It’s no secret that YouTube is the most popular video platform on the web. As demonstrated by the following list of YouTube demographics and statistics, its popularity lies in its simplicity—content creators can easily share their videos with viewers.
This platform holds a wide range of videos—beauty tutorials, product reviews, gaming channels, funny skits, unboxing videos, challenges, and so much more.
YouTube has made a lot of progress since its foundation in 2005. Nowadays, it has millions of channels, and it’s almost impossible not to find something interesting to watch.
Top YouTube User Statistics: Editor’s Choice
General YouTube Demographics and Stats
Over the last decade, YouTube—along with TikTok, as of recently—has earned the status of the most popular video platform worldwide.
So, what’s the number of YouTube active users nowadays? How big is the market size? See what these numbers say.
1. YouTube has 2.3 billion users all over the world.
YouTube is the most popular social media platform with the biggest number of active users. The only platform that has more active users is Facebook. Statistics on YouTube’s monthly active users indicate that not all viewers watch YouTube videos by logging into their Google accounts. For this reason, statistics may understate the actual amount of monthly viewers.
2. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google.
Top YouTube subscribers prefer searching on this platform to other search engines such as Microsoft Bing, Yahoo, and Ask.com. YouTube is a vast library where people can choose from a wide range of content.
YouTube is a vast library where people can choose from a wide range of content. For example, the most popular Youtube genres include educational videos, life hacks, music, and entertaining content. When it comes to music, the platform took it a step further—launched in 2015, YouTube Music quickly became a competitor to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc.
3. Users watch 1 billion hours of videos on YouTube every single day.
Understandably, people rely more and more on video content. YouTube viewer demographics demonstrate that most searches start with how-to, as users want to learn something new on a free platform, and YouTube is the right place to do that.
4. 62% of businesses prefer to post their video content on YouTube.
As stated by YouTube user statistics, the social media network is most famous for entertainment activities. Yet, it can be a valuable tool for businesses as well. Over the last few years, brands have started adopting YouTube to engage with their customers and attract new buyers.
5. Over 70% of users watch YouTube videos on mobile devices.
Most people, including the YouTube target audience, spend more time on their smartphones than any other device. It’s impossible to avoid the great potential behind mobile devices for both users and businesses. While users find it easier to watch a video optimized for mobile, creators and brands should observe the data coming from mobile analytics.
6. 90% of users discover new brands and products on YouTube.
YouTube user stats demonstrate that video content helps spread brand awareness and attract new people. As video content creation has become increasingly competitive in the last few years, creativity is the key to standing out in the market.
A considerable number of YouTube users discover new brands and products thanks to creative and catchy advertisements.
7. People worldwide upload over 500 hours on YouTube every minute.
According to YouTube viewer statistics, it would take around 82 years to watch every video uploaded in just one day. It’s not surprising that YouTube keeps growing considerably. Brands should benefit immensely from this powerful platform—they should show their products, interact with their customers, and promote themselves.
8. Most recent data shows that the average length of a YouTube video is 11.7 minutes.
As reported by YouTube video length statistics, the average length is around 11 minutes, considering all YouTube categories. Music videos are the shortest, with an average length of 6.8 minutes.
On the other hand, YouTube stats state that the longest videos belong to the gaming category, with an average length of 24.7 minutes, and the film category, at 19.2 minutes.
9. According to the latest info, 70% of bumper ads on YouTube boost brand awareness.
Bumper ads are skippable or unskippable six-second ads that appear before or during a YouTube video. . YouTube ad stats report that bumpers are very effective when creating brand awareness—their average boost is about 9%.
10. The number of YouTube channels earning $10,000 per year or more increased by 50% year over year.
Additionally, the number of channels earning five figures or more increased by 40%. This data proves that the YouTube growth rate has been rising remarkably over the years. However, revenue doesn’t come from viewers alone—ads, sponsors, and other YouTube monetization also play a significant role.
YouTube Demographics by Gender
How many male and female content creators are on YouTube? Are female YouTubers embracing new interests? Let’s take a look.
11. 62% of YouTube users are male.
Most social media platforms record a higher percentage of male users than female ones, and YouTube is no exception—female subscribers cover only 38%. Nevertheless, the demographics of YouTube users are not identical in all categories. For example, the beauty community counts a much bigger number of female subscribers.
12. In 2019, the top 20 female YouTubers had more than 252 million subscribers combined.
Lately, women have shown more interest in social media platforms. They are highly successful in beauty, fashion, and vlogging, but that’s not all. Top female YouTubers have gained significant interest in something different, such as gaming, and attracted more subscribers than expected.
13. With 23.7 million, Mariand Castrejon Castañeda has the largest number of subscribers among female YouTubers.
The Mexican YouTuber is mainly known for her beauty videos, but she’s also famous for her challenge videos, travel vlogs, and fashion tutorials. Among the most subscribed female YouTubers, Jenna Marbles earns second place with 19.6 million subscribers. Liza Koshy is third with 16.8 million subscribers.
YouTube Age Demographics
Which generation watches YouTube videos the most? Are more traditional channels like TV and radio going to disappear any soon?
Read on to find out.
14. About 77% of Americans aged 15–35 watch videos on YouTube.
Contrary to other platforms, people of all ages use YouTube. The average age of a YouTube user is usually 35 or below. However, there’s only a slight difference between younger and older generations. Moreover, 73% of American YouTube viewers are aged 36–45, 70% are 46–55, and 67% are older than 56.
15. 80% of US parents of young children say their child watches YouTube videos.
According to YouTube audience demographics, more than half say their children watch YouTube videos every day. However, YouTube subscribers require a minimum age of 13 to join, so children usually watch videos from their parents’ accounts or a family account.
16. By 2025, 50% of adults younger than 32 won’t pay for TV.
YouTube subscriber demographics state that half of the younger adults will not pay for traditional cable TV by 2025. For example, this prediction will change the way businesses promote their brand—YouTube will replace conventional TV entirely, including the way companies advertise.
YouTube Statistics by Country
Now that you have a better knowledge of gender and age demographics, you will read about even more fascinating YouTube channel demographics in the US, UK, and Australia.
17. YouTube is available in over 100 countries.
Additionally, the platform adapts to 80 different languages, ranging from the most used languages such as English, Spanish, and Mandarin to less known ones such as Laotian. YouTube user stats suggest that 67% of videos published on YouTube are not even in English. This indicates that YouTube connects with the global population in the language they prefer.
18. 21% of YouTube site traffic is from the US.
YouTube is the second most popular social media network in the US after Facebook. YouTube viewership by country shows that India holds second place with 9.3%, and Japan is third with 4.9%. Other countries like Russia and China have an impressive number of subscribers as well. In the next few years, the viewership percentage will probably keep growing even more.
19. According to YouTube demographics in Australia, Cartoon Network counted 894 million uploaded video views.
Cartoon Network Australia showed these staggering numbers in October 2020, being the most popular channel in the country. ABC News Australia ranks second with around 278 million uploaded video views.
20. In the UK, approximately 80% of people watch YouTube videos.
The most recent YouTube demographics in the UK show that this channel is the most used social media in the country. With a rate of 78%, YouTube is not so far ahead of Facebook that it is more prevalent among older generations.
21. In the US, 90% of subscribers use YouTube to watch video content.
YouTube’s market share is the highest among all social media. Watching online videos is indeed one of Americans’ preferred activities—85% of subscribers watch video content every week. The number of content keeps growing and, as a result, the number of viewers and watch time will increase.
YouTube User Demographics: The Takeaway
It’s no secret that this platform is quite popular among users. Moreover, YouTube is capable of building an active community and engaging with a large audience.
These YouTube demographics and statistics demonstrate that especially younger generations wouldn’t watch their favorite content on traditional TV anymore. YouTube will become the primary source of information, entertainment, and marketing. The reason is that this social media platform has a wide range of content suitable for all kinds of audiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of jobs come from networking?
One of the biggest misconceptions about YouTube is that it is only for an audience of Gen Zers and millennials. In reality, 77% of viewers are aged 15–35, but an average of 70% is among Gen Xers and baby boomers. YouTube is different from any other platform—its video content attracts people of different ages. The wide choice of interests and videos is the reason all demographics watch YouTube.
Who is the target audience of YouTube?
Everyone with an Internet connection can easily access YouTube—people of all genders, ages, and countries are possible targets.
As YouTube offers a broad range of categories (including skincare, beauty, gaming, product reviews, vlogging, music covers, challenges, and much more), people would inevitably find the right video that matches their interests.
For example, skincare and nail treatment videos will probably attract more female millennials, and gaming channels are most likely to be the first choice of many male teenagers.
What is the age range for YouTube?
Users over the age of 13 can have an account on YouTube. The reason young children can’t have an account of their own is that Google collects personal data. It’s not illegal for them to subscribe to platforms that require user data, as long as their parents are aware of the account. Nowadays, it’s no surprise that many children watch online videos on social media networks, often using a parent’s account or a family account.
How much are 1 billion YouTube views worth?
Content creators who manage to achieve a good amount of views on their channel can earn much more than expected.
Generally, a content creator can earn $2,000–$40,000 for every million views, depending on the amount obtained from bumper ads and other monetization forms allowed on their channel YouTube. Content creators get less than 50% of what a video makes in gross revenue, as YouTube takes up to 45% of the total earnings.
What channel on YouTube has the most subscribers?
Nowadays, many famous YouTubers aim at achieving the most number of views and subscribers. Yet, T-Series and PewDiePie have kept their leading positions.
Currently, T-Series is the YouTube channel with the most subscribers, counting a total of 161 million. PewDiePie is second with 108 million subscribers. Channels with the highest number of viewers qualify for YouTube’s gold button, allowing them to have VIP support from YouTube.
What type of YouTube videos get viewed most?
Surprisingly, product reviews get the most views on YouTube. Before purchasing a product, many people look for opinions and online reviews — and videos are the most trusted kind of product review. That’s because people trust other people’s experiences more than ever before. Product reviews allow people to see the performance of a specific product and decide whether they want to buy it.
How-to videos are the second most popular type of video content. More and more people research how to do something on the web.
Which gender uses YouTube the most?
YouTube is more popular among males than females—62% of men watch video content, while women make up only 38% of the total viewers.
However, YouTube counts a wide range of video content that catches the genders’ attention differently. While men search for unboxing videos, product reviews, and gaming, females watch more content about beauty, fashion, and travel vlogs. This doesn’t necessarily mean that men are not interested in beauty or women in gaming. On the contrary, these categories have recently increased views among both genders.
What country uses YouTube the most?
As mentioned earlier, YouTube is the leading platform for sharing video content all over the world.
Although the platform is available in over 100 countries, the US sees the highest number of viewers. Unsurprisingly, YouTube demographics demonstrate that the US earned almost one trillion views in March 2019. India comes second with 500 billion views. The US is leading again in the subscriber category, counting more than two billion viewers on the platform.
Sources
Alexa, Buffer, Forrester, Global Media Insight, Global Reach, Google, MediaKix, Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, ThinkWithGoogle, Tube Filter, YouTube