YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform on the internet, without a doubt. It’s simple, easy to use, and so user-friendly that anyone with an internet connection and a web-enabled device can use it.
This ease of use is probably the biggest reason that YouTube has become so popular with multiple generations of internet users. In addition, YouTube is perhaps the most user-friendly platform of them all when it comes to sharing video content with a large audience.
Whether it’s music videos, how-to guides, gaming channels, product reviews, unboxing videos, albums, movie reviews, or topical commentary, YouTube offers easy access to tons of video content available across millions of YT channels.
While most internet users turn to YouTube when looking for entertainment, it is also a go-to solution for countless businesses as well. This platform allows both regular internet users and for-profit enterprises to create their channels, provide target audiences with the content that they prefer, and earn income from their efforts.
Like LinkedIn, YouTube has quickly become a necessary channel for digital businesses. With this in mind, let’s review some of the most important YouTube statistics for 2022/2023.
Top 10 YouTube Statistics
- As of 2021, the video-sharing platform has 2.3 billion users worldwide.
- 79% of users have a YouTube account, making it the second most popular social media platform.
- YouTube users watch over 1 billion hours of video daily.
- YouTube is the second largest search engine on the web.
- The platform is available in 80 languages and accessible in more than 100 countries.
- 62% of businesses use YouTube for marketing, sales, and educational purposes.
- Over 70% of users access YouTube via their mobile devices.
- 90% of internet users rely on YouTube to discover new products, services, and brands.
- There are 500 hours of video content uploaded to the platform every minute.
- 90% of users use YouTube as their preferred channel for viewing digital video content.
Overview of general YouTube statistics
YouTube is one of the most influential and rewarding platforms for marketing, advertising, and sharing videos on the internet. Billions of internet users visit their favorite YouTube channels to discover entertainment, educational videos, various classes, courses, tutorials, and more.
In terms of business, YouTube offers unprecedented benefits and opportunities for building brand image, awareness, and presence online. If you want to establish your brand as relevant, competitive, and authoritative in your market and beyond, you’ll need YouTube to support your video marketing endeavors.
With this in mind, let’s review some of the most important general YouTube statistics for 2021 and beyond.
1. YouTube has more than 2 billion users worldwide.
The latest YouTube statistics indicate that the video-sharing platform has approximately 2.3 billion users from all over the world. This same study shows that more than 2 billion users have accounts on the platform.
(Source: Blog.youtube.com)
2. Internet users generate billions of views on YouTube every day by watching over 1 billion hours of video content.
On average, internet users spend most of their time on the platform watching video content. Statistics indicate that they watch more than a billion hours of video daily, generating billions of views.
(Source: Blog.youtube.com)
3. YouTube is available in over 100 countries and 80 languages worldwide.
This video platform is accessible across 80 different languages and in more than 100 locations worldwide.
(Source: Blog.youtube.com)
4. YouTube’s gender ratio is 56% male and 44% female.
Recent studies on the YouTube gender ratio indicate that there are more male users than females on the platform. The gender ratio is 56% male and only 44% female. However, female users are quite active on the platform, generating and watching content every day.
(Source: Hootsuite.com)
5. 80% of US parents with kids 11 and under claim that their children use YouTube daily.
According to a survey from March 2020, US parents with children 11 and under claimed that their kids use YouTube regularly. 35% of parents said their kids use the platform several times a day, while 19% of parents said that their kids use it once a day.
(Source: Pewresearch.org)
6. 77% of US internet users ranging from ages 15 to 35 use YouTube regularly.
According to a study conducted by Statista in 2020, the largest age group (77%) using YouTube ranges between 15-35. It is followed by users ranging between 36-45 (73%) and 46-55 (70%).
(Source: Statista.com)
7. YouTube achieves a huge reach, finding its way to 95% of adult internet users (35+) every month.
There is a myth circulating on the web that YouTube is only enjoyed by millennials. However, this is completely false. According to the latest YouTube statistics, the YouTube audience ranges in age between 15 and 65+.
As YouTube watch time continues to increase, the latest study performed by comScore has indicated that the popular video platform reaches 95% of internet users aged 35+ every month.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
8. There are 720,000 hours of video content being uploaded to YouTube daily.
According to a study performed by Tubefilter in 2019, YouTube receives 500 hours of video content every minute. That is 30,000 hours of video uploaded per hour or 720,000 hours per day.
(Source: Blog.youtube.com)
9. The most viewed YouTube channel in December 2021 was T-Series, with 176.45 billion views.
As of December 2021, the top three most viewed YouTube channels by views in billions include:
- T-Series – 176.45 billion
- Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes – 117.98 billion
- SET India – 107.95 billion
(Source: Statista.com)
10. The majority of users (70%) prefer watching YouTube via mobile devices.
According to statistics from 2019-2020, mobile users shared the most YouTube videos. Approximately 70% of users prefer consuming video content via their mobile devices.
(Source: Emarketer.com)
11. The highest number of YouTube viewers are American, with 15% of the platform’s traffic coming from the United States.
According to the latest studies, the three leading countries with the most YouTube users are:
- United States (15%)
- India (9.7%)
- Japan (4.9%)
(Source: Alexa.com)
The latest statistics on YouTube video consumption
Since YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform on the web, billions of people use the platform daily for a variety of reasons.
Businesses use YouTube to gather more prospects, while regular internet users rely on it to gather followers and share their content.
Music, gaming, and various tutorials are some of the most popular video channels on YouTube. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top YouTube video statistics.
12. The first video ever on YouTube was posted by one of the platform’s creators, Jawed Karim, on April 23rd, 2005, and was 19 seconds long.
Jawed Karim, one of YouTube’s creators, was the first man to post on the newly created video platform. He posted the first video on the platform, titled “Me at the zoo”, on April 23rd, 2005. The video was 19 seconds long.
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
13. As of December 2021, the most popular video on YouTube is “Baby Shark Dance”, a song by Pinkfong Kids, with the most impressive 9.78 billion views.
With more than 10.6 billion views, “Baby Shark Dance” is the most-viewed YouTube video since February 11, 2021. The second most popular video is “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, with 7.7 billion views.
(Source: Statista.com)
14. The outbreak of the coronavirus increased the watch time of recipe-related content by 2.5X.
Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many citizens to stay in their homes. Because of this, the watch time for recipe-related content increased by more than double.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
15. YouTube users are gradually watching more “study skills” videos, increasing watch time for this type of content by more than 3 times year over year.
According to the latest statistics, YouTube users prefer educational and tutorial videos. The stats indicate that watch time for this type of video has increased by more than 3 times over the previous year.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
16. In 2020, more than 70% of YouTube users used the platform to watch exercise videos and tutorials.
YouTube literally exploded in 2020. Over 5 billion views of home workout videos and exercise tutorials, over 1 billion views of tutorials about how to make a facemask, and over 40 million views of virtual choirs are just some of the interesting numbers uncovered. In 2020, more than 70% of YouTube users watched exercise videos to stay fit during the pandemic.
(Source: Youtube.com)
17. Between 2016 and 2018, YouTube users increasingly watched shopping-related videos. The platform’s watch time for this type of content increased by more than 5 times in the US.
YouTube users increasingly looked for shopping-related content between 2016 and 2018 to make better purchasing decisions. Because of this, watch time for this type of video content increased by five times in the US.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
18. Since the end of 2019, mobile YouTube users have looked for test drive videos the most, increasing mobile watch time for this type of content by 70%.
Test drive videos are extremely popular with mobile YouTube users – so much so that mobile watch time for these videos has increased by more than 70% since the end of 2019.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
19. “Does it work” videos were among the most popular categories of videos on YouTube in the past two years. During this period, watch time for this type of content increased by more than 11 times.
YouTube users turn to the platform to find out if something can work in a certain way. These “does it work” videos are so popular that their watch time has increased by more than 11 times in the past two years.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
20. 48% of gaming YouTube users would rather watch a gaming video than play games.
Gaming videos are one of the most popular types of videos among YouTube users. 48% of them spend more time watching game playthrough videos than playing actual games.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
21. 2 of the top 5 YouTube channels are gaming-related, gathering the most subscribers worldwide.
Gaming channels are among the most popular categories of videos on YouTube. Two of the top five channels on the platform dealing with gaming content gather the most subscribers from all over the world.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
22. A Facebook prank video inspired by a 2017 American horror movie, Rings, was the top-ranking viral video in 2021, generating 200 million views in 24 hours after upload.
According to the latest statistics, the top fastest-growing viral YouTube videos of 2021 with the most views in 24 hours after upload were:
- Facebook: Rings – Hidden Camera Prank (200 million views)
- BTS – Butter (108.2 million views)
- BTS – Dynamite (101.1 million views)
(Source: Statista.com)
Overview of the latest YouTube ad statistics
Businesses regularly turn to YouTube for effective advertising. The platform is a perfect hub for creating your own combination of YouTube ad campaigns, on-platform advertising options, and organic content marketing for the best results. Naturally, YouTube gathers countless businesses and advertising agencies looking to attract more internet users and earn profit.
Businesses primarily harness the platform’s power by combining high-quality video content, catchy and Google-friendly video descriptions, and YouTube SEO to create high-end retargeting campaigns. This way, they can tap into billions of YouTube users to provide them with personalized content based on their preferences. Let’s delve deeper into some of the crucial YouTube ad stats for 2023.
23. In 2021, global YouTube ad revenues reached the $7 billion mark, achieving a 43% YOY increase.
According to the latest study on global YouTube advertising revenues, the platform’s ad revenues surpassed the $7 billion mark in 2021, achieving a YOY increase of 43%. The top-rated YT channels have accumulated more than 100 million subscribers worldwide, making YouTube one of the biggest global video platforms on the internet.
(Source: Statista.com)
24. According to YouTube ad reach ranking statistics, India is the country with the largest YouTube advertising audience (448 million).
If you look at the latest stats regarding YouTube ad reach ranking, you’ll clearly see that the top three leading countries with the largest YT advertising audiences are India (448 million), the US (240 million), and Brazil (127 million).
(Source: Hootsuite.com)
25. Google adverts can help reach 2.29 million potential prospects, Google reports.
According to the latest Google reports, YouTube gives businesses access to 2.29 million potential audience members that they can reach using Google adverts.
(Source: Hootsuite.com)
26. YouTube’s ad revenues from the US are projected to amount to $5.45 billion by 2022.
The latest studies indicate that YouTube is expected to reach $5.45 billion in ad revenues from the US in 2022. Translated to percentage, YouTube’s share of US ad spending will grow to 38.7%.
(Source: Emarketer.com)
27. Compared to YouTube ads targeted by demographics, it is possible to achieve 100% higher reach in purchase intent by using YouTube advertising targeted by intent.
YouTube ad campaigns targeted by intent can achieve 100% better reach than ads targeted by demographics. Compared to the ads based on demos only, ads targeted by intent achieved a 32% higher impact in ad recall and a 100% higher impact in purchase intent.
(Source: Thinkwithgoogle.com)
Top YouTube earn statistics for 2023
YouTube provides many monetization opportunities for content creators so that they can earn five figures a year.
From special features that allow content creators to monetize their videos and channels to ticketing, merchandise, channel memberships, and bringing brands and content creators together, there are many opportunities to earn big on YouTube.
Let’s review some quick stats to provide some background for these claims.
28. It is possible to earn up to $18 per 1000 ad views per YouTube channel.
How much you can earn with your YouTube channel depends on two factors: average engagement rate and the number of views per day. Based on these factors, a YouTube channel with 600,000 views per month is projected to earn $10,403 to $17,338 per year.
(Source: Influencermarketinghub.com)
29. There is a 50% increase in the number of YouTube channels that earn $10,000 annually.
The number of high-earning channels ($10,000 year over year) has increased by 50%. In the same period, the number of the highest-earning channels ($100,000 and above, year over year) also grew by 40%.
(Source: About.youtube.com)
30. 70% of online shoppers purchased something from brands advertising on YouTube.
Online shoppers primarily base their purchasing decisions on YouTube videos. That’s the main reason that online businesses rely on YouTube ads to reach wider audiences. Around 70% of users made a purchase from a brand after seeing it on the platform. According to Google statistics on YouTube, users aged 18-64 rely on the platform to discover new brands.
(Source: Blog.google.com)
31. A YouTube channel with 1,000 ad views can earn $18.
If a YouTube channel receives 1,000 views per ad, it can make up to $18. Each subsequent 1,000 video views can earn an additional $3-$5.
(Source: Influencermarketinghub.com)
Conclusion
If these stats are any indication, it is safe to say that YouTube isn’t just another video-sharing platform on the internet but a global force to be reckoned with. At the moment, it’s the essential video platform on the web for both regular internet users and businesses, which makes it a dominant force in the marketplace and global digital business landscape.
This immense success is primarily due to the company’s tremendous efforts to provide its ever-growing audience with the latest, most valuable options, features, and opportunities and diversify its offerings. These are the most interesting YouTube statistics at the moment. Make sure that you come back for more.
