The creator economy is rapidly expanding.
Each year, more individuals are choosing to make money by pursuing their passions rather than working traditional 9-5 jobs.
We’ll explore the size of this growing market and examine how it varies across different regions, platforms, and other aspects.
The Creator Economy Market at a Glance
We’ve handpicked 55+ of the latest statistics, facts, and trends about the creator economy. Here are 7 that we believe will blow you away.
| 1 | As of 2024, the global creator economy is currently worth $200 billion |
| 2 | The creator economy is growing at a CAGR of 22.5% and is expected to hit $528.39 billion by 2030 |
| 3 | Over 165 million new creators have joined the Creator Economy since 2020 |
| 4 | TikTok is the fastest-growing platform with a 100% user growth rate between 2020 and 2022 |
| 5 | Over 35% of the global creator economy market share is from North America |
| 6 | There are over 207 million content creators in the world today |
Creator Economy Market Size
The creator economy is valued at $200 billion (Research Nester)
This growth is supported by the widespread use of smartphones, with over 5 billion users worldwide. These devices have enabled creators to easily produce and share short-form content, such as 60-second videos on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok, perfectly suited for the fast-paced mobile environment.
Creator Economy Market Growth Projections
The creator economy is growing at a CAGR of 23% and is expected to hit more than $500 billion by 2030 (Research Nester)
Here’s a breakdown of the projected annual growth of the creator economy:
| Year | Market Valuation Calculated Based on Forecasted CAGR |
| 2023 | $127.65 billion |
| 2024 | $156.37 billion |
| 2025 | $191.55 billion |
| 2026 | $234.65 billion |
| 2027 | $287.45 billion |
| 2028 | $352.13 billion |
| 2029 | $431.36 billion |
| 2030 | $528.39 billion |
Is The Creator Economy Booming?
Over 165 million new creators have joined the Creator Economy since 2020 (Adobe)
This growth is widespread, affecting countries including the U.S., Brazil, and South Korea, and highlights the expanding global influence of content creators.
66.9% of content creators report that brand deals are their top source of income (Influencer Marketing Hub)
In contrast, ad share revenue is the main source for only 7%, showing that brand deals are the leading way creators monetize their content.
Breakdown of creators’ revenue sources:
| Revenue Source | Creators (%) |
| Brand deals | 66.9% |
| Started a brand | 10.9% |
| Affiliate links | 7.8% |
| Ad share revenue | 7.8% |
| Merchandise | 4.4% |
More than 8 out of 10 top educational creators already offer multiple services and products (Podania)
In addition to courses, these creators offer interactive sessions, memberships, and ebooks, enhancing their income potential and providing greater value to their learners.
86% of advertisers shift their budgets to creator content (IAB)
Most advertisers now see content made by creators as a key part of their spending, not just a test. This big change shows they understand how effective and valuable creator-led campaigns are.
90% of media agency advertisers are confident in measuring the effectiveness of creator-produced content (IAB)
This indicates they have dependable systems in place to gauge the success of content created by individual creators within their marketing strategies.
Brands are increasing their creator content budgets by 25% (IAB)
With almost 50% of brands committing to this increase, they clearly value the unique perspectives and innovative creativity that individual creators provide.
39% of viewers are turning more towards videos created by individual creators (IAB)
Meanwhile, only 22% are increasing their viewership of videos from large studios, suggesting a stronger interest in content from independent creators.
How Many Creators Are There?
There are over 207 million content creators in the world today (Linktree)
Here’s a breakdown by follower count:
| # of Content Creators | Follower Count |
| 23 million | Less than 1,000 followers |
| 139 million | Between 1,000 and 10,000 followers |
| 41 million | Between 10,000 and 100,000 followers |
| 2 million | Between 100,000 and 1,000,000 followers |
| 2 million | More than 1,000,000 followers |
Colin and Samir: How To Win In the Creator Economy
12% of full-time creators earn more than $50K (Linktree)
Compared to part-time creators, where only 3% reach this income level, it’s evident that focusing on content creation full-time can lead to higher earnings.
64% of monetized content creators are women (Convertkit)
This is significantly higher than the 35% of male creators, with an additional 1% identifying as non-binary.
46.7% of creators are full-timers (Convertkit)
This compares to 10% who do it for fun as hobbyists, and 43% who juggle content creation with other full or part-time work.
91.4% of content creators keep going to college while working on their content (Neoreach)
In contrast, just 8.6% decide to quit college to dedicate themselves to content creation.
In Neoreach’s survey, they asked the respondents who did drop out how many years they attended college before dropping out. Here’s the breakdown:
| Years in college before dropping out | Percentage |
| Didn’t drop out | 84.3% |
| 1-2 years | 8.5% |
| Less than a year | 4.1% |
| 3-4 years | 3.1% |
Creator Economy Market Size by Region
Over 35% of the global creator economy market share is from North America (Coherent Marketing Insights)
The region’s creators and influencers have been quick to integrate new platforms into their workflows, securing a large slice of the market.
Here’s a breakdown of the projected creator economy value by region:
| Year | North America | Asia-Pacific | Europe | South America |
| 2023 | $17.79 billion | $18.35 billion | $10.35 billion | $2.68 billion |
| 2024 | $23.96 billion | $21.3 billion | $12.61 billion | $3.42 billion |
| 2025 | $32.28 billion | $24.73 billion | $15.35 billion | $4.36 billion |
| 2026 | $43.48 billion | $28.72 billion | $18.7 billion | $5.55 billion |
| 2027 | $58.57 billion | $33.34 billion | $22.78 billion | $7.08 billion |
| 2028 | $78.89 billion | $38.71 billion | $27.74 billion | $9.03 billion |
| 2029 | $106.27 billion | $44.94 billion | $33.79 billion | $11.51 billion |
| 2030 | $142.91 billion | $52.17 billion | $41.17 billion | $14.67 billion |
Creator Economy Market Size By Platform
The top companies shaping the creator economy include Meta, YouTube, Bytedance, Alphabet, Spotify, Netflix, Snapchat, X.com, Pinterest, and Etsy (Research Nester)
Their platforms and services are central to the success and growth of content creators around the world.
26% of content creators make most of their money from TikTok and YouTube (Epidemic Sound)
According to Epidemic Sound’s own research of 1,500 monetizing creators, TikTok is the top platform for generating income.
YouTube generated 394,000 US jobs and contributed over $30 billion to creators and media companies (Vdocipher)
This significant impact underscores that YouTube is more than just an entertainment platform; it’s a major economic force providing substantial income and job opportunities in the creative industry.
YouTube has more than 2.7 billion monthly active users (Global Media Insight)
YouTube has over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of 2024, making it the most widely used social media platform globally.
TikTok is the fastest-growing platform with a 100% user growth rate between 2020 and 2022 (Sprout Social)
TikTok’s user count jumped from 800 million to 1.6 million in just two years. And between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, TikTok’s monthly active users grew 13%.
Conclusion
The creator economy is booming, changing how people make money from their passions.
It’s worth $200 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $528.39 billion by 2030. TikTok is leading the way, doubling its user base from 2020 to 2022. Brands also invest heavily, with 86% shifting budgets towards creator content.
As this market continues to grow rapidly, it will offer amazing opportunities for creators and businesses, driving innovation and economic growth around the world.
