What is the size of the B2B e-commerce sector Versus B2C e-commerce sector?

Here’s a clear comparison of the e-commerce sector overall and the business-to-business (B2B) segment — especially relative to business-to-consumer (B2C) sales:

📊 Global E-commerce Market Overview

• The total e-commerce market (online buying and selling of goods/services) includes both B2B (business selling to business) and B2C (business selling to individual consumers) transactions.

• E-commerce is a significant part of the global economy and continues to grow rapidly.

🧾 Size of B2B E-commerce vs B2C

📌 B2B E-commerce (Business-to-Business)

• B2B e-commerce is much larger than B2C on a global scale.

• Several analyses show that:
  • B2B e-commerce sales are multiple times larger than B2C — often 3–5× bigger globally.
  • In dollar terms, B2B e-commerce has been estimated in the tens of trillions USD (e.g., around $28–32 trillion+ in recent estimates) and projected to grow further.
  • One projection puts the global B2B market at USD 13.7 trillion in 2025 with growth toward ~USD 60 trillion by 2034.

📌 B2C E-commerce (Business-to-Consumer)

• B2C e-commerce — which most people think of as online retail — is significantly smaller than B2B.
  • Global B2C e-commerce sales are measured in the low- to mid-single-digit trillions (for example, ~USD 5.5 trillion by 2027).
  • Other estimates vary by region and methodology, but B2C remains well under the size of B2B globally.

📌 Relative Proportions

• Many estimates suggest that B2B accounts for ~80–85% of total e-commerce sales worldwide, with B2C making up the rest.

• In some markets like the U.S., B2B e-commerce can be valued at 5–6 × the size of B2C.

📈 Why B2B is Larger

1. Higher transaction values: B2B often involves bulk purchasing and recurring orders.

2. Multiple transactions in supply chains: Each product sold to a consumer often involves many upstream B2B transactions.

3. Digital transformation of procurement: Businesses increasingly buy supplies, components, and services online.

🧠 Summary

Bottom line: While B2C e-commerce gets more public attention (e.g., online retail brands and consumer marketplaces), the B2B e-commerce sector is significantly larger in overall sales and value — often several times the size of B2C globally.