YouTube Shorts attracted over 2 billion monthly users and recorded 200 billion views daily. The United States alone contributes 164.5 million users, with the largest demographic being ages 25–34 (21.5%).
Creators earn between $0.01 to $0.06 per 1,000 views, highlighting the platform’s scale, growth, and revenue-generating potential in 2026.
Let’s explore the details about YouTube Shorts users, demographics, and platform usage statistics.
YouTube Shorts Statistics 2026 (Top Picks)
- YouTube Shorts receives over 200 billion daily views.
- The platform has more than 2 billion monthly active users (MAU).
- Approximately 175.1 million of these users are in the United States.
- The largest viewer demographic is aged 25 to 34, making up 21.3% of all users.
- Over 70% of YouTube Shorts are longer than 15 seconds.
- The average length of a YouTube Short is between 20 and 40 seconds.
- 17% of Shorts views are from the Entertainment category.
- Creators can earn $0.01 to $0.06 for every 1,000 views.
YouTube Shorts Usage Statistics
YouTube Shorts is a popular feature that was rolled out by YouTube in 2020. Further, after being launched globally in 2021, the Shorts’ views doubled in the second year.
Here are further insights into the usage of YouTube Shorts.
How Many Views Do YouTube Shorts Get?
In mid-2025, several sources, including YouTube’s CEO, have announced that YouTube Shorts are now averaging over 200 billion daily views. While 70 billion daily views was a significant milestone announced in early 2024, the number has continued to climb.
Source: TheWrap, The Keyword
The following table displays the YouTube Shorts’ daily views recorded over the years.
| Year | YouTube Shorts’ Daily Views |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 200 billion |
| 2024 | 70 billion |
| 2023 | 70 billion |
| 2022 | 50 billion |
| 2021 | 30 billion |
Source: Statista
How Many YouTube Shorts Users Are There?
YouTube Shorts has over 2 billion monthly active users.
The number of YouTube Shorts reached 1.5 billion monthly active users in 2022. Later, in 2023, this number reached 2 billion.
The popularity of YouTube Shorts created concerns for the creators on the platform, with some believing that YouTube would remove the long-form content.
However, YouTube’s official response stated that YouTube Shorts is just an add-on feature for the platform.
How Many YouTube Users Are There In The United States?
The number of YouTube Shorts users is estimated to be around 175.1 million in the United States.
That’s an increase of 7.59% compared to 152.9 million users recorded in 2023.
Further, the number of YouTube Shorts users is estimated to reach 192.0 million by 2027.
Here is a table highlighting the number of YouTube users in the United States by year:
| Year | Number of YouTube Shorts Users in US | Percentage Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 152.9 | – |
| 2024 | 164.5 | 7.59% |
| 2025 | 175.1 | 6.44% |
| 2026* | 184.6 | 5.43% |
| 2027* | 192.0 | 4.01% |
*-estimated numbers
Source: Statista
Length Of YouTube Shorts
Creators can make a YouTube Short of 3 minutes, depending on the content requirement. This section provides further insights into the length of YouTube Shorts.
How Long Is A YouTube Short?
The maximum length of a YouTube Short is no longer 60 seconds. As of October 15, 2024, YouTube increased the maximum length of Shorts to 3 minutes (180 seconds). This was a highly requested feature from creators.
Source: YouTube
What Is The Average Length Of YouTube Shorts?
The average length of YouTube Shorts is between 20 and 40 seconds. A study conducted by Inflow Network on 5,400 Shorts videos found that most of them fall into this length category.
The most popular length of a YouTube short is between 30 to 40 seconds.
However, the same study highlights that the highest views are recorded for the Shorts that are 50 to 60 seconds long.
The following table displays the length of Shorts videos along with the views they gather.
| Shorts Length | Percentage Of Shorts | Views Gathered |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 10 seconds | 2.48% | 77,000 |
| 10 to 20 seconds | 15.14% | 90,000 |
| 20 to 30 seconds | 22.72% | 461,000 |
| 30 to 40 seconds | 25.48% | 690,000 |
| 40 to 50 seconds | 10.01% | 800,000 |
| 50 to 60 seconds | 14.33% | 1.7 million |
Source: Inflow Network.
About 70% Of YouTube Shorts Are Over 15 Seconds Long
Over 7 in 10 of the Shorts on YouTube are more than 15 seconds long.
A study by Tubular Labs on 1.1 million YouTube Shorts brought to light that most creators prefer to utilize the extra 45 seconds while creating a short.
Source: Tubular Lab, StatsStory.
YouTube Shorts Views
The views each YouTube short video receives vary according to its niche, industry, target audience, and more. Let’s uncover the average views received by YouTube Shorts.
What Are The Average Views On A YouTube Short?
Shorts with an average view duration of 50 to 60 seconds receive around four million views.
The average number of views on a YouTube Short differs according to its view duration. However, longer Shorts can perform better and gather more views.
The following table displays the average views received by the YouTube Shorts according to the average view duration.
| Average View Duration | Average Views |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 seconds | 0.0 million |
| 10 to 20 seconds | 0.1 million |
| 20 to 30 seconds | 0.2 million |
| 30 to 40 seconds | 1.3 million |
| 40 to 50 seconds | 1.8 million |
| 50 to 60 seconds | 4.1 million |
Source: Inflow Network
“Happy Birthday” by creator Natkhat Maha Is The Most Viewed YouTube Short With 2.7 billion views.
This YouTube Short gained over 2.7 billion views and 23 million likes. It is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the most viewed YouTube Short.
The following table displays the most viewed Shorts of all time:
| Description | Number of Views |
| Happy Birthday to you | 2.7 Billion+ |
| Beautiful nature life FN60 | 2.7 Billion+ |
| Real life transforming Cinderella dress! 👗😲 | 1.71 Billion+ |
| If Cleaning Was a Timed Sport. Part 2 | 1.6 Billion+ |
| 무당벌레 말랑이 만들기_Ladybug Squishy DIY with Nano Tape #실리콘테이프 | 1.59 Billion+ |
| Monica Toy | 1.43 Billion+ |
| Power Tools Racing Is INTENSE!! | 1.4 Billion+ |
| 📸! أول تجربة لي بالتصوير | 1.38 Billion+ |
| Would You Fly To Paris For A Baguette? | 1.34 Billion+ |
| World’s Best Prank Gone Wrong! How To Win Every Prank Wars Challenge | 1.28 Billion+ |
YouTube Shorts User Demographics
The audience for YouTube Shorts skews younger, with the largest share falling between 18–34 years old. While older age groups are also active, Gen Z and Millennials make up a strong core of its users.
Although many assume that younger audiences primarily use TikTok or Instagram Reels, research shows that YouTube Shorts holds a significant position in the short-form video market across all age groups.
In fact, in some studies, it outperforms its competitors in both engagement and usage among younger viewers, fueled by YouTube’s massive global reach.
Source: Zebracat.ai, AdamConnell.me, AWISEE
YouTube Shorts Age Demographics
Among YouTube Shorts users, those aged 25 to 34 represent the largest demographic, accounting for 21.3% of all viewers.
Following closely, adults aged 35 to 44 comprise the second-largest group, making up 18.7% of YouTube Shorts viewers.
The following table displays the YouTube Shorts’ age demographics:
| Age Group | Percentage Of Viewers |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 years | 14.7% |
| 25 to 34 years | 21.3% |
| 35 to 44 years | 18.7% |
| 45 to 54 years | 14.3% |
| 55 to 64 years | 10.4% |
| Over 65 years | 10% |
Note: The age demographics of YouTube Shorts are similar to those of YouTube.
Source: Global Media Insights
YouTube Shorts Gender Demographics
54.3% of YouTube short viewers are men, while 46.7% are women.
Over half of the YouTube Shorts users were men. Comparatively, over 4 in 10 short users were female.
Source: Statista.
YouTube Shorts Content
Entertainment and Food are the top niches on YouTube Shorts. Apart from that, other niches like finance and educational Shorts also receive more views.
Here are further details about the popular content on YouTube Shorts.
What Type Of Shorts Gets The Most Views?
17% of all Shorts views were from the Entertainment niche, especially from pranks, challenges, and oddly satisfying videos.
These types of videos are consumed globally and have no language barriers.
Other YouTube Shorts niches that get the most views are:
- Entertainment
- Food and Drink
- Video Games
- Sports
- Crafting
These are some of the most popular and high-performing niches on the platform, but the specific order can change. The Entertainment category, however, consistently ranks at or near the top in terms of total views.
Source: Tube Buddy.
Over 48 Percent Of Respondents Preferred To Watch Humor Or Gag Content On YouTube Shorts
According to a study done in South Korea, nearly 48% of the people prefer to watch humorous content on YouTube Shorts.
At the same time, 39% people said that they prefer to watch entertaining content.
The following table displays the popular categories of short-form videos on YouTube Shorts:
| Video Niche | Percentage Of People |
|---|---|
| Humor/gag | 48.2% |
| Entertainment | 39.1% |
| Pets | 27% |
| Restaurants/food | 23.5% |
| Everyday life of celebrities | 22.1% |
Source: Statista.
YouTube Shorts Creator Earnings
How much do creators earn from YouTube Shorts?
The answer may again vary according to the niche and target audience. Also, sponsored ads and the number of views affect the earnings of YouTube creators.
Let’s uncover the details about creator earnings through YouTube Shorts.
YouTube Shorts Creators Can Earn Between $0.01 – $0.06 Per 1,000 Views
This amounts to around $10 to $60 for every million views.
That is far lower than the amount YouTube pays for long-form video content. Creators get paid between $1.61 and $29.30 per 1000 views for the long-form content on the platform.
However, the Shorts get larger views compared to the long-form content.
Source: Riverside.
How Many Views Are There on YouTube Shorts to Make $100?
At a more realistic RPM of about $0.03, a creator would need roughly 3.3 million views to make $100. Even with a higher RPM of $0.05, it would still take around 2 million views to reach the same amount. Therefore, the claim that 100,000 views can generate $100 is exaggerated by 20 to 30 times.
Source: AIR Media
Conclusion: YouTube Shorts Are Viewed By Over 2 Billion People Every Month
YouTube Shorts continues to surge, driven by more than 2 billion users worldwide and generating over 200 billion views daily. The 25–34 age group makes up the largest share of its audience, and the most successful Shorts—typically 50–60 seconds long—average up to 4.1 million views.
With creators earning up to $60 for every million views, the platform combines massive visibility with strong income opportunities. Trending categories like comedy, food, and entertainment continue to lead the way, capturing billions of daily views.
For creators and brands alike, being on Shorts is no longer optional. It’s a must. Now’s the time to dive in and ride the wave.
