YouTube has become one of the most influential spaces for entertainment, education, and community. It continues to grow year after year, which makes it an important platform for brands trying to understand how people discover videos, follow creators, and make decisions online.
With so much activity happening on the platform every minute, brands and marketers benefit from tools that help them track performance in practical ways. ShortifyMe makes this easier through its YouTube Link Shortener, which allows teams to manage links in a simple and organized way.
Below is a breakdown of the latest YouTube statistics and trends, along with context for what they mean for businesses that rely on video for visibility and engagement.
General YouTube Statistics
YouTube remains one of the most visited destinations on the internet. It is the second most visited website in the world and is also the most popular social media platform in the United States. The volume of content added to YouTube is remarkable. More than 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute, which contributes to its enormous library and constant stream of new viewing options.
The platform’s paid ecosystem also continues to expand. YouTube now has 100 million paid subscribers, which reflects steady interest in ad-free and premium features. YouTube is the second most popular mobile video app worldwide, showing how strong its performance is on handheld devices. That level of visibility stretches beyond the platform itself. YouTube was the second most visited Wikipedia page in 2024, which highlights how many people look for background information on the service.
Financially, YouTube represents a major portion of Google’s business. Last year, YouTube generated 36.1 billion dollars in revenue. These figures reinforce YouTube’s long-term position in digital media.
As YouTube continues to expand, marketers benefit from tools that help them keep track of how their videos perform across different campaigns. ShortifyMe supports this by offering simple tracking and link organization for YouTube content, which becomes especially helpful as audiences grow and viewing habits shift.
YouTube Usage Statistics
YouTube’s audience continues to grow. There are 2.53 billion monthly active users worldwide. In the United States, 62% of internet users visit YouTube daily, which means it plays a frequent role in their online routines. Across the platform, viewers watch one billion hours of content per day, covering everything from short-form clips to long-form series.
Mobile viewing continues to rise. Users spend an average of 29 hours per month on YouTube mobile, and 63% of all watch time happens on mobile devices. YouTube Kids also shows steady traction. The app saw 144 million downloads in 2024, and children in the United States now spend an average of 77 minutes per day watching YouTube content.
Even with YouTube’s size, very few people rely on it as their only social platform. Only 1.1 percent of users exclusively use YouTube without any other social channels. The platform is also a source of news. Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults get news on YouTube, which places it among the leading digital news environments. Short-form content continues to expand. YouTube Shorts now has two billion monthly active users, showing how short videos fit naturally within users’ day-to-day viewing.
YouTube and User Demographic Statistics
YouTube has a global reach that varies widely by country. India has the largest YouTube audience with approximately 500 million users. The United States follows with 254 million viewers, while Indonesia holds third place with 151 million users. Other regions also show strong engagement. The United Kingdom has 55.5 million people using the platform.
Demographic distribution across YouTube shows that 53% of the global audience is male. In terms of age groups, the largest segment consists of users between 25 and 34 years old. As of October 2025, male users in this age range made up 11.5% of YouTube’s global audience. Female users in the same category accounted for 9.8%. This age group tends to be active online and is often first to adopt new content formats and creator-specific trends.
Channel Statistics
Creators continue to shape YouTube’s culture. MrBeast currently has the most subscribed channel on the platform. His success is reflected in his earnings. The American creator generated an estimated 85 million dollars in revenue for the year. Other creators also reached high-earning milestones. Matt Rife, known for stand-up comedy and online content, was estimated to have made 50 million dollars. Dhar Mann followed with approximately 45 million dollars in revenue during 2024.
The platform itself contains an extensive number of channels. There are more than 113 million YouTube channels in total, although only 14 channels have reached more than 100 million subscribers. In terms of popularity by views, music and children’s content continue to lead the charts. As of January 2025, Wiz Khalifa’s music channel reached about six billion views in one month. Wow Kidz followed closely with more than five billion views over the same period.
YouTube for Business Statistics
YouTube has become a strong resource for discovery and learning. It is the second-largest search engine on the internet, which affects how users find products, tutorials, and solutions. Video length also plays an important role in viewer engagement. The ideal length for YouTube content tends to fall between seven and fifteen minutes, particularly for informational or instructional videos.
Interest in educational content continues to rise. Videos structured for beginners grew in popularity by 50%, which shows consistent demand for guidance and simple explanations. Viral content can also accelerate quickly. Certain videos on YouTube can reach 100 million views in less than a day, especially when they match trending interests or major cultural moments. Gaming communities remain especially strong in the U.S. and continue to fuel high watch times, livestream engagement, and creator-led influence.
YouTube Advertising Statistics
Advertisers continue investing heavily in YouTube because of the platform’s broad reach. YouTube ads have the potential to reach 2.53 billion people. In 2024, YouTube made more than 36 billion dollars in ad revenue. Within the U.S. digital advertising landscape, YouTube now ranks as the sixth-largest ad platform.
Ad formats on YouTube continue to shift. This year, 44% of the top-performing YouTube ads did not follow traditional ad lengths. Creative flexibility often leads to strong results, especially when the content naturally fits the viewing environment. Viewer behavior also plays a major role in ad effectiveness. Eighty-seven percent of viewers have made a purchase after seeing a brand on YouTube. Additionally, ads that are targeted based on user intent see a 100% higher lift in purchase intent.
For businesses interested in improving the way they manage links across YouTube campaigns, ShortifyMe provides tools that help measure engagement and keep track of performance in a structured way.
Putting These Insights to Work
YouTube continues to shift how people learn, watch, and connect. Its massive audience, diverse creator community, and expanding ad capabilities offer many opportunities for brands that want to build trust and visibility. As brands and marketers plan campaigns, having a reliable way to manage links can help keep performance organized and easier to analyze.
Those who want to streamline that part of their workflow can get started at ShortifyMe’s signup page.
