YouTube has continued to dominate the world of video sharing. These days, it’s a one stop shop for everything from entertainment to how-to videos.
Understanding key YouTube stats and figures is the best way to develop a YouTube marketing strategy that works and lasts.
Read on for the YouTube user, usage, and business stats that you need to know to hit the ground running (and get that camera rolling).
Bonus: Download the free 30-day plan to grow your YouTube following fast, a daily workbook of challenges that will help you kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success. Get real results after one month.
General YouTube stats
Harness the power of YouTube’s global network with these stats.
1. YouTube is the 2nd most visited website in the world
With over 106 billion annual visits, YouTube is the second most visited website globally. What takes first place? It’s parent company, Google, of course.
2. YouTube is the most popular social media platform in the U.S.
Among U.S. users, YouTube is the most popular social media platform, beating out Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and even TikTok.
Source: Pew Research Center
3. YouTube has 100 million paid subscribers
Premium services are one of the easiest ways for social media platforms to make money, and YouTube is no exception. The platform currently boasts 100 million subscribers across Music and Premium services.
4. YouTube is the third most popular mobile video app worldwide
YouTube clocks in the number three spot in the list of most popular mobile video apps worldwide, according to Statista. While this might sound impressive, a closer look at the numbers gives some fairly surprising insights.
TikTok, unsurprisingly, takes the number one spot with over 1 billion downloads worldwide. Netflix is in the number two spot, with a meager 182.8 million downloads, comparatively. And YouTube trails closely behind with 182.1 million downloads.
This leaves a gap of over 800 million downloaded between TikTok and YouTube.
YouTube, time to catch up?
5. Baby Shark is the most viewed YouTube video of all time
Be honest, you started singing Baby Shark in your head when you read that, right?
It’s no wonder, considering this video has been viewed more than 14 billion times, making it the most popular YouTube video ever.
In the second place spot sits Despacito by Daddy Yankee (8.54 billion views), and in third place Johny Johny Yes Papa by LooLoo Kids (6.86 billion views).
6. YouTube is the most watched online streaming service in the U.S.
While you might think of platforms like Netflix and Hulu as the kings of American streaming, it’s actually YouTube that has earned the crown. YouTube currently accounts for 8.6% of streaming usage in the U.S., according to Nielsen, followed closely behind by Netflix at 7.9%.
Source: Nielsen
YouTube user statistics
Wondering what YouTube’s user base looks like? These YouTube user statistics will help you understand the people behind the platform.
7. 83% of U.S. adults use YouTube
YouTube currently ranks as the most popular platform among U.S. adults, beating out platforms like Facebook and Instagram. 83% of U.S. adults report using YouTube.
8. 54.4% of YouTube users are male
YouTube’s male users continue to make up a small majority of the platform, with 54.4% of users identifying as male, and 45.6 identifying as female. It’s not clear what percentage of the audience identifies outside of the gender binary.
9. The majority of YouTube’s U.S. users are aged 18 to 49
Unlike competing platforms like TikTok, who’s user base skews heavily Gen Z, YouTube remains a popular platform for users across generations. The largest distribution of YouTube’s user base falls between the ages of 18 and 49, followed closely behind by those aged 50-64.
Source: Pew Research Center
10. YouTube U.S. users tend to be well-educated
While some platforms, like BeReal and TikTok, have fairly low levels of education among their user base, YouTube users tend to be relatively well-educated.
89% of YouTube’s user base identifies as being a college graduate or higher.
11. YouTube boasts a diverse user base in the U.S.
In the United States, YouTube’s user base tends to be pretty diverse. According to Pew Research Center, YouTube usage is split more or less evenly among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations.
12. The UAE has the highest YouTube penetration rate
When it comes to global penetration of the YouTube app, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is leading the pack with 98.7% penetration. Israel comes in second with a 93% reach, followed by the Netherlands at 91%.
Canada’s YouTube penetration rate sits at 88.3%, and the United States falls further down the list at 77.4%.
YouTube usage stats
Wondering how people use and enjoy YouTube? Use these YouTube usage stats as your guide.
13. Users watch 1 billion hours of YouTube content every day
According to Google, users spend more than 1 billion hours of time watching YouTube videos every day. Now that’s a lot of eyeballs!
14. Users spend 28 hours per month on YouTube mobile
When was the last time you checked your screen time and thought, “eugh.” Hey, we’ve all been there.
Chances are, YouTube is one of the apps taking up your viewing time. In 2023, users around the world spent an average of 28 hours on the YouTube mobile app each month.
Keep in mind, this usage isn’t even around the world. Users in South Korea spent around 45 hours each month using the app, while users in Switzerland spent less than 10. In the U.S, sers spent around 26.20 hours on YouTube each month.
15. YouTube Kids saw 131 million downloads in 2023
YouTube Kids had its best year to date in 2023, seeing 131 million downloads—up from 103 million in 2022.
Overall, downloads for YouTube Kids have continued to increase since its launch in 2016.
16. 81% of internet users have used YouTube
So… basically everyone. Even if you’re not creating regular video content on the site, it’s worth having a presence here on one of the world’s most popular digital hubs in some capacity.
17. 26% of U.S. adults get news on YouTube
Getting news on social media is more or less the norm now (what this means for society is still up for debate).
Facebook remains the most popular news site for U.S. adults, with 30% of the market, while YouTube follows close behind at 26%.
Source: Pew Research Center
YouTube business statistics
Ready to build your brand on YouTube? Here’s how to increase your YouTube subscribers and promote your YouTube channel. Plus, use these YouTube for business stats to guide your strategy.
18. YouTube is the #1 platform for researching products and brands
YouTube continues to be a behemoth in the world of product advertising and brand awareness. According to Google, YouTube is the number one platform for researching products and brands, or making purchase decisions.
Source: Think With Google
19. Viral YouTube content can reach 100 million views is less than a day
Virality still reigns supreme on social media, as any burnt-out social media manager can tell you.
For those looking to go viral, the best you can expect to do is 100 million views in less than one day. The YouTube video for Butter, by Korean pop sensations BTS, holds the record as the fastest video to reach 100 million views, followed up by their video Dynamite.
YouTube ad statistics
Make the most out of your YouTube advertising strategy with these YouTube ad statistics.
20. YouTube made over $31 billion in ad revenue in 2023
Beyond paid subscribers, YouTube’s main revenue driver is advertising. Cue a one minute second ad you can’t close that interrupts your DIY patio furniture video…
Now that that’s over, YouTube made $31 billion in advertising revenue in 2023. This broke down to approximately $7 billion in Q1, $7.6 in Q2, $8 billion in Q3, and $9 billion in Q4.
21. Multi-format video campaigns perform better in ad recall and brand awareness
Wondering whether your next ad should be a long-form video, a YouTube Short, a live stream, or a podcast? Why not choose all of the above?
According to YouTube, campaigns that use two or more video formats see better ad recall and brand awareness lifts than those using only one.
22. YouTube ads boats 57% more view time than other platforms
Want your ads to be seen? Really seen? Then YouTube might be the place. According to the platform, ad views on YouTube are more than 57% higher than on other competing platforms, under similar testing conditions.
23. Half of brands feel confident advertising on YouTube
While platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram rank high for brand advertising confidence, YouTube is sitting in the middle ground.
About 52% of brands report feeling confident advertising on YouTube, while the remaining 48% say they are skeptical about the platform’s trustworthiness.
YouTube Shorts statistics
Shorts are one of the fastest growing features on YouTube’s platform. Learn how to use them to your advantage with these stats.
24. YouTube Shorts sees 2 billion monthly logged-in users
Launched in 2020, YouTube Shorts has quickly taken the world of short-form video by storm. As of July 2023, YouTube Shorts see an average of 2 billion monthly logged-in users, and growing.
The most popular YouTube short to date came from travel vlogger Shangerdanger, whose “Diver cracks egg at 45 ft deep” Short has seen 14 million views.
25. YouTube Shorts see 50 billion daily views
YouTube Shorts are quickly becoming one of the platform’s best-known features, especially among younger, gen Z audiences.
Currently, YouTube Shorts sees around 50 billion daily views, according to YouTube internal data.
26. YouTube Shorts see 10-20% more conversions per dollar
YouTube Shorts might just be the next great thing in advertising. According to Google, campaigns that leverage YouTube Shorts bring in 10-20% more conversions per dollar than campaigns that rely on landscape assets alone.
YouTube music stats
Music remains a big driver of YouTube’s user traffic. Learn how the YouTube music statistics break down here.
27. The most popular channels on YouTube are music and children’s content
As of March 2024, the top five most popular channels on YouTube are:
- Wiz Khalifa Music (6 billion channel views)
- Wow Kidz (5 billion channel views)
- T-Series (2.72 billion channel views)
- Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes (2.42 billion channel views)
- SET India (2.33 billion channel views)
YouTube stats FAQs
What is YouTube Stats for Nerds?
YouTube Stats for Nerds is a feature on YouTube that gives you technical details about your video playback. It shows information like the video’s ID, resolution, and your internet speed. This can help you understand why your video might be buffering or not looking as clear as it should. It’s also useful for YouTube’s tech team to troubleshoot and fix any issues. Just turn on the feature in your video settings to access this helpful data.
How do I see my YouTube stats?
To see YouTube stats on individual videos, sign into your YouTube Studio Content Manager. Once logged in, choose Analytics, and then Top movers in the Overview tab. Here, you’ll be able to see stats on your YouTube videos and channels, plus an overview of how your data has changed over time.
You can also use Hootsuite to view your YouTube stats. Simply open your Hootsuite dashboard, click Analytics, then choose New Report > YouTube. Here, you’ll be able to generate reports for channel views, watch time, subscriber growth, and more.
Learn more about YouTube analytics on the Hootsuite blog.
How much does YouTube pay for 1,000 views?
The company generally pays around $10-30 per 1,00 YouTube views for creators in the U.S. This works out to around $0.01 to $0.03 per view.
Check out this experiment that covers how much YouTube pays for views.
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million views?
YouTube generally pays between $10,000 and $30,000 for 1 million views. This is an average, and a generalization, so keep in mind your personal revenue could look much different.
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