It’s difficult to overstate YouTube’s role in our cultural ecosystem. More than 500 hours of content are uploaded onto the platform every minute, meaning there truly is something for everyone. And if that number made your eyes pop, there are more YouTube stats where that came from.

We gathered 30 statistics to help you understand YouTube’s place in your video marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking for user insights, YouTube search trends or historical facts and figures, we’ve got you covered.

YouTube data and channel statistics

Before getting into general YouTube stats, let’s get personal. If you currently manage a presence on the platform, you can check your channel statistics using YouTube analytics. (Also, if you don’t have a brand account on YouTube, now’s a great time to create a channel.)

Access the YouTube analytics tool by going to studio.youtube.com or by clicking your profile icon and selecting “YouTube Studio.”

YouTube Studio Channel Dashboard with arrow pointing to the analytics button in the left sidebar.

Once you’re in YouTube Studio, you can click on “Analytics” in the left hand panel to access your YouTube performance analytics. There are several reports available but if you’re just looking for a general overview of channel performance, check out the Channel Overview Report.

The Channel Overview Report will provide you with a graph measuring how your views, watch time and subscriber count are trending over time. On social media, consistency is key. If you’re updating your channel at a regular cadence, you should see gains in channel growth over time.

If you’re noticing a dip, check out these creative approaches to promoting your YouTube channel.

YouTube users

When launching a video marketing strategy, you need to know if the platform’s demographics match your target audience. Let’s cover some of YouTube’s main demographics.

1. YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users

YouTube is visited by nearly a quarter of the world’s population, boasting two billion monthly active users. It’s fair to assume that YouTube has a diverse user base and your business can likely connect to your target audiences.

2. India has the largest YouTube audience, followed by the United States and Brazil

There are approximately 467 million active YouTube users in India, making it the network’s largest audience by country.

High-speed internet became widely available in India in 2016, and internet usage has flourished there ever since. This speedy adoption has contributed to the rise of Indian YouTube stars like T-Series, who is one of the most subscribed YouTubers on the platform.

3. English and Spanish are amongst the most popular languages used on YouTube

More than half (66%) of the content from YouTube’s top 250 channels is produced in English, followed by Spanish (15%) and Portuguese (7%).

4. The largest age group using YouTube is between ages 15-35

About 77% of internet users between ages 15-35 are on YouTube, along with 73% of users aged 36-45, 70% of users aged 46-55 and 67% of users aged 56+.

YouTube’s popularity with Gen Z makes sense; they came of age alongside the network and its top creators, like Emma Chamberlain and David Dobrik.  Aside from entertainment, research shows that Gen Z also turns to YouTube as an educational tool.

5. YouTube users skew male

Roughly 53.9% of YouTube users are men and 46.1% are women. (There’s no data on other genders available at this time.)

6. YouTube users are more likely to have a college education

A Google-commissioned Nielsen study found that YouTube users are more likely to be college educated compared to the general population.

Advertising on YouTube

YouTube ad campaigns pack a visual punch that generate responses from consumers of all ages. If you’re wondering whether they’re worth the investment, let’s dig into some YouTube ad stats.

7. YouTube generated $7.9 billion in ad revenue in Q4 2021

YouTube is a promising advertising platform for brands, generating over $7.9 billion in advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone.

8. Consumers find YouTube ads to be more relevant than linear TV advertising

YouTube ad targeting capabilities create a highly tailored experience for the end user. According to a 2022 study, 59% of respondents agree that YouTube ads are more relevant than ads on linear TV or other streaming apps.

9. Vertical video can increase conversions per dollar

Vertical video—meaning video filmed and viewed in portrait mode, rather than landscape—has exploded in popularity on the platform since the launch of YouTube Shorts. People have been watching YouTube on a variety of screen sizes for quite some time. Now, marketers have the tools they need to optimize for mobile viewing.

Tailoring YouTube ads to adhere to content consumption preferences can drive a noticeable lift in ROI. Vertical creative assets delivered 10% to 20% more conversions per dollar on YouTube Shorts when compared to landscape assets.

10. The most viewed ad of 2022 is a promotion for Amazon’s Alexa home speaker

A screenshot of a YouTube video. The video is a 1:20 clip of Amazon's Big Game ad spot, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost

The minute-long Big Game ad features SNL star Colin Jost and actress Scarlett Johansson.

YouTube has its own algorithm and search engine optimization rules to get your content seen. Let’s get into a few stats related to YouTube search.

11. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world

Alphabet, Inc. has cornered the market on search. YouTube follows Google as the second-largest search engine in the world, generating more search queries than Bing, Yahoo, AOL and Ask combined.

This shows how important YouTube SEO is because the platform is also a video and information search tool.

12. 35% of the top global YouTube searches in 2022 are TV related

Turkish television hit Duy Beni nabbed the third highest spot on a 2022 list of top global YouTube searches, making it the most searched for TV show of the year on the platform.

13. The top 5 global searches on YouTube

The top five global YouTube searches of all time are “minecraft”, “TikTok”, “comedy”, “tik tok” and “ASMR.” Two out of these five searches are related to the short-form video giant, TikTok.

14. Gen Z turns to YouTube to dive deeper into their favorite TV shows

According to an Ipsos survey, 60% of Gen Z viewers use YouTube to find content related to TV shows and movies they recently watched.

YouTube usage statistics

Understanding how the platform is being used will inform incorporating YouTube into your marketing strategy.

15. YouTube Shorts earn more than 30 billion daily views

Since its launch in 2021, YouTube Shorts has become a vertical video staple. It’s home to 1.5 billion monthly active users, earning more than 30 billion daily views.

16. TV is YouTube’s fastest-growing screen size

Thanks to connected smart home devices, viewers are enjoying YouTube content beyond the confines of a laptop. Viewers watch more than 700 million hours of YouTube content on TV daily, making it the fastest-growing screen size for content consumption.

17. People watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube video content each day

Not only does YouTube have a large user base, but they also have a highly engaged one with over 1 billion hours of video content being viewed each day.

With the right video content strategy and optimizations like YouTube descriptions, any brand can find an audience for their videos.

18. The most popular YouTube channel has over 200 million subscribers

The most popular YouTube channel is T-Series, with over 230 million subscribers. The next most popular YouTube channels are YouTube Movies, Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes, SET India and Music.

19. The most viewed YouTube video of all time is “Baby Shark Dance”

A screenshot of a YouTube playlist called "YouTube Videos With Over 1 Billion Views". The first video in the playlist is PINKFONG's "Baby Shark Dance", which was uploaded 6 years ago. The video has 12 billion views.

Parents, this one is probably more than familiar. The viral hit took off in 2016 and shot to the top of the list of most viewed YouTube videos of all time. The video has more than 12 billion views, as of February 2023.

YouTube growth

YouTube has grown quickly since its inception in 2005. Considering the video platform was initially meant to be a niche dating site, its wide appeal use as a video juggernaut is nothing short of remarkable. Let’s look at a few stats to see just how much growth it’s achieved over the past 17 years.

19. The first YouTube video was uploaded on April 23, 2005

YouTube founder Jawed Karim uploaded the very first video to the platform. It was called “Me at the zoo,” and was a 19-second video that has now generated over 221 million views.

20. In 2006, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion

Just a year and a half after the youtube.com domain was bought, Google acquired the video-sharing platform for $1.65 billion. At the time, Google believed they overpaid to acquire the platform. But considering YouTube ad revenue was $8.6 billion in just the last quarter, we know now that Google got a steal.

21. YouTube rolled out video ads in August 2007

YouTube ads have been around almost the entire lifespan of the company. Ads rolled out in August 2007, just 10 months after Google’s acquisition.

22. YouTube is the second most visited website in the world

YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, behind only Google. This means that audiences are frequently referencing YouTube for everything from entertainment to how-to videos.

23. YouTube is available in over 100 countries and 80 languages

Another great statistic showcasing the wide range of users is that YouTube’s video platform is available in over 100 countries and is localized into 80 different languages.

You can reach a wide variety of demographics and even publish video content in various languages to bolster an international marketing strategy.

24. Over 500 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute

Don’t get lost in the noise. Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, so you need a strategy to ensure your video gets seen.

Plan a focus keyword, strategically craft your video title and description and don’t forget about search optimization. You can even incorporate hashtags into your YouTube video content to signal what topics your video is related to.

25. There are more than 51 million YouTube channels

Over 51 million YouTube channels have been created, growing 36% in the last year.

Out of those 51 million+ channels, 306,000 YouTube channels have more than 100,000 subscribers, 29,000 YouTube channels have more than 1 million subscribers and 700 YouTube channels have more than 10 million subscribers.

YouTube marketing statistics

Let’s take a look at how marketers view YouTube. Knowing how other companies are positioning their strategies can help decide your team’s next steps.

26. There’s a prioritization disconnect between marketers and consumers

A data chart that reads the top platforms consumers and brands anticipate using most in the next 12 months. Consumers are most likely to use Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022, half of consumers (51%) plan on spending more time on YouTube over the next 12 months. In terms of popularity, it’s second only to Facebook.

On the other hand, only 35% of marketers anticipate leveraging the platform over the next year. This disconnect creates a clear opportunity for savvy brands looking to gain a competitive advantage.

27. 22% of marketers are using YouTube Stories

YouTube Stories, the platform’s answer to ephemeral content, came out in November 2017. As of now, 22% of marketers have incorporated YouTube Stories into their strategy.

Unlike Instagram or Facebook Stories, YouTube Stories expire after seven days, as opposed to 24 hours. If you want to test out the feature, we recommend using them as a promotional tool for recently added content. Give your followers a peek at what to expect from your latest video so they can decide whether they’d like to see more.

28. Influencer follower count impacts engagement rate

A chart comparing YouTube following and engagement rate. YouTubers with between 100,000 and 1,000,000 have the highest engagement rate at 4.14%.

YouTube influencers with between 100,000 and 1,000,000 followers had the highest engagement rates, amounting to just over 4%. YouTubers with between 1,000 and 5,000 followers had the lowest engagement rate on average, at 2.05%.

These averages are good to keep in mind, but they shouldn’t be the end all and be all of your YouTube influencer marketing strategy. Remember: Micro-influencers can speak more effectively to a niche target audience than some of the biggest names on the platform.

29. YouTube is the first stop in the social shopping journey

YouTube has some serious sway when it comes to social commerce. According to research from Google and Ipsos, 80% of shoppers who watched a video related to a planned purchase said they watched it at the beginning of their shopping process.

YouTube is home to several content formats that allow consumers to research interests alongside their favorite creators. Whether it’s a haul video, a “shop with me” vlog or something else entirely, these videos provide consumers with a more authentic look at the value they can get from a purchase.

30. There are penalties for over-tagging

According to Google’s Help Center, if a YouTube video or playlist has more than 60 tags, all of the hashtags on that content will be ignored.

A little bit goes a long way when it comes to YouTube hashtags. We recommend using one to two hashtags in your video title and three to five hashtags in your description. Anything more can appear spammy, turning away potential viewers.

Want to know more?

Discover the latest social media marketing statistics for 2023.

Ramp up your YouTube marketing strategy

Demographic data and usage trends are the foundation of any network-specific social media marketing strategy. Combine these YouTube stats with your channel-specific metrics to create a blueprint for success in 2023.

Keep building on your strategy with our complete guide to YouTube marketing. It’ll give you all the strategic tips you need to take full advantage of this social media powerhouse.