can this fact be accurate?

The average age of the hobbyist seems to be increasing. I don't see a lot of college kids into it. I live in Boston which is a huge university town and there are few stores left. The obsession with vinyl isn't helpful.

Go to a newstand and see if you can find an audio magazine. I can't and I I often stop by newstands with hundreds of magazines and no Stereophile etc. Not a great harbinger....

I would think that there are 100000 audiophiles in Germany alone. Add to this the rest of the world and it should be a million or more, I guess.

I think its higher, maybe 250,000. Consider many if not most dont post on internet and quietly enjoying their system. Consider the 65,000 number who read Stereophile, you honestly think 65% of a population subscribes? That would be astonishing so even at 1 in 4 thats incredible but there is your reasonable 250,000.
Now what price point? I dunno how to define it but at this small of a hobby we must be in the 1-2 degree of seperation area so in that spirit, hiwdy y'all!

Yes that figure could be accurate , the OP said high end audiophiles , not audiophiles . I've been at it for 35 years , with a system that now exceeds six digits , but after looking at some of my friends and club members system's I must consider myself at the mid fi level .