15 YouTube Statistics for Marketers in 2026

YouTube is the most widely used online platform in the United States, used by 84% of adults according to Pew Research Center’s 2026 fact sheet, and its annual revenue passed $60 billion across ads and subscriptions in 2025, according to Alphabet. YouTube Shorts now averages 200 billion daily views, and YouTube has been the number one streaming service by US TV watch time for nearly three years, per Nielsen data cited by YouTube.

The 15 YouTube statistics below cover audience size, viewing habits, Shorts, the creator economy and advertising. Each figure is attributed to its original source, mostly YouTube, Alphabet, Pew Research Center and DataReportal, with links collected in the Sources section.

Updated October 2026.

How many people use YouTube in 2026?

1. 84% of US adults use YouTube

According to Pew Research Center’s 2026 social media fact sheet, 84% of US adults use YouTube, more than any other platform (Facebook is second at 70%). YouTube is also the only platform used by a majority in every age group: 95% of 18- to 29-year-olds, 91% of 30- to 49-year-olds, 85% of 50- to 64-year-olds and 65% of adults 65 and older.

2. 55.3% of internet users worldwide use YouTube every month

GWI survey data in DataReportal’s Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update shows 55.3% of internet users aged 16 and over used YouTube in the past month, second only to Facebook (56.3%). Similarweb’s app activity index in the same report ranks YouTube first for active app users worldwide. YouTube itself says only that it has “billions of monthly logged-in users” and does not publish an exact figure.

3. About half of US adults visit YouTube every day

Pew Research Center’s Americans’ Social Media Use 2025 report found that about half of US adults visit YouTube at least once a day, including 33% who visit several times a day. Younger adults are the most likely to use YouTube daily.

4. About nine in ten US teens use YouTube, and one in five uses it almost constantly

Pew Research Center’s December 2025 teen survey found roughly nine in ten US teens aged 13 to 17 use YouTube, making it the most used platform among teens. About one in five say they are on YouTube almost constantly, a similar share to TikTok (21%).

YouTube statistics about viewing habits

5. YouTube has been the #1 US streaming service by watch time for nearly three years

In his 2026 letter (January 21, 2026), YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said YouTube has been number one in streaming watch time in the US for nearly three years, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge. That makes YouTube a TV channel as much as a social platform, and ads increasingly run on the biggest screen in the house.

6. 59% of YouTube’s ad viewers see ads on connected TVs

DataReportal’s Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update reports that 59% of YouTube’s ad audience now sees ads on connected TV screens, while 89.7% see them on mobile. For advertisers, that means YouTube creative should work both as a vertical phone video and on a living-room TV.

7. YouTube Shorts averages 200 billion daily views

YouTube’s press page and Neal Mohan’s 2026 letter both state that YouTube Shorts now averages more than 200 billion daily views. Shorts is YouTube’s answer to TikTok and Instagram Reels, and it is now one of the main ways new channels are discovered.

8. More than 20 million videos are uploaded to YouTube every day

Speaking at Made on YouTube on September 23, 2026, Neal Mohan said more than 20 million videos are uploaded to the platform every day. With that much new content, a clear channel name, consistent branding and searchable titles matter more than ever.

If you are starting a channel, the YouTube name generator suggests ideas, and the namechk username checker confirms whether the matching @handle is free on YouTube and other networks.

9. Viewers watched over 700 million hours of podcasts on TV screens in October 2025

In Alphabet’s Q4 2025 earnings remarks, Sundar Pichai said viewers watched over 700 million hours of podcasts on living-room devices in October 2025, up 75% from a year earlier. Video podcasts have made YouTube one of the largest podcast platforms; see our podcast statistics for more.

10. 93% of US viewers aged 18 to 27 say YouTube helps them learn new skills

A 2025 Kantar survey cited in YouTube’s 2026 letter found that 93% of US viewers aged 18 to 27 agree YouTube helps them learn new skills. How-to and educational content is one of the most reliable formats for businesses, because it answers questions people are already searching for.

YouTube statistics about revenue, creators and advertising

11. YouTube’s annual revenue surpassed $60 billion in 2025

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in the Q4 2025 earnings call (February 4, 2026) that YouTube’s annual revenues surpassed $60 billion across ads and subscriptions. Subscription revenue comes from paid products such as YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, alongside the advertising that runs on free videos.

12. YouTube ad revenue grew 13% year over year in Q2 2026

According to Alphabet’s Q2 2026 earnings remarks (July 22, 2026), YouTube Ads revenue grew 13% year over year. Pichai also said more than 1.7 billion unique viewers watched World Cup-related videos on YouTube during the quarter.

13. YouTube paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies in four years

Neal Mohan’s 2026 letter says YouTube has paid over $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies in the past four years. YouTube shares ad revenue with creators in the YouTube Partner Program, which is why so many full-time creators treat it as their primary platform.

14. YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed $55 billion to US GDP in 2024

According to the same letter, YouTube’s ecosystem contributed $55 billion to US GDP in 2024 and supported more than 490,000 full-time jobs. Those figures come from YouTube’s economic impact research and include creators, their teams and the businesses that work with them.

15. More than 500,000 creators are in YouTube Shopping

YouTube said in January 2026 that over 500,000 creators had joined YouTube Shopping, its program that lets creators tag and earn commission on products in their videos. For brands, YouTube Shopping turns creator partnerships into a direct sales channel rather than only an awareness play.

What do these YouTube statistics mean for marketers?

YouTube reaches almost every adult demographic in the US, dominates TV streaming time and is growing in podcasts and Shorts. For marketers, that means three things: plan YouTube content for both phones and TVs, use Shorts for discovery and long-form videos for depth, and consider creator partnerships, since YouTube’s creator economy is now worth tens of billions of dollars a year.

Compare YouTube with other platforms in our social media statistics and Twitch statistics roundups.

How we compiled these statistics

We relied on primary sources: YouTube’s official blog and press page, Alphabet’s earnings remarks, Pew Research Center surveys and DataReportal’s Digital 2026 reports. YouTube does not publish an exact monthly user count, so we did not include one. All figures are as of October 2026, and statistics from the previous version of this page that could not be confirmed were removed.

FAQs

Sources

1. YouTube Official Blog: From the CEO, What’s coming to YouTube in 2026 (January 21, 2026)
2. YouTube Official Blog: Press page, YouTube by the numbers
3. YouTube Official Blog: Innovation for the YouTube Era (September 23, 2026)
4. Google: Q4 2025 earnings call remarks from Sundar Pichai (February 4, 2026)
5. Google: Q2 2026 earnings call remarks from Sundar Pichai (July 22, 2026)
6. Pew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (October 2026)
7. Pew Research Center: Americans’ Social Media Use 2025
8. Pew Research Center: Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025
9. DataReportal: Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update Report