The number of creators worldwide has rapidly increased over the past 5 years. As a result, brand sponsorships and influencer marketing have grown, leading to a steady growth in the global creator economy.
Further, the creator economy is predicted to reach $480 billion in the next three years.
This post brings into the limelight the latest figures related to the creator economy market, the number of creators, their earnings, and the future of the creator economy.
Top Creator Economy stats
- There are over 207 million content creators worldwide.
- 162 million Americans currently identify themselves as content creators.
- The United States has more than 45 million professional content creators.
- The creator economy is currently worth $250 billion and is predicted to reach $480 billion by 2027.
- 46.7% of the creators are full-time creators.
- Content creators require an average of six and a half months to earn their first dollar.
- 7 in 10 creators spend 10 hours or less per week creating content.
Creator Economy Market Size
This section highlights the latest figures about the creator economy market and the other related markets.
How Big Is The Creator Economy?
The creator economy is currently worth $250 billion and is predicted to reach $480 billion by 2027.
The primary drivers responsible for the growth of the creator economy are increased spending on influencer marketing and monetization of short-form video platforms via advertising.
Further, the cash flow from brands and higher demand for the content also fuel the growth of the creator economy.
Source: Business Insider, Goldman Sachs, Hubspot.
The Influencer Marketing Industry Was Valued At $21.1 Billion In 2023
Influencer Marketing is forecasted to accelerate the creator economy in the upcoming years.
In 2022, the influencer marketing industry was valued at $16.4 billion. That displays an annual increase of 28.7% in 2023.
Comparatively, the industry grew by 18.8% in 2022, a significant slowdown compared to the previous years when the market grew by more than 40%.
The following table displays the market size of influencer marketing recorded over the past years.
| Year | Influencer Marketing Market Size |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $21.1 billion |
| 2022 | $16.4 billion |
| 2021 | $13.8 billion |
| 2020 | $9.7 billion |
| 2019 | $6.5 billion |
| 2018 | $4.6 billion |
| 2017 | $3.0 billion |
| 2016 | $1.7 billion |
Source: Oberlo
Content Creator Statistics
The number of creators has grown rapidly between 2019 and 2022. In 2021, the number of creators hiked by 48% on the top 50 creator platforms.
Let’s uncover more facts about creators in this section.
How Many Content Creators Are There?
The creator economy has 207 million content creators worldwide. Of these, 200 million are active content creators, and over 2 million are expert content creators.
The United States has more than 45 million professional content creators.
The following table displays the breakdown of the global content creators according to their audience size.
| Type of Influencer | Audience Size | Number of Creators |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational | 0 to 1K followers | 23 million |
| Semi-Pro | 1K to 10K followers | 139 million |
| Pro | 10K to 100K followers | 41 million |
| Expert | 100K to 1 million followers | 2 million |
| Expert+ | Over 1 million | 2 million |
Source: Linktree, Nealschaffer, WPbeginner.
46.7% Of The Creators Are Full-Time Creators
In a survey conducted by Converter Kit, nearly half of the creators said that being a creator is their full-time occupation.
1 in 10 creators said they became creators just for fun and labeled themselves ” hobbyists,” and over 4 in 10 creators said they ran their creator business on the side of another job.
Source: Converter Kit.
7 In 10 Creators Spend 10 Hours Or Less Per Week Creating Content
Only 30% of the creators spend over 10 hours each week creating content. The majority of the creators spend 1 to 5 hours every week on content creation.
The following table displays the time spent by creators on content creation.
| Average Hours Spent Making Content Each Week | Percentage of Content Creators |
|---|---|
| 40 plus | 5% |
| 20-40 hours | 9% |
| 10-20 hours | 16% |
| 5-10 hours | 27% |
| 1-5 hours | 36% |
| 0-1 hours | 7% |
Source: Linktree.
Creator Earning Statistics
The creator’s earnings vary according to their audience and the industry they are in. However, an average creator makes over $40K per year.
How Much Do Content Creators Make?
Content creators make $44K on average per year; they make $22 an hour and $3,680 per month.
The salary range of an average creator is $36,000 to $58,500, and the top earners generate up to $74,500 annually in the United States.
Source: Hubspot.
51% Of Full-Time Content Creators Say They’re Making Enough To At Least Support Themselves
Only a few creators are striking rich, while over half of creators struggle to support themselves. Of them, 19% of the creators have to support more than one person.
Source: The Tilt.
52% Of Creators Earning $50k-$100k Spend 10 Hours Or Less Per Week On Content Creation
48% of the creators who make $100K to 500K a year spend more than 10 hours a week on content creation.
53% of creators making less than $100 a year spend less than 5 hours a week, and 32% of creators making $100 to 410K a year spend more than 10 hours a week on content creation.
Only about 4% of global creators are deemed professionals, meaning they pull in more than $100,000 a year.
Source: Linketree, Goldman Sachs.
35% Of Creators Earn Money Through Ad Revenue On Online Platforms
Over one-third of content creators earn money through ad sense with the help of the views they get. Further, through brand partnerships, creators can make between $10 to 450 per 1000 views.
Besides, Creators usually make $3 to $5 for every 1,000 views on a monetizable video on YouTube.
Source: Endavo.
It Takes 17 Months For The Content Creators To Become Self-Supporting
Content creators require an average of six and a half months to earn their first dollar and more than ten months to become self-supporting.
Meanwhile, it takes 24 months or more to get any brand partnership.
Source: The Tilt.
Which Social Media Platform Pays The Most?
TikTok is the social media platform that pays the most.
According to a study of 1,500 creators who make money on social media, 30% of the respondents reported that TikTok is the top platform for generating income.
Meanwhile, 25.8% said YouTube pays the most money.
The following table displays the platform that pays the most money according to survey respondents:
| Social Media Platform | Percentage of creators |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 30% |
| YouTube | 25.8% |
| 16.5% | |
| 13.1% | |
| 7.1% |
Source: Epidemic Sound.
Content Creator Demographics
The Majority of the creators are from different ethnicities and backgrounds. This section sheds light on the demographics of creators.
The Number Of Women Creators Is Double That Men Creators
The study conducted by Convert Kit highlighted that 64% of the creators were female, while 35% were male.
Meanwhile, 1% of the creators identify themselves as non-binary.
Source: Convery Kit
The Average Age Of The Creator In The United States Is 36.6
35% of the creators are above 40, and the same percentage are between 30 and 40 years old.
Meanwhile, 3 in 10 creators are aged between 20 to 30.
Source: Zippia.
67.2% Of The Creators In The United States Are White
Meanwhile, 1 in 10 creators in the United States are Asian, and just 0.2% are American Indian and Alaska Native.
The following table displays the ethnicity or race of the creators in the United States.
| Ethnicity/ Race | Percentage of Creators In The United States |
|---|---|
| White | 67.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.7% |
| Asian | 9.6% |
| Black or African American | 5.3% |
| Unknown | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Source: Zippia.
Creator Economy Platform Statistics
The Creator economy comprises platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Patreon, and more. This section covers the latest figures about the top creator economy platforms.
YouTube Creator Statistics
With over 60 million YouTube creators and over 100 million channels worldwide, YouTube is the most preferred platform in the creator economy.
How Much Money Do YouTubers Make?
YouTubers earn 18 cents per view. YouTube pays $18 per 1000 ad views.
According to Business Insider, members of the YouTube Partner Program earn $1.61 to $29.30 per 1,000 views, depending on the niche.
How Many Youtube Creators Are There?
There are 61.8 million YouTube creators.
Source: Social Blade.
How Many Youtube Channels Are There?
YouTube has more than 113.9 million active channels.
Source: Global Media Insights.
Instagram Creator Statistics
Instagram has emerged as a top creator platform over the past years. Creators here partner up with the brands to promote their products or charge money for the sponsorships.
How Many Instagram Influencers Are There?
There are more than 64 million influencers on Instagram worldwide. Of these, 0.05% are celebrities, while 91.07% are nano influencers.
The following table displays the number of different influencers on Instagram.
| Type of Influencers | Number of Influencers | Percentage of Influencers |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrities | 34.3K | 0.05% |
| Macro influencers | 0.5 million | 0.83% |
| Micro-influencers | 5.1 million | 8.04% |
| Nano influencers | 58.2 million | 91.07% |
Source: Trend Hero.
How Much Do Instagram Influencers Make?
The average influencer makes $2,970 per month.
However, it depends on the size of the audience. Micro-influencers earn an average of $1,420 per month, while mega-influencers can earn up to $15,356 per month.
Source: Hootsuite.
TikTok Creator Statistics
This section provides insights about the creators on TikTok and their earnings.
How Many TikTok Creators Are There?
There are approximately 1.2 million TikTok creators worldwide.
Source: SocialBlade.
How much Does TikTok pay?
Through the creator fund, TikTok pays between $0.02 and $0.04 per 1,000 views. Upon calculation, we find that TikTok pays $20 to $40 for a million views.
TikTok creators also earn through ad revenue, sponsorships, affiliate posts, and selling their own products.
Source: Descript.
TikTok Has Turned Its Focus On The Creativity Program After Shutting Down The Creator’s Fund
In November 2023, TikTok shut down its $1 billion creator fund to focus on its newer creativity programs.
Creators who are currently enrolled in creator funds can switch to the creativity program. The company has also announced features like gift monetization and more.
Source: Tech Crunch.
Patreon Creator Statistics
Patreon helps the audience support their favorite creators and receive exclusive content in return. Creators have earned around $1 billion through their Patreons.
How Many Creators Are There On Patreon?
Patreon has over 304,982 creators.
80% of the Patreon Work alone, 11% work with a team, and 8% work solo but partner with a team of non-creators.
Source: Graphtreon, Patreon.
The Estimated Monthly Payout On Patreon Is $24.5 Million
Source: Graphtreon.
The Average Patreon User Makes 40% Of Their Income On Patreon
Source: Patreon.
Other Platform Creator Statistics
Here are some of the latest Statistics about other creator platforms.
There Are Over 1.5 Million Creators On Onlyfans
Source: OnlyFans.
The Average Twitch Streamer Only Has 27.7 Viewers Per Stream
Source: Zippia.
Miscellaneous Creator Statistics
Let’s take a look at the latest figures about the state of influencers in the United States.
How Many Influencers Are There In The US?
There are 10.2 million Instagram influencers in the United States.
Source: Influencity.
The US Influencer Marketing Spending Is Projected To Grow By 15.9% In 2024
US influencer marketing spending on major platforms will increase in 2024, reaching $7.14 billion. But, the year-over-year growth rate is estimated to decline for the 4th successive year.
The factors that led to increased spending in influencer marketing are the need to reach a larger audience and increased content consumption worldwide.
The following table displays the details about US influencer marketing spend on major platforms:
| Year | US Influencer Marketing Expenditure | YoY Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7.14 billion | 15.9% |
| 2023 | 6.16 billion | 23.4% |
| 2022 | 4.99 billion | 27.9% |
| 2021 | 3.9 billion | 34.5% |
| 2020 | 2.9 billion | 19.8% |
| 2019 | 2.42 billion | 26.4% |
Source: Goldman Sachs.
Creator Economy Trends And Forecast
The Creator economy has steadily grown over the years, and according to the estimates, it will grow further in the upcoming years.
Global Creators Are Predicted To Grow By 10% To 20% CAGR In The Next Five Years
According to Goldman Sachs, 50 million global creators are expected to have a growth of 10% to 20% CAGR in the upcoming five years.
The future of the creator economy is predicted to boom with the number of influencers monetizing their content and leveraging the power of brands and businesses.
Source: Goldman Sachs.
Companies Will Be More Selective About Who They Work With
With rapid growth in the creator economy and the number of creators, businesses have become more selective about who they want to work with.
In the initial days, getting brands on your side and grabbing lucrative deals was easy. However, brands today have become more thoughtful and check if the creators align with their brands and if their views and perspectives align.
Source: Los Angeles Times.
These were all the latest stats related to the creator economy.
After witnessing the latest trends in the economy, it is evident that the economy will grow steadily in the upcoming decade.
