YouTube Statistics 2026: Growth, Engagement, and Monetization

In 2005, a simple video titled “Me at the zoo” was uploaded by one of YouTube’s co-founders. It was only 18 seconds long, but it marked the beginning of a revolution in online video. Fast forward today: YouTube isn’t just a platform, it’s an ecosystem, a career path, and a global cultural force. Whether it’s a toddler tapping on a screen, a student looking up tutorials, or a creator earning a full-time income, YouTube touches every age group, industry, and region in some way.

In this data-driven look into YouTube today, we’ll unpack its impact, usage patterns, top content creators, and much more. From audience growth to monetization and Shorts, every stat tells a story, and the story this year is big.

Editor’s Choice

YouTube has 2.85 billion monthly active users globally.
Over 1 billion hours of video are watched daily on YouTube.
62% of U.S. internet users visit YouTube daily.
YouTube Partner Program supports millions of monetizing creators.
YouTube Shorts generate 200 billion views daily.
MrBeast has 463 million subscribers as of January 2026.
MrBeast’s net worth is estimated at $1 billion from YouTube earnings.

Recent Developments

YouTube AI dubbing tools support 10+ languages, including English, Hindi, and Spanish.
“Playables” feature expanded with AI-generated games from text prompts.
YouTube Studio includes AI-powered thumbnail generators for creators.
Creators must tag AI-generated videos under new transparency rules.
Deepfake detection feature requires labeling and removes harmful synthetic media.
The copyright match tool detects audio use down to 3 seconds.
YouTube Create app added a new “Templates” feature for editing.
AI-powered highlights auto-create Shorts from livestream key moments.
YouTube TV offers customizable multiview and 10+ specialized plans.
New “Edit with AI” feature available for YouTube Shorts.

YouTube Users by Gender (18+)

Male users dominate YouTube’s adult audience, accounting for 54% of users aged 18 and above, highlighting stronger engagement among male viewers globally.
Female users represent a significant share, making up 46% of YouTube’s adult user base, showing near-parity in overall platform adoption.
The gender gap remains relatively narrow, with only an 8-percentage-point difference between male and female users, reflecting broad appeal across demographics.
Advertisers benefit from balanced reach, as YouTube effectively connects with both male and female audiences at scale.
Content strategy implications are strong, as creators can target gender-neutral and mixed-interest content without skewing heavily toward one group.

YouTube Advertising Insights and CPM Rates

Global average YouTube CPM rose to $8.50.
US average CPM leads at $32.75, followed by Canada at $29.15 and Australia at $36.21.
Finance niches command CPMs surpassing $22 per 1,000 views.
Skippable in-stream ads account for the majority of YouTube ad impressions.
TrueView ads average 31% view rate.
Shorts ad revenue accounts for 13% of total YouTube ad income.
Bumper ads contribute to 15% higher ad recall.
Average CTR for YouTube display ads is 0.65%.
Video action campaigns boost brand conversions by 27%.

YouTube Users by Age and Gender

Ages 25–34 dominate YouTube’s adult audience, with 12.0% male and 9.7% female users, making this the platform’s largest and most active demographic segment.
The 35–44 age group follows closely, accounting for 10.1% of male users and 8.4% of female users, reflecting strong mid-career engagement on YouTube.
Young adults aged 18–24 remain a core audience, representing 8.9% of male users and 6.9% of female users, driven by entertainment, education, and short-form content consumption.
Viewership declines gradually after age 45, with the 45–54 segment contributing 7.6% of male and 6.4% of female users, showing sustained but reduced engagement.
Older audiences continue to use YouTube at scale, as users aged 55–64 account for 5.2% of males and 4.7% of females, highlighting adoption beyond younger demographics.
Older people aged 65+ remain an active niche, contributing 4.6% of male and 4.9% of female users, with female usage slightly surpassing male in this age group.
Male users consistently outnumber female users across most age groups, reinforcing YouTube’s broader male-skewed audience profile while maintaining strong cross-gender reach.

Revenue and Monetization Statistics

YouTube generated $36.15 billion in ad revenue for 2025.
Partner Program paid over $20 billion to creators in 2025.
U.S. average CPM reached $7.50.
Over 5 million channels monetizing through ads and memberships.
YouTube Premium contributed $12 billion in revenue.
Creators earning over $100,000 yearly increased by 25%.
Super Chat donations surpassed $1.2 billion cumulatively.
Merch shelf used by more than 1.5 million creators.
BrandConnect deals exceeded $600 million.
70% of creators report sponsorships as the second-largest income.

YouTube Shorts Performance Statistics

YouTube Shorts receives over 200 billion daily views.
2 billion monthly active users access the Shorts feed.
Average Shorts engagement rate is 5.91%.
Shorts are responsible for 35% of new channel discovery.
Average viewer session lasts 15 minutes.
96% of people prefer watching short-form content like Shorts.
Average Short receives 647 views.
Creators earn $0.065 RPM for 40-60 second Shorts.
82% of Gen Z watch Shorts regularly.
Shorts 50-60 seconds generate 85% more views.

Top Countries by YouTube Audience Size

India leads with 500 million YouTube users.
United States ranks second with 254 million users.
Brazil holds third spot with roughly 151 million users.
Indonesia follows with 151 million users.
Mexico has 85 million YouTube users.
Japan contributes 78.5 million users.
Germany reports 64.7 million users.
Vietnam has 62.1 million users.
Philippines accounts for 59.6 million users.
Turkey rounds out the top ten with 57.9 million users.

Mobile vs Desktop YouTube Usage Trends

Around 73% of YouTube views now come from mobile devices, with desktop near 18% and smart TVs close to 9% of watch time.
Average mobile session length is roughly 25 minutes, compared with about 14 minutes on desktop.
Mobile viewers are over 3x more likely to engage with Shorts than desktop users.
Push and in‑app notifications on mobile influence more than 50% of immediate watch decisions.
Voice search drives nearly 20% of mobile video discovery.
About 92% of users aged 16–24 primarily access YouTube via smartphone.
Tablets contribute just over 3% of total views, skewing toward educational content.
Offline downloads exceed 100 million monthly users, largely via the mobile app.

YouTube Watch Time and Engagement Rates

YouTube users watch over 1 billion hours of content daily worldwide.
U.S. users average 48.6 minutes of watch time per day.
Short videos show 23% higher engagement than short traditional videos.
Live streams increased average view duration by 17%.
Videos with subtitles receive 20% more watch time.
Average like-to-view ratio stands at 4%.
The average comment-to-view ratio is around 0.3%.
End screen click-through rates average 5.2%.
High-performing videos retain 65% viewers past 30 seconds.

Most Subscribed YouTube Channels Worldwide

YouTube’s Role in Influencer Marketing

61% of marketers rank YouTube top for influencer marketing effectiveness.
YouTube influencers deliver 11x ROI over traditional ads.
98% of users trust YouTube creators more than other platforms.
Product reviews on YouTube influence 80% of purchase decisions.
Micro-influencers (10K–100K subs) achieve 5.19% engagement rate.
Average brand integration costs $2,500–$15,000.
Multi-platform campaigns with YouTube yield 22% higher conversions.
83% of Gen Z trust YouTubers over celebrities for buying.

YouTube Algorithm and Recommendation Trends

70% of watched content comes from algorithmic recommendations.
Videos with over 65% first-minute retention gain 2x higher reach.
The algorithm prioritizes viewer satisfaction over raw watch time.
Channels posting 2x weekly gain 32% more impressions.
Likes, shares, and comments are weighted heavily in personalized recommendations.
Live stream replays surfaced more in feeds and search.
Viewer satisfaction surveys directly shape future recommendations.
Engagement signals boost session time by 12%.
“Add Context” feature adds fact-checks to sensitive content.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What percent of watch time comes from recommended videos?

About 70% of YouTube watch time is from algorithm‑recommended videos rather than direct searches.

How much revenue did YouTube generate recently?

YouTube generated roughly $36.1 billion in revenue in the latest reported year.

How many people watch YouTube every day?

Over 122 million users log in to YouTube daily via the app and web.

How many monthly active users does YouTube have worldwide in 2026?

YouTube has approximately 2.85 billion monthly active users globally in 2026.

Conclusion

YouTube today is more than just a video-sharing platform; it’s a global economy, a discovery engine, and a cultural archive. Its evolution into Shorts, live streams, AI tools, and e-commerce integrations shows that it’s adapting rapidly to changing user behavior and creator needs. From independent artists breaking into the mainstream to everyday users turning passions into careers, the platform’s footprint spans every continent, every device, and nearly every industry.

As YouTube continues expanding its capabilities, from gaming and education to localized experiences, it remains the digital mirror of how we learn, laugh, sell, and express ourselves online. The numbers don’t just tell us where YouTube is; they reveal where digital culture is going next.