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YouTube Statistics 2026: Users, Revenue & Trends

Comprehensive YouTube statistics for 2026 including monthly active users, revenue figures, demographic data, and viewing trends. Essential data for marketers, creators, and researchers.

By NoteLM Team•Published 2026-01-11
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Key Takeaways

  • YouTube has 2.5+ billion monthly active users worldwide
  • Annual advertising revenue exceeds $40 billion (2025 figures)
  • 500+ hours of video are uploaded every minute
  • Average viewing session is 40+ minutes on mobile
  • 70% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices
  • India is the largest market by user count, US by revenue

YouTube has over 2.5 billion monthly active users in 2026, generating more than $40 billion in annual advertising revenue. The platform hosts over 800 million videos, with 500+ hours of content uploaded every minute. These statistics make YouTube the world's second-largest search engine and the dominant video platform globally.

Key Takeaways

  • YouTube has 2.5+ billion monthly active users worldwide
  • Annual advertising revenue exceeds $40 billion (2025 figures)
  • 500+ hours of video are uploaded every minute
  • Average viewing session is 40+ minutes on mobile
  • 70% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices
  • India is the largest market by user count, US by revenue

User Statistics

Global User Base

MetricFigure
Monthly active users2.5+ billion
Daily active users1+ billion
Logged-in users monthly2+ billion
Countries available100+
Languages supported80+

User Growth Trajectory

YearMonthly UsersGrowth
20202.0 billion-
20212.2 billion+10%
20222.5 billion+14%
20232.7 billion+8%
20242.8 billion+4%
20252.9 billion+3.5%

Geographic Distribution

Top 10 Countries by Users (2025):

RankCountryUsers (Million)
1India462+
2United States240+
3Brazil142+
4Indonesia139+
5Russia110+
6Japan102+
7Mexico84+
8Germany67+
9Pakistan64+
10Vietnam63+

Revenue Statistics

YouTube Advertising Revenue

YearRevenue (USD)Growth
2019$15.1 billion-
2020$19.8 billion+31%
2021$28.8 billion+46%
2022$29.2 billion+1%
2023$31.5 billion+8%
2024$36.5 billion+16%
2025$40+ billion+10%+

Revenue Breakdown

SourceShareEst. Revenue (2025)
Advertising~70%$40+ billion
Premium/Music~20%$11+ billion
Other (Super Chat, etc.)~10%$5+ billion

YouTube Premium Statistics

MetricFigure
Premium subscribers100+ million
YouTube Music users80+ million paid
Family plan users35%+ of subs
Annual revenue$10+ billion

Content Statistics

Video Upload Statistics

MetricFigure
Videos uploaded per minute500+ hours
Videos uploaded per day720,000+ hours
Total videos on platform800+ million
Average video length~12 minutes

Channel Statistics

MetricFigure
Total channels51+ million
Channels with 1M+ subs30,000+
Channels with 10M+ subs1,200+
Channels with 100M+ subs200+

Top Subscribed Channels (2026)

RankChannelSubscribers
1T-Series270+ million
2MrBeast250+ million
3Cocomelon175+ million
4SET India170+ million
5Kids Diana Show125+ million

Most Viewed Videos All-Time

RankVideoViews (Billion)
1Baby Shark Dance14+
2Despacito8+
3Johny Johny Yes Papa7+
4See You Again6+
5Shape of You6+

Viewing Statistics

Watch Time

MetricFigure
Daily video views5+ billion
Average session (mobile)40+ minutes
Average session (TV)60+ minutes
Monthly hours watched1+ billion

Device Distribution

DeviceShare
Mobile70%
Desktop/Laptop12%
Smart TV15%
Tablet3%

Viewing Behavior

MetricFigure
Users watching on TV daily150+ million
Videos watched per session4.5 average
Peak viewing hours7-10 PM local
Weekend vs weekday+15% weekend

Demographic Statistics

Age Distribution

Age GroupShare
18-2420.7%
25-3421.5%
35-4417.8%
45-5414.2%
55-6410.4%
65+9.8%
Under 185.6% (with parental supervision)

Gender Distribution

GenderShare
Male53.9%
Female46.1%

US Specific Demographics

DemographicYouTube Reach
US adults81%
18-29 age group95%
30-49 age group91%
50-64 age group83%
65+49%

YouTube Shorts Statistics

Shorts Growth

MetricFigure
Daily Shorts views70+ billion
Monthly Shorts creators2+ billion
Avg Shorts length30-45 seconds
Growth rate (YoY)+35%

Shorts vs Long-Form

MetricShortsLong-Form
Daily views70B+5B+
Avg watch time15 min/day30 min/day
Creator growth+50%+10%

Creator Economy Statistics

Creator Earnings

LevelEstimated Monthly
Top 1% creators$50,000+
Top 10% creators$5,000-50,000
Mid-tier (100K subs)$500-5,000
Small (10K subs)$50-500

Monetization Statistics

MetricFigure
Channels in YPP2+ million
Creators earning 6+ figures100,000+
Ad revenue shared (% to creators)55%
Super Chat/Thanks paid to creators$1+ billion/year

Creator Statistics

MetricFigure
Full-time YouTubers500,000+
Part-time creators10+ million
New channels per day100,000+

Engagement Statistics

Interaction Rates

ActionDaily Volume
Likes3+ billion
Comments500+ million
Shares100+ million
Subscriptions50+ million

Community Features

FeatureUsage
Live streams daily1+ million
Community posts daily10+ million
Polls created daily500,000+

Advertising Statistics

Ad Performance

Ad TypeAvg CPM (USD)
Skippable in-stream$4-10
Non-skippable$10-30
Bumper ads$5-15
Discovery ads$0.10-0.30 CPC

Advertiser Statistics

MetricFigure
Advertisers on YouTube5+ million
Brand lift studies15% average
Purchase intent increase20% average

Comparison with Competitors

Platform Comparison

PlatformMAUVideo FocusRevenue
YouTube2.5B+Primary$40B+
TikTok1.5B+Primary$16B+
Facebook Video2.9B+SecondaryN/A
Instagram2B+SecondaryN/A
Twitch140M+Primary (live)$3B+

Watch Time Comparison

PlatformAvg Daily Time
YouTube45 min
TikTok52 min
Netflix37 min
Facebook33 min
TrendImpact
Shorts monetizationMore creator earnings
AI content toolsEasier video creation
Connected TV growth+25% YoY
Podcast integrationGrowing category
Shopping features$5B+ potential

Future Projections

Metric2026 Projection2030 Projection
Monthly users3.0 billion3.5 billion
Revenue$45 billion$65 billion
Shorts views/day100 billion200 billion
Premium subs125 million200 million

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1How many people use YouTube in 2026?
YouTube has over 2.5 billion monthly active users and approximately 1 billion daily active users worldwide. This makes it the second most visited website globally after Google and the dominant video platform.
Q2How much money does YouTube make?
YouTube generated approximately $40+ billion in advertising revenue in 2025, with total revenue (including Premium subscriptions) estimated at $50+ billion. Google does not disclose separate YouTube profit figures.
Q3How much content is uploaded to YouTube daily?
Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, equating to 720,000+ hours of new content daily. The platform hosts over 800 million videos total.
Q4What percentage of the internet uses YouTube?
Approximately 30% of global internet users access YouTube monthly. In the United States, 81% of adults report using YouTube. Among young adults (18-29), usage reaches 95%.
Q5Which country has the most YouTube users?
India has the most YouTube users with 462+ million, followed by the United States (240+ million), Brazil (142+ million), and Indonesia (139+ million). However, the US generates the most ad revenue.
Q6How much do YouTube creators make?
Creator earnings vary enormously. Top 1% of creators earn $50,000+ monthly. A channel with 100,000 subscribers might earn $500-5,000 monthly from ads. YouTube shares 55% of ad revenue with creators.

Conclusion

YouTube's statistics demonstrate its dominance as the global video platform:

Key Figures:

  • 2.5+ billion monthly users
  • $40+ billion annual revenue
  • 500+ hours uploaded per minute
  • 70% mobile watch time
  • 100+ million Premium subscribers

Growth Areas:

  • YouTube Shorts (70B+ daily views)
  • Connected TV viewing (+25% growth)
  • Creator economy ($1B+ paid to creators)
  • International expansion

YouTube remains essential for marketers, creators, and businesses, with statistics indicating continued growth through 2026 and beyond.

Related Resources:

  • YouTube Creator Statistics
  • YouTube Marketing Guide
  • YouTube Monetization Requirements

Written By

NoteLM Team

The NoteLM team specializes in AI-powered video summarization and learning tools. We are passionate about making video content more accessible and efficient for learners worldwide.

AI/ML DevelopmentVideo ProcessingEducational Technology

Sources & References

Last verified: January 11, 2026
Statistics are compiled from official sources and industry research. Some figures are estimates where official data is unavailable.

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