Ask most people to guess the world's most popular cosmetic surgery and you'll hear "breast augmentation" or "liposuction." The actual data, from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's (ISAPS) Global Survey, tells a slightly different story — and the scale of the overall market is bigger than most people expect.
The Scale of the Global Market
Global Aesthetic Procedure Volume
37.9M
total procedures worldwide
17.4M
surgical procedures
20.5M
non-surgical procedures
+40%
growth since 2020
Source: ISAPS Global Survey 2024
Roughly 37.9 million aesthetic procedures were performed worldwide in the most recent survey year, split between 17.4 million surgical procedures and 20.5 million non-surgical treatments. Total volume has grown by around 40% since 2020 — a period that includes the pandemic disruption, which makes the growth rate even more notable.
The Actual Most-Performed Procedures
Data
Most-Performed Cosmetic Procedures Worldwide
Estimated procedures performed globally, most recent survey year.
Rhinoplasty
Liposuction
Eyelid Surgery
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Botulinum Toxin (Botox)
| Category | Procedures performed |
|---|---|
| Rhinoplasty | 1M |
| Liposuction | 2M |
| Eyelid Surgery | 2.1M |
| Hyaluronic Acid Fillers | 6.3M |
| Botulinum Toxin (Botox) | 7.8M |
Source: ISAPS Global Survey 2024
Non-surgical treatments dominate the very top of the list: botulinum toxin (commonly known by the brand name Botox) leads globally at approximately 7.8 million procedures, followed by hyaluronic acid fillers at around 6.3 million, up 5.2% year over year. Among surgical procedures, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is actually the most-performed globally at over 2.1 million procedures — up 13.4% — ahead of liposuction at around 2 million. Rhinoplasty, often assumed to be near the top, sits at around 1 million procedures globally and was actually down about 10% year over year.
Key takeaway: The procedures generating the most media attention — BBL, rhinoplasty, facelifts — aren't necessarily the ones with the highest actual volume. Non-surgical treatments and eyelid surgery quietly dominate the real numbers, largely because they're faster, less invasive, and more frequently repeated than major surgical procedures.
Why Eyelid Surgery Leads the Surgical Rankings
Blepharoplasty's position at the top of the surgical rankings reflects a combination of factors: it addresses a very common age-related concern, recovery is comparatively short, and it's often performed on both eyes at once as a single procedure, inflating the per-procedure count relative to something like a single facelift. We cover facial rejuvenation options, surgical and non-surgical, in Facelift vs Non-Surgical Alternatives: Botox, Fillers & Thread Lifts Compared.
What This Means for Procedures We See More Demand For
Demand for rhinoplasty, BBL and breast augmentation remains strong even if their global volume ranks below eyelid surgery and non-surgical treatments — these are simply lower-frequency, higher-consideration procedures, which makes choosing the right clinic even more important. Turkey's combination of accredited hospitals, specialist surgeons and a fraction of UK/US pricing is exactly why it's become the leading destination for these higher-consideration procedures specifically. Our cosmetic surgery pages cover technique, cost and recovery in detail, and Is Turkey Safe for Medical Treatment? What the Data Actually Shows covers the safety standards behind that reputation. Request a free personalised quote to get a plan matched to a vetted clinic for the procedure you're considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most popular cosmetic procedure in the world?
Among non-surgical treatments, botulinum toxin (Botox) leads globally at around 7.8 million procedures. Among surgical procedures, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is the most performed, at over 2.1 million procedures.
Is rhinoplasty one of the most popular procedures globally?
No — despite significant media and search attention, rhinoplasty ranks around 1 million procedures globally, below eyelid surgery and liposuction, and was down roughly 10% year over year in the latest survey.
How much has global demand for cosmetic procedures grown?
Total surgical and non-surgical procedure volume has grown by roughly 40% since 2020, according to ISAPS' Global Survey data.
Why are non-surgical treatments so much more common than surgical ones?
They're generally faster, less invasive, require less recovery time, and are often repeated more frequently (such as routine Botox top-ups), which naturally produces a higher procedure count than one-off surgical treatments.