According to a new report from Tractica, worldwide commercial drone hardware and services revenue will increase from $792 million in 2017 to $12.6 billion by 2025.

While the majority of revenue currently comes from hardware sales, the balance will shift in the next few years and, by the end of the forecast period, Tractica anticipates that drone-enabled services will represent approximately two-thirds of the total revenue mix.
“A number of major industries are seeing strong value propositions in utilizing drones for commercial use,” says research analyst Manoj Sahi. “Some of the key industries include agriculture, film, media, oil and gas, energy and utilities, insurance, and real estate and construction, among many others.”
Sahi adds that the top commercial applications for drone-enabled services include the following:
- Filming and entertainment
- Mapping
- Aerial assessments
- Prospecting
- Disaster relief
- Early warning systems
- Environmental monitoring
- Data collection and analytics
Tractica’s report, “Drones for Commercial Applications,” examines the market and technology issues surrounding commercial drones and provides 10-year revenue forecasts for the industry.

The report assesses crucial market drivers and challenges, regulatory issues, and key technology issues that will influence market development. In total, 194 key, emerging, and other industry players are profiled.
Market forecasts for drone shipments and revenue are segmented by world region, airframe type, industry, and customer type.
An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Here’s some good info based on perdictions from the FAA