46 Must-Know YouTube Statistics [Infographic] | WordStream

In my many years in the digital marketing industry, it’s been crazy to see how YouTube has grown and become a central part of daily life—for consumers, marketers, and businesses.

Nearly everyone I know uses YouTube in some capacity, whether to learn, to listen to music, to market and advertise a brand, etc.; the ways YouTube can come in handy for both work and play are endless. So much so, that YouTube is now at the forefront of the search, social media, and video landscapes.

I’m sharing YouTube statistics that prove just how important it is for your business to be present on the video giant. Creating a channel is easy, and you don’t have to be a video wiz to find success. This data proves that simply getting set up on YouTube can be well worth the initial effort.

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YouTube stats: Our top picks

Here are our top, must-know YouTube statistics.

1. YouTube has over 2.58 billion monthly active users.

There are 122 million daily active users on YouTube worldwide. In fact, YouTube beats TikTok as the top video streaming app in the US. YouTube’s annual revenue growth rate has increased by 14.6% year over year.

Here is how YouTube’s usage has grown year over year.

2. 20 million videos get added to YouTube daily.

To keep up with this YouTube stat, increase your video production rates with these YouTube video ideas.

3. 82% of US adults use YouTube.

Odds are, your target audience is on YouTube. However, if you’re still not sure, check out these illuminating target audience examples to see how your ideal customer could be using YouTube.

4. YouTube is the second-most popular search engine, following Google.

Yes, YouTube SEO is a thing, as people are now using YouTube to search their queries almost as often as they do on Google. Optimizing your YouTube videos to get found via YouTube search can also help you rank off the platform, too, in Google video results.

5. YouTube is the second-most popular social platform, following Facebook.

Just like on Meta-owned apps, users can share, comment, like, and follow video content on YouTube.

6. 44% of small businesses are using YouTube for marketing.

The number of businesses relying on YouTube for marketing has increased by 6% year over year.

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7. YouTube viewers watch over 1 billion hours of video content each day.

Not only does YouTube have a wide audience, but that audience is also highly engaged. Tons and tons of videos are being watched on YouTube at any given moment. In fact, 3.47 million YouTube videos are watched every minute.

8. YouTube users spend nearly an hour per day on the platform.

In comparison, users spend an average of 35 minutes per day on Facebook. So even though it’s behind Facebook in popularity, it’s ahead in time spent on the site or within the app.

9. 60% of people prefer online videos on platforms like YouTube to live TV.

While traditional media, like TV commercials or print ads, will always be a marketing staple for many businesses, YouTube is often preferred by two-thirds of consumers.

10. 80% of small businesses are satisfied with their video marketing and advertising results across platforms like YouTube.

This finding from our small business marketing trends report positions YouTube as one of the most successful marketing and advertising channels for businesses.

Who uses YouTube? YouTube audience statistics

Wondering who’s on YouTube and how they’re using the platform? Look no further than these YouTube audience stats and facts.

11. YouTube’s user base accounts for about 31% of the global population.

That’s right, a third of the world’s population is on YouTube!

12. 54% of YouTube users worldwide are male, 46% are female.

In the US, the spread is more even, with 49% of YouTube users being male and 51% being female.

13. The 25-34 age group is YouTube’s largest audience segment.

Here is a breakdown of YouTube users by age group.

14. 63% of YouTube views occur on a mobile device.

Most YouTube users are accessing YouTube from a mobile device, so be sure your mobile marketing strategy is aligned with your YouTube efforts.

15. 77% of active YouTube users also use Instagram regularly.

The majority of people on YouTube are generally social media power users. They hop to other platforms, like Instagram, regularly.

16. 74% of sports fans visit YouTube several times a week.

Sports fans are a huge market that many different businesses can tap into. If you’re already reaching sports fans through video ads on news sites or apps, you could recycle that media into YouTube videos and ads, too.

17. 80% of parents with kids aged 11 or younger let their children watch YouTube.

YouTube users are more likely to have kids than non-users.

18. Mobile YouTube videos reach more 18- to 19-year-olds than any TV network.

Younger audiences are leaning more into what they can watch on demand on their phones through apps like YouTube, rather than what they could catch on regular TV.

19. Among millennials, YouTube accounts for 67% of online video consumption.

Not only that, but two-thirds of millennials say they can find how-to content for anything on YouTube.

20. During the average month, YouTube reaches 95% of internet users over 55.

YouTube isn’t just for younger audiences; in fact, almost 100% of internet users over 55 are on YouTube.

Source

21. YouTube reaches 89% of US households with over $100,000 in annual income.

YouTube users tend to be from more affluent households, where they’re collectively averaging over $100,000 income.

22. 81% of YouTube users are on the platform for entertainment purposes.

Relaxation and entertainment are the top reasons for watching YouTube videos. 75% of adults watch mobile YouTube videos while relaxing at home.

23. YouTube users are three times more likely to watch a tutorial than read instructions.

This YouTube statistic uncovers a potential opportunity for your business to turn any product or service instructions into tutorial videos for increased viewership.

24. India is the country with the highest number of YouTube users, followed by the United States and Indonesia.

Here is a list of the top countries with the highest numbers of YouTube users.

YouTube marketing and advertising statistics

Is YouTube marketing and advertising worth the investment? These YouTube statistics tell the story.

🚨 Could your Google Ads strategy benefit from YouTube ad campaigns? Find out with a free, instant account report using our Google Ads Grader!

25. YouTube TV has 9.4 million subscribers.

You can run ads on YouTube TV as part of your OTT (over-the-top) ad strategy, which means you’d be serving promotional video content across streaming services. This can be an extremely wise move for advertisers, as this YouTube statistic proves that YouTube TV is the most popular TV streaming service, followed by Hulu Live TV and Sling TV.

26. 70% of people have bought a product after seeing it in a YouTube ad.

YouTube users are highly inclined to make a purchase after they’ve seen an ad on YouTube.

27. The average YouTube ad CPM (cost per thousand impressions) is $2.

For smaller businesses working to grow their brand, our guide to YouTube ads indicates a normal CPM might range higher, like $4-10. However, this is still much cheaper when compared to the average cost per click or cost per lead in search ads, which are $5.26 and $70.11, respectively.

28. 43% of YouTube users aged 14-24 said they feel more loyal towards brands recommended by YouTube creators.

YouTube is the third-most popular platform for influencer marketing content. So, influencer partnerships might be your business’s best bet when you’re first getting started on YouTube.

29. 26% of people say they discover new brands or products via YouTube ads.

YouTube is now a major channel for product discovery, which means your YouTube marketing and advertising efforts are bound to lead you to potential customers you may not have reached otherwise.

30. Among businesses, YouTube is the second-most popular place to post videos.

If you already prefer posting your brand’s videos on YouTube versus other marketing channels, you’re similar to the majority of businesses out there.

31. Two-thirds of shoppers cite video as a source of purchase inspiration.

Not only that, but 90% of those shoppers have discovered something new through YouTube.

32. Nearly half of businesses are investing in YouTube advertising.

If you haven’t started putting some of your advertising budget towards YouTube ads, you’ll likely want to start in order to stay competitive.

33. A mobile YouTube ad is 84% more likely to engage prospects than a TV ad.

People use TV commercial breaks to scroll through social media and search stuff on Google. Therefore, it’s recommended to reinforce the messaging of your YouTube ads with your Facebook and Google ads. That way, even when your prospects opt for TV instead of YouTube, you can communicate the value of your product and keep your brand top-of-mind. Plus, it’s easy to recycle mobile ad content across all three platforms as the sizing and specs are usually similar.

34. 61% of consumers say they are more likely to use YouTube or Google feeds to research products or brands versus any other social sites or apps.

Your YouTube marketing and advertising can place you in front of customers when it matters most, as they research your products or services.

Even more YouTube statistics and fun facts

Want even more YouTube stats? We’ve got you covered.

• The “Baby Shark Dance” video is the most viewed YouTube video of all time, with over 16 billion views (which means parents have had to hear that song over 16 billion times, respect to all the parents out there).
• The most viewed music video on YouTube is “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, with over 9 billion views.
• YouTube earned $60 billion in revenue in 2025.
• YouTube isn’t accessible worldwide; it’s banned in a few countries, including China, Iran, North Korea, and South Sudan.
• YouTube was created in 2005 by three former PayPal employees.
• Google bought YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion.
• The MrBeast YouTube channel is the most popular on the platform, with 472 million subscribers.
• You can create up to 100 channels with one single YouTube account.
• Over 615,000 YouTube channels have over 100,000 subscribers.
• The average YouTube video length is 11 minutes.
• The term “asmr” (autonomous sensory meridian response) is the top search query on YouTube. This stands for videos that purposely emphasize audio and sound to entertain viewers.
• YouTube is responsible for more than one-third of mobile internet traffic.

What these YouTube statistics mean for your business

YouTube has grown exponentially, and these YouTube trends indicate that that trend will continue. As YouTube evolves, so should your strategy. Try to start thinking more about how you can transform your content into on-demand videos for your YouTube channel or YouTube ads.

For more ways to increase your business’s success on YouTube and beyond, see how our solutions can help!