Lego has notched up another sales record as parents battle to keep children away from smartphones and other screens, writes Jane Denton.

The Danish toy giant’s revenues jumped by 12% to £4bn (€4.63bn) in the first half of this year while profits rose 10% to just over £1bn. Boss Niels Christiansen said it could be benefiting from parents keeping their children away from social media.

"We see ourselves as competing for children’s time. The most important thing is to provide relevant and exciting experiences, and that could keep them away from smartphones," he said.

Business was also boosted as Lego unveiled more sets than ever and invested heavily in new sites globally.

Lego launched 314 sets in the first half – a record – with best-sellers including ranges such as Lego City, Technic and Botanicals in addition to its Star Wars sets.

The group said it spent a further £485m on new sites. Christiansen added: ‘We are very pleased to have maintained our strong performance, winning share in the global toy market.

This growth is driven by our large and innovative range of products that continues to be relevant across ages and interests.

"With the solid financial foundation we have built over several years, we continue to invest in capacity expansions and strategic initiatives that fuel our growth."

Lego said its Botanicals range of flowers and plants was popular during the Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day period. It also enjoyed "very successful product launches and brand activations at Grand Prix races as part of its new partnership with Formula 1".

In April, Lego opened a factory in Vietnam, its sixth globally, to boost long-term growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lego is also investing more than £1.1bn in building a factory and regional distribution centre in Virginia, in the US, which are set to open in 2027, having also opened an Americas office in Boston.

Another 24 sites, including one in New Delhi, opened in the first six months of 2025, taking its global total to 1,079 in 54 markets.

Yesterday, the group unveiled a Pirates of the Caribbean Lego set in collaboration with Disney. The set features a full crew of eight mini-figures, representing characters from the film series including Captain Jack Sparrow.