For anyone comparing today’s engagement-ring market, these are the figures worth keeping close. They bring together the latest national wedding-study results with federal retail data.
Key engagement ring statistics
61%
of engagement rings featured a lab-grown center stone among U.S. couples married in 2025.
Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study40%
of couples said it was specifically important that their stone be lab-grown.
Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study$4,600
was the average engagement-ring spend reported in the 2026 study.
Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study1.9 ct
was the average carat size reported for engagement rings in the study.
Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings StudyNearly 9 in 10
proposers had a ring in hand when they proposed.
Source: The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study$39.5B
in 2024 sales was reported by U.S. employer jewelry stores.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Integrated Economic Survey112,604
people were employed by U.S. employer jewelry stores in 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Integrated Economic SurveyWhat these figures show
Lab-grown diamonds now sit at the center of the modern engagement-ring conversation. The latest study points to a market where more couples are choosing a larger stone within a considered budget, while the enduring ritual of choosing a ring remains central to the proposal itself.
The retail picture is broader still. Federal data shows a substantial jewelry-store sector, while individual ring choices continue to be shaped by personal style, setting details and the story a couple wants their piece to carry.
Sources and methodology
- The Knot Worldwide 2026 Real Weddings Study, published February 18, 2026. The study reports self-reported responses from 10,474 U.S. couples married in 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau Annual Integrated Economic Survey, 2024 data for NAICS 448310, Jewelry Stores. These figures cover employer firms.
Chelsea Leigh & Company. “Engagement Ring Statistics 2026.” Updated September 25, 2026. https://chelsealeighandcompany.com/engagement-ring-statistics