YouTube Statistics 2026
The key YouTube numbers marketers and creators actually need — users, watch time, Shorts, demographics and revenue. Updated June 2026, with sources.
YouTube is the largest video platform in the world and the second most-visited site on the internet. Below are the most important, up-to-date YouTube statistics for 2026, grouped by theme. Feel free to cite these — each section is sourced at the bottom of the page.
Users & reach
- YouTube has around 2.7 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it the second most-visited website on the planet after Google.
- It's also widely considered the world's second-largest search engine by query volume.
- YouTube is available in over 100 countries and more than 80 languages.
- An estimated 125 million people pay for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music combined.
Watch time & usage
- Users watch more than 1 billion hours of YouTube video every single day.
- The average user spends roughly 1 hour 25 minutes a day on the platform.
- Around 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute — about 20 million new videos a day.
- A large majority of watch time now happens on mobile devices and connected TVs.
YouTube Shorts
- YouTube Shorts generates more than 200 billion views per day.
- Shorts has become a primary discovery surface for new creators, sitting alongside the main feed and search.
- Short-form content is one of the fastest-growing formats on the platform year over year.
Audience demographics
- YouTube's audience skews slightly male — roughly 54% male to 46% female.
- The 25–34 age group is the single largest segment of YouTube's user base.
- In the United States, YouTube reaches an estimated 77% of adults — broader than almost any other platform.
- Usage is remarkably even across demographics, with high penetration across age and income groups.
Revenue & marketing
- YouTube generated more than $40 billion in advertising revenue in 2025 (Alphabet earnings).
- Subscription and other YouTube services added roughly $19.6 billion on top of ad revenue.
- About 69% of companies say they use YouTube as part of their marketing.
- Marketers consistently rank YouTube among the highest-ROI platforms for video.
Creators & content
- There are an estimated 87 million+ active creators and over 113 million channels on YouTube.
- Music dominates the all-time charts — a large share of the most-viewed videos ever are music videos.
- “Baby Shark Dance” remains the most-viewed video of all time with over 16 billion views.
- Top creators like MrBeast have built subscriber bases in the hundreds of millions.
Grow your own YouTube presence
These numbers show the scale of the opportunity — but every big channel started at zero. New channels need early views, watch time and subscribers before the algorithm widens their reach. Kick-start yours with real engagement: YouTube subscribers, views and likes — not sure where? See our guide to the best sites to buy YouTube subscribers. You can also name your channel with our YouTube name generator, tag your videos with the tag generator, and read our guide to the best YouTube SEO tools. Into the data? See our Spotify statistics, Twitch statistics and TikTok statistics too.
Frequently asked questions
How many users does YouTube have in 2026?
YouTube has approximately 2.7 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it the second most-visited website after Google.
How much video is watched on YouTube daily?
Users watch more than 1 billion hours of YouTube video every day, and the average user spends about 1 hour 25 minutes on the platform daily.
How many videos are uploaded to YouTube each day?
Around 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute — roughly 20 million new videos every day.
How many views do YouTube Shorts get?
YouTube Shorts generates more than 200 billion views per day as of 2026, making it one of the platform's biggest discovery surfaces.
How much money does YouTube make?
YouTube generated over $40 billion in advertising revenue in 2025, plus roughly $19.6 billion from subscriptions and other services.
Sources & methodology
Figures are compiled from public industry reports and platform earnings, and reflect the most recent data available as of June 2026. They are estimates and rounded for readability — always check the original source for exact, current numbers.