025: Reported net sales growth and reiterated FY outlook — a sign that science-lead products and field modernization are working. USANA Health Sciences, Inc.
BODi (Beachbody) model change: Transition to affiliate model in Nov 2024 shows big brands are willing to pivot structurally to reduce friction and favor creator economics. directsellingnews.comBusiness Wire
Plexus IDS: Transparent average earning numbers (e.g., $742 average for all brand ambassadors in 2024) help set realistic expectations for builders. Cloudinary
Three Trending MLM Statistics 2025 Metrics Every Founder and Builder Should Track Weekly
Converted retail customers per active distributor — shows whether growth is retail-led.
Subscription retention rate (30/60/90 days) — critical for habit products.
Active distributor churn and reactivation rate — high churn with low reactivation is a warning sign.
Software that reports these in near real-time (dashboards, alerts) is not a luxury — it’s operational hygiene. That’s why enterprise MLM tools and custom direct selling software development projects are common in fast-scaling companies.
The near-term outlook (2025–2027): what the Trending MLM statistics imply
Industry growth will be uneven but positive — large market size and pockets of expansion in APAC & LATAM will continue to attract investment. Grand View Research
Companies that prioritize customer-first comp will outperform — expect plan tuning and hybridization to persist. directsellingnews.com
Tech adoption will accelerate — more brands will either buy the best MLM software or invest in bespoke MLM software development to stay competitive.
Affiliate and hybrid channels will grow alongside MLM — some companies will pivot, but others will offer hybrid tracks to capture creators and team-builders alike. (BODi’s pivot is an early indicator.) directsellingnews.com
Trending MLM Statistics 2025: Your Practical Checklist
Read the company’s latest income disclosure statement — if it’s missing, that’s a red flag. Federal Trade Commission
Confirm the business model: MLM, affiliate, hybrid. (BODi’s example shows models can change.) directsellingnews.com
Ask whether the company provides mobile dashboards and real-time commissions; if not, probe whether a third-party MLM software developer can integrate.
Validate product repurchase rates and subscription offerings — high repurchase is predictive of survivable economics.
Model 6–12 month cash flows based on conservative conversion rates.
Final thoughts — read the statistics like a strategist
The Trending MLM Statistics 2025 show an industry that’s still large and full of opportunities, but increasingly bifurcated between professionalized, tech-savvy operators and legacy players that may struggle without modernization. The clearest patterns: companies that focus on retail-first economics, publish clear income disclosures, and invest in quality technology will attract disciplined builders and scale more predictably.
If you’re a company leader, treat platform investment (custom or best-in-class SaaS) as a priority. If you’re a builder, treat IDS and product repurchase data as your primary filters. For both audiences, the numbers are a compass — use them to plot realistic, resilient growth.
