YouTube has made content creation and sharing simpler.
Anyone with a camera and an internet connection can start a channel to reach audiences worldwide. The video hosting platform’s algorithm shows users relevant content based on their interests.
But YouTube isn’t just about entertainment. It’s a reliable source of learning and skill development and many use it to get information about everything from academic pursuits to DIY projects.
Take a look at the statistics in our article to understand YouTube’s current state and how you can better use it to create and share content.
This set of stats talks about the monthly active users on the platform and how much time they spend daily on YouTube. They’ll give you an idea about the potential of YouTube and the ways it’s used to promote and watch content.
- YouTube has 2.5 billion monthly logged-in users. It’s the second most popular social media channel.
- YouTube is the third most popular app among Android users.
- Between April and June 2023, Android users spent an average of 27 hours and 26 minutes monthly on YouTube.
- India has the largest YouTube audience, with 462 million users. The country contributes 8.1% of the platform’s traffic.
- Android users opened YouTube on 63.4% of all days between April and June 2023.
- YouTube Shorts’ viewership has increased by 500 million users since 2022, and now has more monthly logged-in users than TikTok and Instagram Reels.
- YouTube’s global advertising revenue increased by 8% between 2022 and 2023, reaching $31.5 billion.
- The US was the top traffic source, with 270.8 billion visits in 2023.
- YouTube TV has over 8 million paying subscribers. Users spend their money on YouTube TV mainly to watch content whenever they want.
- In February 2024, YouTube videos appeared in over 791.3 million search queries in the US.
- From January to April 2023, more than 14 million videos were created monthly with YouTube’s clipping tool.
- YouTube had 183 billion visits from organic searches in 2023.
YouTube user statistics
People use YouTube for different things. Some consume content, while others make and promote content. In general, consumers think YouTube can be beneficial and authentic. The stats below outline the platform’s usage based on several research and industry data.
- In 2023, 65% of surveyed Gen Z creators used a filter, feature, or effect on their videos.
- 54% of surveyed users follow a creator who makes videos in a language other than their own.
- In 2023, the average YouTube visit length across devices was nearly 36 minutes.
54%
of surveyed users prefer watching creator commentary on events over the events themselves.
Source: Google APIs
- 87%watched at least four YouTube formats last year.
- YouTube now has 100 million paying subscribers for Music and Premium services.
- Global viewers watch an average of 1 billion hours of YouTube content daily on YouTubeTV.
- 54% of global YouTube viewers identify as men and 46% as women.
- The largest group of YouTube users is between 25 to 34 years old.
- More women viewers than men are in the 65 and older age range.
- 89% of YouTube users have an undergraduate degree or higher.
- The 25-34 age group makes up 21.3% of YouTube users, followed by the 35-44 age group. Young adults aged 18-24 make up 15.5% of users.
YouTube channel and video statistics
Statistics clearly show how some videos and YouTube channels perform their best to gain users and views. Here are some data points related to top-performing channels and videos on the YouTube platform.
If you create similar content, explore the videos and study their techniques. These statistics will help set a benchmark.
- YouTube channels with 100,000 to 1 million subscribers have the highest engagement rate at 3.5%.
- MrBeast was the top trending YouTube creator in the US., with 240 million subscribers.
- The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer had over 93 million views in the first 24 hours, which set a record.
- The top three music videos in 2023 were “Favorite Song” by Toosii, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, and “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma.
88%
of YouTube traffic came from mobile devices in 2023, with desktop traffic at 12%.
Source: Semrush
- The most subscribed YouTube channels are T-Series, with over 260 million subscribers; MrBeast, with 240 million subscribers; and CoComelon, which has 172 million.
- T-Series has over 249 billion views for 20,000+ videos.
- “Baby Shark Dance” is the most-viewed YouTube video, with over 14 billion views.
- “Despacito” by Daddy Yankee is the second most-viewed YouTube video with 8.54 billion views.
- “Johny Johny Yes Papa” by LooLoo Kids is the third most-viewed YouTube video with 6.86 billion views.
- The video for “Butter” by BTS holds the record for the fastest video to reach 100 million views.
YouTube marketing statistics
YouTube has helped marketers reach millions of users. It allows brands to find relevant audiences and engage them through advertisements and branded content. Many partner with influencers to take advantage of their reach in the target community, amplifying their brand’s message and promotional content.
Look at the statistics below to see if YouTube is a good fit for marketing your product or service.
- YouTube received 598.3 million visits from paid social and paid search traffic in 2023.
- On average, YouTube had 21.6 million visits per month from paid traffic.
- YouTube generated $31.5 billion in ad revenue in 2023, an 8% increase from 2022.
- 59% of marketers plan to increase their organic activities on the platform. 66% plan to increase their use of videos.
- YouTube ads can reach 30.9% of the world’s population.
- AI-powered reach campaigns improved incremental sales by 111%.
- 59% of people find YouTube ads more relevant than network TV or other streaming apps.
- 43% of ad buyers say their biggest clients advertise on YouTube Shorts.
- 52% of brands feel confident advertising on YouTube, while 48% of brands are skeptical about YouTube’s trustworthiness.
Toward a better video strategy
If you have a video strategy, use these statistics as references to optimize it for your audience. These audiences are relevant for you as YouTube shows content based on interest.And if you don’t have a strategy for video content, now is the time to invest in creating work for a trusted platform that can put you and your brand in front of billions of users.
Learn about video marketing statistics to get more insights into the art of video creation and promotion.
Sagar Joshi is a former content marketing specialist at G2 in India. He is an engineer with a keen interest in data analytics and cybersecurity. He writes about topics related to them. You can find him reading books, learning a new language, or playing pool in his free time.
