2021 YouTube Demographics [New Data]

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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)

YouTube Age Demographics

  • In Q3 2020, 77% of 15-to-25-year-olds and 70% of 45-to-64-year-olds in the U.S. used YouTube. (Statista)
  • 21.2% of YouTube’s global audience is between 25 and 34, and 17% is between 35 and 44. (Hootsuite)
  • 80% of U.S. parents with a child age 11 or younger say their child watches videos on YouTube, and 53% of those children use the platform daily. (Pew Research Center)
  • Outside of China, 77% of Gen Z, 75% of millennials, 61% of Gen X, and 44% of Baby Boomers visit YouTube daily. (GlobalWebIndex)
  • 18-to-34-year-olds use YouTube to view video content on their TVs 7.9% more often than basic cable and 14.5% than premium cable. (Variety)
  • 46% of Gen Z and Millennials in the U.S. and UK say they’ve watched a virtual event on YouTube. (GlobalWebIndex)

YouTube Gender Demographics

Please note that audience data for individuals who do not identify as cisgender men and women is not reported.

  • 45.8% of YouTube’s total advertising audience is female. (Hootsuite)
  • 54.2% of YouTube’s total advertising audience is male. (Hootsuite)
  • Male and female internet users in the United States use YouTube at equal levels. (Statista)

YouTube Geography Demographics

  • As of February 2021, 16.6% of YouTube site visits come from the United States, 9.4% comes from India, and 4.9% comes from Japan. (Alexa)
  • YouTube has launched local versions of the platform in more than 100 countries. (YouTube for Press)
  • eMarketer predicts that the number of YouTube users in India will reach 342 million in 2021. (eMarketer)
  • 86% of U.S. viewers say they often use YouTube to learn new things. (Think With Google)

Let Data Drive Your YouTube Strategy

Use these statistics to create a YouTube marketing strategy that speaks to your audience’s interests, drives revenue, and increases conversions.

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