Our population report documents every grade AP Grading has ever assigned. This analysis summarises the data as of 9 August 2026 – a quotable reference for collectors, dealers and media. In short: 142,829 active certificates, a gem-mint rate of 8.2% and a Pokémon share of 73.1%.
Key figures
- 142,829 active certificates in total (voided certificates excluded)
- of which 140,716 cards, 1,216 booster packs, 258 box toppers/jumbo cards and 897 comics
- Gem rate: 8.2% of all cards achieve the top grade of 10 – roughly one in twelve
- 27.4% achieve 9.5 or better
- Comics (added in 2026): average grade 8.53
Grade distribution across all graded cards
The distribution shows how strictly the published grading standard is applied: an AP 10 is rare – which is exactly what makes it meaningful.
| Grade | Cards | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 10 (Gem Mint) | 11,521 | 8.2% |
| 9.5 – 9.9 | 27,019 | 19.2% |
| 9.0 – 9.4 | 40,707 | 28.9% |
| 8.0 – 8.9 | 38,013 | 27.0% |
| 7.0 – 7.9 | 8,699 | 6.2% |
| 5.0 – 6.9 | 7,956 | 5.7% |
| below 5.0 | 6,801 | 4.8% |
What gets graded? Categories
| Category | Certificates | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon | 104,354 | 73.1% |
| Sports cards (football, basketball etc.) | 10,556 | 7.4% |
| Yu-Gi-Oh! | 9,276 | 6.5% |
| One Piece | 6,690 | 4.7% |
| Dragon Ball | 3,581 | 2.5% |
| Magic: The Gathering | 1,620 | 1.1% |
| Disney Lorcana | 629 | 0.4% |
| Other | 6,123 | 4.3% |
Most-graded sets
| # | Set | Graded cards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celebrations | 4,948 |
| 2 | Base Set | 4,246 |
| 3 | 151 | 3,250 |
| 4 | Evolving Skies | 2,793 |
| 5 | Sword & Shield Black Star Promos | 2,265 |
| 6 | Brilliant Stars | 2,165 |
| 7 | Evolutions | 2,122 |
| 8 | Hidden Fates | 1,983 |
| 9 | Vivid Voltage | 1,865 |
Most-graded single cards
| # | Card | Set | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mew – Shiny Gold Full Art | Celebrations | 602 |
| 2 | Charizard – Holo | Celebrations | 478 |
| 3 | Blastoise – Holo | Celebrations | 439 |
| 4 | Charizard – Gold Metal | Celebrations Promo | 406 |
| 5 | Venusaur – Holo | Celebrations | 402 |
| 6 | Charizard VMAX – Shiny Full Art | Shining Fates | 355 |
| 7 | Birthday Pikachu – Holo | Celebrations | 308 |
| 8 | Pikachu – Gold Metal | Celebrations Promo | 304 |
| 9 | Charizard – Holo | Base Set | 259 |
| 10 | Glurak (Charizard, German) – Holo | Base Set | 254 |
Methodology & how to cite
Data basis: all active AP Grading certificates from company launch until 9 August 2026; voided certificates excluded. Category mapping is based on the set/series designation of each certificate. Every single grade can be verified publicly via the population report and the serial number at check.apgrading.de.
Feel free to quote these figures – please credit: “AP Grading Population Report, as of 08/2026, apgrading.net”. Press enquiries and raw-data extracts: Press & Facts.
New: The full population report is now also available as browsable data pages – all categories, sets and cards with grade distributions.