Legos. They’re everywhere. Not only do they line the aisles of the best toy stores, but let’s face it: they’re in every nook and cranny in our home.
Just when you’ve thought you’ve cleaned up every single lego in your home, more appear. They’re in the couch cushions, behind the TV, and under your bed. Put simply: Legos seem to multiply.
While you may feel that you are in a never-ending Lego cycle, at some point, you probably ask yourself: how many Legos exist in the world? The answer: more than 400 billion. If you stacked all the Legos in the world together, they would go all the way around the world – five times!
The History of Legos
Part of the reason there are so many Legos in the world is that the company was started almost 100 years ago – 90, to be exact.
Starting in 1932 in Denmark and passed on through generations from father to son, the company has produced over 400 billion legos throughout the company’s long history.
Lego didn’t take long to own the toy market and quickly became a multinational company. In fact, over 400 million people around the world have played with Legos at some point in their lives.
A unique selling point of Lego toys is that the plastic bricks manufactured today are compatible with the bricks first manufactured in 1958, meaning that customers can build a seemingly infinite number of Lego combinations.
In fact, Lego manufacturing is so precise that only 18 of every 1 million Legos produced are defective. What’s more is that most Legos are made out of material that never decomposes, called ABS plastic.
That means that the more Legos created, the more fun, quirky, and innovative inventions will follow.
The Worldwide Reach of Legos
Lego soon became an entire category of toys with a devoted following.
The Lego empire has been so successful that there are even LegoLand amusement parks all over the world, from California and Florida in the United States to Europe and the UK, all the way to Japan, Malaysia, and Dubai.
It’s no surprise that there are Lego fans all over the world. In fact, Lego dominates 7% of the entire toy industry, making them the world’s biggest toy company.
Germany is the number one consumer of Legos in the entire world, with the United States pulling in a close second as the largest population of Lego purchasers.
Fun Facts About Legos
With so many Legos in existence today, it’s fun to imagine all of the different creations you could make.
Below you’ll find some Q&A about Legos and some of the coolest creations around the world.
- What is the largest Lego creation in the world? The world’s largest Lego creation is a huge tower in Tel Aviv, Israel. The tower is a whopping 118 feet tall, and currently holds the Guinness world record for tallest Lego building. The tower took over half a million (550,000) bricks to build.
- The Lego empire creates around $6 billion in annual revenue, making it the most profitable toy company in the world.
- Lego factories manufacture, on average, 36,000 Legos every minute around the world, including the largest factory in Denmark. That’s enough Legos to create the famous 80 Legos for 1 person in the world today.
- The “Space Command Center” Lego set is the rarest and most valuable Lego set in the world. When it was first produced, it sold for a mere $24.99, but in 2022 is valued at over $10,000!
- The Legoland in Dubai, which opened in 2016, is made from 15,000 Lego models. That’s 15 million Lego bricks in one location! Talk about the possible combinations of creations you could make with that many Legos!
- Lego’s success comes in part due to their seemingly endless combinations of creations you can make from plastic bricks. In fact, you can create more than 915 million combinations from just six 2×4 lego bricks.
- Someone has actually made a real, working house out of Lego bricks! In 2009 an Englishman built a functioning house – complete with plumbing and a bathroom – out of 3.3 million bricks.
Legos have touched the lives of over 400 million people to date, from the imagination of creative children to the nostalgic adult. But Legos have moved from an inventive toy to a household name.
What started out as a fun toy created by a carpenter in 1932 has taken the world by storm, creating seemingly endless opportunities for playtime and fun.
Now the most successful toy company in the world (seriously – Legos even surpasses Barbie and the Teddy Bear as the most popular toys in the world), Legos continue to develop new sets.
People around the world continue to come up with amazing Lego-based creations – from functioning houses to tall towers.
Families flock from all over the world to Legoland adventure parks across 8 locations on 3 continents.
Vintage Lego sets have become more than a playset and turned into a full-blown collector’s item, with aficionados to investors interested in the successful toy company.
Almost 100 years later, global revenue continues to soar – increasing by 27% in 2021 alone, with the most popular models that sold being Lego City, Lego Creator Expert, Lego Harry Potter, Lego Technic, and of course, the ever-popular Lego Star Wars.
Conclusion
What will Lego create next? Moreover, what will Lego fans create next with new lines of Legos, only adding to the seemingly endless combinations of creations that can be made?
Lego fans around the world are just as excited about new Lego models as they are rare, vintage sets featuring unique characters, colors, and themes.
Whatever is next, we can’t wait to see it!
