2021 YouTube Demographics [New Data]

Chances are, you’ve probably spent an afternoon falling down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos.

I certainly have, and I think I’d be pretty embarrassed to see the total amount of time I’ve spent on the platform.

While it’s a great source of entertainment, YouTube has also proved itself to be a valuable tool for marketers. In fact, 70% of viewers bought from a brand after seeing content on YouTube. And, with a global user base of more than 2 billion people, it’s also safe to assume that your target audience is on the platform.

However, just as it is for all social networks, building a presence on YouTube requires understanding which segments of your audience are already there. Having that information makes it easier to create content that speaks to their interests, maximize ROI, and achieve general marketing success. In this post, we’ll go over key YouTube statistics you need to know for 2021 to help you succeed in your marketing efforts.

2021 YouTube Demographics

Below, we’ll go over the most critical YouTube statistics that show marketers how global audiences are using the platform.

General YouTube User Demographics

YouTube is the second most visited website in the world. (Hootsuite)
YouTube accounts for more than 25% of total worldwide mobile traffic. (Sandvine)
YouTube has 2+ billion users, making up almost one-third of the entire internet. (YouTube for Press)
These 2+ billion users are present in over 100 countries and consume content in 80 different languages. (YouTube for Press)
YouTube users watch one billion hours of content daily. (Hootsuite)
YouTube is the second most popular channel for businesses sharing video content. (Buffer)
70% of viewers bought from a brand after seeing content on YouTube. (Google Ads)
YouTube will make 5.6 billion in advertising revenue in 2021 in the U.S. (eMarketer)
YouTube is the top video streaming app, and the average user spends 23.2 hours per month watching content. (App Annie)
The most popular YouTube search query is “song.” (Hootsuite)
The most popular YouTube video is Pinkfong’s Kids Songs & Stories Baby Shark Dance, with 7.85 billion views. (Statista)
The three most popular videos on YouTube are commentary videos (like vlogs), product reviews (like unboxings), and how-to/tutorial style videos. (MediaKix)
Global users watched over 100 billion hours of gaming content in 2020. (YouTube)
YouTube TV ended Q3 2020 with 3 million subscribers. (Alphabet)
70% of people used YouTube to exercise in 2020. (YouTube)
Livestreams on YouTube grew 45% in the first half of 2020. (YouTube)