Hi, I’m Roger Lapin a Close up Magician based in the UK, a question I get asked all the time is “How many Magicians are there in the world?” Whilst I cannot find any published figures, I estimate the number to be around 100,000
It is very difficult to provide an accurate number of how many magicians there are in the world. The definition of the word Magician can be very vague, is it someone who performs magic professionally or someone who does a few tricks at home.
I am going to base the answer to this question on professional / semi-pro magicians using the following information.
How many members in the Magic Circle?
The Magic Circle, the most prestigious Magic society in the world has over 1700 members of which King Charles is one!
www.themagiccircle.co.uk/about/
International Brotherhood of Magicians
International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is an organization for both professional and amateur close-up and stage magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St. Charles, Missouri. There are over 300 local groups, called Rings, in more than 88 countries, largely concentrated in cities of the United States and Canada. The organization publishes a monthly periodical entitled The Linking Ring, which features tricks, coverage of shows and events in the magic community, and interviews with magicians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Brotherhood_of_Magicians
Magic Cafe
The Magic Cafe one of the largest online forums for Magicians as of 2005 had over 15,000 members worldwide but I cannot find an updated figure for this.
https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=128923
Blackpool Magicians Convention
The largest Magicians Convention in the world is the Blackpool Magicians Convention, which is an annual convention in Blackpool, UK every February, whilst the numbers are not officially published it is estimated that between 3000-5000 magicians attend every year
How many Magicians are there in the world conclusion:
So taking into account the members of the Magic Circle, IBM and the Magic Cafe worldwide and include those that attend the worlds largest Magic Convention and assuming some of them could be members of all 3 and then assuming that many magicians might not be a member of any of the above this number totals just over 35,000. Then if you add on around 60,000 of amateur magicians
If you assume that a lot of Magicians are not members of any association I believe the total number of Magicians in the world is around 100,000.
However with the population of the world being around 65 Billion that is not very many!
Number of Magicians in the World
Number of Magicians = 100,000 Total Population = 65,000,000,000 (65 billion)
Percentage = (100,000 / 65,000,000,000) * 100
Percentage ≈ 0.000153846%
So, approximately 0.000153846% of the world’s population are Magicians. This is a very small percentage, reflecting that magicians are a relatively rare group within the global population.
It’s impossible to determine the exact number of magicians in the world because magicians vary widely in terms of their level of expertise, professionalism, and how actively they perform or practice magic. Magic is a hobby pursued by many people worldwide, and there are countless amateur magicians who may not be widely known.
However, if you’re interested in professional magicians who perform regularly and are often associated with magic organizations or groups, there are thousands of them around the world. These professionals may perform in various capacities, such as stage magicians, close-up magicians, mentalists, illusionists, and more. They can be found in many countries, with some being internationally recognized for their skills.
There are also numerous magic organizations, clubs, and associations worldwide, such as The International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) and The Society of American Magicians (SAM), which have members from different countries.
In summary, while it’s impossible to provide an exact number, there are likely thousands of magicians worldwide, ranging from amateurs to professionals, each contributing to the rich and diverse world of magic.
I’m Roger Lapin a Close up Magician based in Hampshire, UK and available to hire for Weddings, Parties & Corporate Events.
