How many Pokémon cards are there? (April 2024)

Pokémon cards have been popular since their first set was released in 1996 in Japan and 1999 around the world. There have since been more than 115 expansions released globally, excluding promotional sets. This gives us a general idea of the vast number of Pokémon cards created.

How many unique Pokémon cards are there?

There are roughly 18,609 unique Pokémon cards created for the international market as of March 2024, according to the online database TCG Collector. For cards in Japanese, the figure rises to about 21,289.

This count focuses on unique cards, meaning those with their own set numbers at the bottom and distinct artwork. A card like Arceus VSTAR is counted five times if it has five different artworks and set numbers, including promotional sets, alternate arts, and Secret Rares. Each time a Pokémon has been featured in different sets over the years, each version is counted as a separate entry because of their unique artwork and identification numbers. For instance, there are 196 unique Charizard Pokémon cards.

How many Pokémon cards have ever been printed?

Since the Pokémon Trading Card Game first launched, The Pokémon Company has produced over 52.9 billion cards in 14 languages and across 89 countries and regions. This figure refers to the total units of Pokémon cards manufactured and distributed throughout the game’s history. This number likely doesn’t reflect the current number of cards in existence worldwide, as many have been lost, discarded, or unfortunately destroyed over the years.

With the 2024 Standard Rotation underway and additional Scarlet & Violet sets anticipated for release in 2024, the total number of unique Pokémon cards created internationally is expected to approach 20,000. This is because each new set typically introduces around 250 cards. We’re probably around six Pokémon TCG expansions away from surpassing this remarkable milestone.