YouTube is one of the most popular platforms in the world. Over 2.5bn people use it every month, and more than 1bn hours of video are watched every day.
That scale means brands running influencer campaigns on the platform can achieve strong reach. But YouTube offers many other advantages. Its long-form video format supports more in-depth content and provides longevity that short-form feeds simply can't match.
This article presents key YouTube statistics for 2026 and what they mean for your marketing strategy.
YouTube has 2.58 billion monthly active users as of October 2025, placing it behind only Facebook and Instagram but ahead of TikTok, according to Statista.
The platform was founded in 2005 by three former PayPal employees. The first video ever uploaded was "Me at the Zoo," posted by co-founder Jawed Karim on 23 April 2005. The platform launched with the slogan "Broadcast Yourself", a founding principle that still shapes how creators and audiences relate to the platform today. Google acquired YouTube in 2006 for $1.65bn, one of the most consequential acquisitions in the history of the internet.
YouTube is one of the most valuable media businesses in the world. According to Alphabet's full-year 2025 results, YouTube generated over $60 billion in total revenue. That figure means YouTube beat Netflix, which reported $45.18 billion in revenue for the same period.
Advertising remains the core revenue driver. YouTube's global ad revenue reached $11.38 billion in Q4 2025 alone, an 8.7% year-on-year increase, according to Alphabet's Q4 2025 earnings report. Subscription products including YouTube Premium and YouTube TV also contribute significantly, with Alphabet reporting over 325 million paid subscriptions across its consumer services.
YouTube is still growing its user base, and it's starting to dominate a new device: TV screens.
The following YouTube statistics prove YouTube's domination as a video platform:
When it comes to active users of mobile apps specifically, YouTube leads all social media platforms globally, according to Similarweb's App Intelligence data.
YouTube is used by 84% of the US population. A unique feature is that every adult age group is represented: 95% of 18- to 29-year-olds use it, 92% of 30- to 49-year-olds, 85% of 50- to 64-year-olds, and 64% of those aged 65 and over, according to Pew Research. That may be due to the impressive range in content types, including educational, how-to, series, gaming, and podcast content.
YouTube shows no sign of struggling in the UK, even with older age groups. Audio, podcast, and TV-like content drives much of the platform's appeal.
Here are stats about YouTube in the UK:
YouTube is the most popular streaming service in the US, and AI tools are becoming a popular way to create content.
Here are some global YouTube usage statistics for 2026:
YouTube Shorts gains a huge number of views per day. For creators, this offers a different way to promote content. But it's worth noting that Shorts and long-form content are ranked by separate recommendation systems, meaning performance in one format does not affect the other. Despite Shorts generating the majority of views on the platform, long-form videos between five and twenty minutes still drive the majority of total watch time.
Here are some key stats about YouTube Shorts:
Unlike other social platforms, people use YouTube as a search engine. That's likely due to the large number of how-to and educational videos on the platform.
Here are key stats about YouTube as a search engine:
Live streaming is available on TikTok and Instagram, but it's still growing on YouTube. It offers creators a more authentic way to connect with audiences, cover live events and reward subscribers or paid members.
Here are some useful stats about YouTube as a live streaming and gaming content platform:
YouTube is the third-most-used platform for influencer marketing campaigns among UK brands, used by 59% of UK marketers, according to the Kolsquare State of Influencer Marketing in Europe 2025. Across Europe, YouTube is more popular, with 69% of marketers running influencer campaigns on the platform.
YouTube's native analytics are available to any creator or brand with a YouTube Studio account.
The key metrics to track include:
For influencer marketing campaigns specifically, YouTube Studio does not give brands direct access to a creator's analytics. This is where an influencer marketing platform steps in.
Kolsquare gives brands access to 332,459 YouTube channels' performance data, including engagement rates, audience demographics, credibility scores and earned media value (EMV), meaning you don't need to ask creators for analytics. When looking for creators, you can search and filter by niche, audience location, subscriber count and engagement rate to identify the right influencers for your campaign. You can also send emails, manage campaigns, and track performance across multiple social media platforms.
YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine and has over 50 million UK users. For brands, it's a strong option for reaching audiences across all age groups. But you need to find the right creators and measure campaign performance accurately if you want to run an effective YouTube strategy.
Kolsquare helps brands do that. With a searchable database of over 332,459 YouTube channels that you can filter by engagement rate, audience demographics, credibility score and content category, you can identify the right partners for your next campaign quickly and manage everything from discovery to reporting on one dashboard.
Book a free demo today to see how Kolsquare can support your YouTube influencer marketing strategy.
To see your YouTube statistics, go to YouTube Studio at studio.youtube.com and click on Analytics in the left-hand menu. From there, you can view data on watch time, reach, audience demographics, traffic sources and individual video performance.
The 30-second rule means YouTube only counts a view on a standard video if it is watched for at least 30 seconds. This matters for monetisation and algorithm distribution, as early drop-off signals to the algorithm that the content is not engaging enough to recommend widely.
YouTube earnings per 1,000 views vary significantly depending on your niche, audience location and whether you have brand deals alongside AdSense. On average, creators earn between $1 and $10 per 1,000 views through AdSense alone, with finance, business and technology channels typically at the higher end and entertainment or gaming channels at the lower end.
This depends heavily on your niche, monetisation mix and whether you have sponsorships alongside AdSense. Relying on AdSense alone, you would typically need between 10 million and 100 million views per month to reach that figure. It's no easy feat.
To check statistics for a specific video, go to YouTube Studio, click Content in the left-hand menu and select the video you want to analyse. You will see a full breakdown of views, watch time, impressions, click-through rate, traffic sources and audience retention for that individual video.
Kolsquare is Europe’s leading Influencer Marketing platform, offering a data-driven solution that empowers brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.
Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketing professionals seamlessly identify the best content creators by filtering their content and audience, while also enabling them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and benchmarking performance against competitors.
With a thriving global community of influencer marketing experts, Kolsquare serves hundreds of customers—including Coca-Cola, Netflix, Sony Music, Publicis, Sézane, Sephora, Lush, and Hermès—by leveraging the latest Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning technologies. Our platform taps into an extensive network of KOLs with more than 5,000 followers across 180 countries on Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.
As a Certified B Corporation, Kolsquare leads the way in promoting Responsible Influence, championing transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful collaborations that inspire positive change.
Since October 2024, Kolsquare has become part of the Team.Blue group, one of the largest private tech companies in Europe, and a leading digital enabler for businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Team.Blue brings together over 60 successful brands in web hosting, domains, e-commerce, online compliance, lead generation, application solutions, and social media.
Every month we gather the top data, trends, and analysis on the creator economy. Only what matters. Straight to your inboxCreator Economy. L’essentiel, directement dans votre boîte mail.
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