YouTube Statistics and Facts Last updated on: November 12, 2025

Introduction

YouTube Statistics: YouTube was created on February 14, 2005, by former PayPal employees Steve Chen, Jawed Karim, and Chad Hurley, who aimed to create a platform for individuals to share their “home videos”. Today, it is recognised as the second-largest search engine and a prominent social media platform, with over 2 billion monthly active users who together watch more than a billion hours of video daily. It is available in 80 languages across more than 100 countries, with content being uploaded at an astonishing rate of over 500 hours every minute.

With an astounding 70 billion views each day on YouTube Shorts, these viewers are cultivating a new level of interaction and engagement across the platform. Unsurprisingly, mobile usage dominates; 63% of viewing time takes place on mobile devices. With over 100 million subscribers to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, in addition to its free services, YouTube undoubtedly functions as a premium entertainment platform.

Editor’s Choice

• YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, and was purchased by Google in 2006 for $1.65 billion.
• Daily, over 122 million users engage with YouTube via its website and mobile applications.
• In the United States, 62% of YouTube users engage with the platform daily.
• An astounding 491 million individuals in India are viewing, producing, and interacting with content on YouTube.
• YouTube advertisements constituted 10.09% of Alphabet’s overall revenue during the first nine months of 2023.
• YouTube is accessible in more than 100 countries globally and is offered in 80 different languages.
• More than 100 million users subscribe to either YouTube Premium or YouTube Music.
• As of February 2024, YouTube statistics indicate that the platform had around 100 million paid subscribers for its Music and Premium services combined.

Historical Facts

• YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, and was purchased by Google in 2006 for $1.65 billion.
• Following the launch of its beta service in April 2005, YouTube.com started to draw in approximately 30,000 viewers daily within just a few months of its launch.
• By March 2006, the platform had accumulated over 25 million uploaded videos and was experiencing around 20,000 new uploads each day.
• In July 2006, the site achieved an average of 100 million video views daily.
• As reported by Nielsen/NetRatings, the website attracted nearly 20 million visitors each month, with approximately 44% being female and 56% male.
• In June 2007, YouTube unveiled a mobile web interface, enabling videos to be streamed via RTSP.
• In April 2009, YouTube commenced its initial trials with an HTML5 video player.
• In 2010, Chad Hurley earned over $395 million, while Steve Chen’s income surpassed $326 million.
• Between 2010 and 2012, Alexa ranked YouTube as the 3^rd most visited website on the Internet, following Facebook and Google.
• By March 2013, the number of unique users visiting YouTube each month reached 1 billion.
• In November 2014, YouTube introduced a paid subscription service at first named “Music Key”, which offered features such as background playback, the option to download music for offline listening, and the elimination of advertisement interruptions.

Further

• The 360-degree video feature was introduced in March 2015.
• In August 2015, the platform known as “YouTube Gaming” was launched.
• In November 2016, YouTube added the functionality to “heart” and pin comments on one’s own videos.
• On August 29, 2017, YouTube updated both its logo and the design of its desktop website.
• On April 3, 2018, a shooting incident occurred at the YouTube headquarters.
• In May 2020, the “HD” badge was removed from the 720p option in the video player’s resolution selector, although it remained for 1080p.
• In May 2021, YouTube introduced a feature in live chat for chat streams that allows creators to enable a subscriber-only mode.
• On October 10, 2022, YouTube launched “handles,” enabling channels to be accessed via a more memorable web address (URL) beginning with youtube.com/@.
• In July 2023, YouTube started to block videos for users who utilise ad blockers.
• In November 2024, YouTube revealed that Shorts would extend to a maximum length of 3 minutes, and from that point forward, all vertical videos that are 3 minutes or shorter would be classified as Shorts.

General YouTube Statistics and Facts

• As of February 2025, India boasts the largest number of YouTube users globally, with an estimated 491 million individuals.
• In terms of search engines, YouTube ranks as the second-largest, following Google.
• Daily, over 122 million users engage with YouTube via its website and mobile applications.
• According to the Digital 2025 Global Overview Report, YouTube has a potential advertising reach of 2.53 billion users.
• For the fourth quarter of 2024, YouTube’s global advertising revenue is reported to be $10.47 billion.
• As of June 2025, Mr Beast holds the title for the most subscribed YouTube channel worldwide, with 388 million subscribers.
• Combined, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music have surpassed 100 million subscribers globally.
• YouTube ranks as the second most popular social media platform, following Facebook.
• Every day, users collectively watch over a billion hours of video content, resulting in billions of views.
• Among YouTube users, 54.4% are male, while 45.6% are female.
• The majority of YouTube users are within the 25-34 age demographic.

Moreover

• Mobile devices account for 63% of the total watch time on YouTube.
• Music, entertainment, and education are the most frequently viewed categories on YouTube.
• In 2020, Apple Inc. became the top advertiser on YouTube, spending $237.15 million.
• YouTube accounts for roughly 25% of global mobile data usage.
• With 74% of adult users, YouTube is the foremost online platform in the United States.
• 80% of parents in the US, whose children are 11 years old or younger, indicate that their child watches YouTube videos.
• The United States represents 16.4% of YouTube’s traffic, while India contributes 9.2% and Japan 4.8%.
• On average, a visitor to YouTube views nearly nine pages daily.
• The average time spent on YouTube each day is 19 minutes.
• 72% of individuals accessed fitness content on YouTube in 2020.
• YouTube is the most widely used social platform for research by B2B decision-makers, with 50.9% of users.

YouTube Users Statistics

Daily

• YouTube boasts more than 122 million active users each day.
• Globally, 1 billion hours of content are viewed daily.
• In the United States, 62% of YouTube users engage with the platform daily.

Monthly

• As of June 2025, YouTube boasts over 2.70 billion monthly active users.
• Facebook is the only platform surpassing YouTube in active users, with a total of 3.06 billion users.
• Among the 5.17 billion social media users globally, which accounts for 63.7% of the world’s population, 52% utilise YouTube.
• In 2023, the user base of YouTube was estimated to be around 2.68 billion.
• This year, YouTube’s user base has increased by 20 million compared to 2023, indicating a growth of 0.74%.
• YouTube Premium and YouTube Music collectively have over 125 million subscribers worldwide, encompassing both paid subscriptions and trial users.
• The potential advertising reach of YouTube is 2.53 billion users, which is marginally lower than the total number of active users due to elements such as ad blockers and premium memberships.
• More than a quarter of the global population engages with YouTube every month.

Year

• The increase in YouTube users has been significant, rising from 0.8 billion in 2012 to 2.70 billion by 2025. Over the past decade, a total of 1.9 billion new users have joined the YouTube platform.
• At present, more than 2.70 billion people are utilising YouTube content.

Users of Youtube by Country

• An astounding 491 million individuals in India are viewing, producing, and interacting with content on YouTube.
• This figure is nearly double that of the USA, which has 253 million users.
• Brazil ranks third with 144 million users, closely trailed by Indonesia with 143 million.
• These statistics underscore the extensive reach of YouTube in emerging digital markets.
• Other nations with considerable YouTube audiences include Mexico (83.6 million), Japan (78.7 million), and Germany (65.5 million).
• Even countries such as Vietnam (62.3 million), the Philippines (57.7 million), and Turkey (57.5 million) boast tens of millions of active users on the platform.

YouTube Usage Statistics

• According to the Digital Global Overview Report, YouTube’s advertisements have the potential to reach as many as 2.49 billion users. This figure represents approximately half of the 5.04 billion social media users globally, positioning YouTube as the second most utilised social platform.
• In 2024, individuals are dedicating more time to YouTube, with an average of 48.7 minutes spent daily. This rise in user engagement renders YouTube an excellent venue for connecting with your target demographic.
• On a global scale, users allocate an average of 28 hours and 5 minutes to the YouTube mobile application. Although this statistic pertains solely to Android users, it underscores the increasing popularity of YouTube on mobile devices.
• A significant 87% of users have engaged with at least four distinct YouTube formats (such as Shorts and live streams) over the past year.
• As reported by Google, individuals view over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos each day.
• In 2023, YouTube Kids experienced its most successful year to date, achieving 131 million downloads, an increase from 103 million in 2022. The download figures for YouTube Kids have been on the rise since its inception in 2016.
• Regarding the acquisition of news via social media, Facebook remains the preferred platform for U.S. adults at 30%, while YouTube follows closely behind at 26%.

YouTube Advertising Statistics

• In 2023, YouTube generated $31 billion from advertisements. This amount was divided into approximately $7 billion in the first quarter, $7.6 billion in the second quarter, $8 billion in the third quarter, and $9 billion in the fourth quarter.
• YouTube advertisements constituted 10.09% of Alphabet’s overall revenue during the first nine months of 2023.
• Creators participating in YouTube’s Partner Program receive 55% of the advertisement revenue, whereas YouTube retains 45%. The earnings of creators can fluctuate significantly based on various factors, such as engagement levels.
• YouTube discovered that employing two or more video formats in advertising campaigns leads to improved ad recall and brand recognition compared to utilising a single format.
• Advertisers implementing AI-driven video reach campaigns on YouTube experienced a 111% rise in sales in comparison to campaigns optimised manually.
• Ad views on YouTube exceed those on other competing platforms by over 57% under similar circumstances.
• Approximately 52% of brands express confidence in advertising on YouTube, while 48% remain doubtful regarding the platform’s reliability.

Marketing Statistics and YouTube Videos

• Marketers are increasingly incorporating YouTube videos into their strategies. Approximately 66% of them intend to enhance their usage of YouTube videos, while 59% plan to intensify their organic efforts on the platform.
• A survey conducted by Red Crow Marketing Inc. indicates that Americans encounter nearly 4,000-10,000 advertisements daily, which positions YouTube as a formidable tool for advertisers.
• 67% of marketers assert that distributing social videos on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok yields the highest return on investment (ROI) compared to any other marketing strategy.
• As reported by Google’s Ads & Commerce Blog, 70% of individuals have purchased after viewing a product on YouTube.
• YouTube is recognised as the second most effective platform for B2C content marketing. The proportion of marketers utilising it for organic content rose from 55% to 67% between 2022 and 2023.
• In terms of live content, YouTube holds the leading position. In the United States, 52% of social video viewers prefer YouTube for live content, surpassing Facebook and Instagram.
• The most viewed YouTube video of all time is “Baby Shark Dance.” Since its debut in 2016, this viral phenomenon has accumulated nearly 14 billion views as of January 2024.

YouTube Demographics Statistics

• YouTube is accessible in more than 100 countries globally and is offered in 80 different languages.
• 62% of internet users in the United States engage with YouTube daily, while 98% of US internet users utilise the platform at least once a month.
• India boasts the largest audience on YouTube, with 462 million users, followed by the United States, which has 239 million users.
• More than half of all YouTube viewers in the US fall within the age range of 19 to 32, whereas less than 10% are aged 18 or younger.
• 47% of internet users worldwide access YouTube at least once a month.
• Among global YouTube viewers, 45.6% are female, while 54.4% are male.
• 80% of parents with young children report allowing their children to watch YouTube videos, and 53% of these parents indicate that their child watches YouTube daily.
• Creators who employ multi-language features such as dubbing, closed captions, and subtitles receive 15% of their views from the video’s non-primary language.
• Additionally, 99% of YouTube viewers are also active on other social media platforms, alongside their use of YouTube.

YouTube Subscription Statistics

• More than 100 million users subscribe to either YouTube Premium or YouTube Music.
• YouTube Music has achieved over 77 million downloads worldwide.
• In 2019, YouTube Music generated more than US$15 billion in advertising revenue.
• In 2022, YouTube Premium contributed US$11 billion to the company’s revenue.
• By 2024, YouTube TV exceeded 8 million subscribers.

Statistics of YouTube Shorts

• YouTube Shorts has experienced remarkable growth, achieving 90 billion daily views in 2024, a significant increase from 30 billion in 2021.
• 3% of the audience for YouTube Shorts falls within the 25 to 34 age range, making this group the largest demographic.
• The optimal times for posting a YouTube Short are between 12 PM and 3 PM, as well as from 7 PM to 10 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• By the conclusion of 2023, over 2 billion users were engaging with YouTube Shorts every month.
• YouTube Shorts that incorporated product feeds (advertisement-integrated e-commerce stores) experienced a 70% rise in conversion rates compared to those without feeds.
• YouTube Shorts holds the title of the leading short-form video platform for brand and product discovery.

YouTube Business Statistics

• 67% of marketers planned to enhance their utilisation of YouTube videos.
• 57% aimed to boost their organic activities on YouTube over the following year.
• This report also inquired of marketers regarding the social media platforms they wished to explore further. Instagram was rated highest (71%), followed by YouTube (64%), Facebook (62%), and LinkedIn (59%).
• Marketers were further questioned about the platforms they frequently use to share videos. Facebook was rated the highest at 58%, followed by Instagram at 49%, and YouTube in third place with 47%.
• Social Media Examiner also indicates that the optimal video length is between seven to 15 minutes. However, the ideal duration of a video genuinely depends on its type and the audience it targets.
• As of March 2023, YouTube ranks as the second most visited website globally, following Google. This highlights the extensive audience available for brands to engage with on the platform.

YouTube Engagement Statistics

• A notable 74% of Generation Z consider themselves video content creators on YouTube.
• 92% of fans engage with YouTube to view content related to their interests at least once a week.
• The average engagement rate on YouTube stands at 3.87%.
• By the year 2025, it is anticipated that “Baby Shark Dance” will become the most-watched YouTube video globally, accumulating 15.47 billion views, with “Despacito” trailing behind at 8.63 billion views. The typical duration of a YouTube Short is 33 seconds.
• The category of People and Blogs ranks as the most favoured among YouTube Influencers, with 28.5% sharing videos, trailed by Entertainment and Games at 14.54% and 12.95% respectively.
• YouTube is utilised by 89% of adults in the United States, establishing it as the most prevalent platform among American adults.
• YouTube channels boasting 100,000 to 1 million subscribers exhibit the highest engagement rate of 3.47%.
• 70% of YouTube users regard it as a reliable platform.

Statistics of YouTube Monetisation

• In the fourth quarter of 2024, YouTube generated $10.4 billion in advertising revenue.
• YouTube’s brand value increased to $31.7 billion in 2024.
• Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, is the top earner on YouTube, with an estimated revenue of $82 million.
• YouTube distributes approximately 68% of the revenue earned through AdSense. Therefore, if a video generates $100 in ad revenue, the content creator will receive $68.

YouTube Paying Subscribers

• As of February 2024, YouTube statistics indicate that the platform had around 100 million paid subscribers for its Music and Premium services combined.
• In contrast, the company had announced a total of 100 million subscribers in September 2021, a number that represented an increase of 50 million paying subscribers.
• These growing levels of profitability illustrate the rising demand for offline listening, ad-free experiences, and exclusive services.
• Another significant factor contributing to this growth was advertising; YouTube reported nearly 8 billion dollars in advertising revenue during the third quarter of 2023.

YouTube Device Statistics

• As of November 2022, nearly 90% of all user visits originated from mobile and smartphone devices globally.
• Desktop computers represented 10.5% of the total traffic to YouTube.com as of November 2022.
• Approximately 70% of users in the United States access YouTube via their smartphones.
• By June 2025, the YouTube mobile application had surpassed 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store.

Parental Views of YouTube

• Approximately 80% of parents in the United States with children aged 11 or younger indicate that their child watches YouTube videos, with 53% reporting that this occurs daily.
• Almost all parents (97%) acknowledge that YouTube provides entertainment for their children, at least on occasion.
• Nearly 43% of parents indicate that YouTube frequently assists their children in acquiring new knowledge.
• Despite the entertainment and educational benefits that YouTube offers to many parents, 46% of those with children aged 11 or younger who utilise the platform have encountered content that is inappropriate for their children’s age.
• About 65% of parents express apprehension regarding the types of videos that are recommended to their children on YouTube.
• The primary concern for parents of children aged 11 or younger is the risk of encountering unsuitable content (73%), with 68% showing varying degrees of concern about the nature of advertisements that are directed towards their children on the platform.
• 53% of parents believe that YouTube’s initiatives to ensure a safe environment for children are lacking or insufficient.

YouTube Fun Facts

• YouTube achieved 100 million daily video views and 65,000 daily uploads in its inaugural year of operation.
• In October 2006, Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion. Presently, YouTube’s estimated worth surpasses $160 billion.
• The first YouTube video, named “Me at the zoo,” was uploaded on April 23, 2005, showcasing co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo.
• A Nike commercial featuring Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho became the first video on YouTube to reach 1 million views in November 2005.
• In December 2012, Gangnam Style became the first video on YouTube to surpass 1 billion views.
• On April 3, 2018, a shooting incident took place at YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, California, resulting in one fatality (the shooter) and four injuries.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic and the enforcement of extensive stay-at-home orders, YouTube’s usage saw a significant rise. A data analysis firm estimated that YouTube represented 15% of internet traffic, effectively doubling its pre-pandemic levels.
• YouTube Shorts was initially launched in India following the TikTok ban in August 2020. One year after its global launch in June 2021, it achieved 30 billion daily views.
• YouTube operates in Google data centers that have been using 100% renewable energy since 2017.
• Before the dislike button was removed, YouTube’s Rewind for 2018 held the record for the most disliked video, accumulating 19,943 million dislikes.
• Approximately 70% of the content viewed on YouTube is influenced by the platform’s recommendation algorithm.

Recent Developments

• On September 19, 2024, YouTube implemented advertisements on the sides of videos during pauses.
• On December 20, 2024, YouTube rolled out new regulations that ban videos featuring clickbait titles to improve content quality and address misinformation.
• On July 30, 2025, coinciding with the enforcement of the Online Safety Act 2023 in the United Kingdom, Google declared its intention to initiate “age assurance” policies for a select group of users in the United States as part of a trial.

Conclusion

YouTube stands as the leading global video platform, boasting more than 2.5 billion monthly users, and ranks as the second most visited website worldwide. Its extensive user base demonstrates high engagement, with users collectively watching over one billion hours of video each day, utilising the platform for a variety of purposes including entertainment, product discovery, and education. Key insights derived from YouTube statistics highlight its vast scale, the prevalence of mobile viewing, its crucial contribution to the creator economy, and its substantial commercial significance for businesses.

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