According to YouTube’s 2025 Impact Report, the platform’s creative ecosystem contributed more than $55 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product in 2025, up from $45 billion the previous year. The report also estimates that YouTube’s ecosystem supported more than 540,000 full-time equivalent jobs, an increase from 490,000 in 2024.
Growth of creator businesses
Alongside the economic findings, YouTube shared updated figures on how platform revenue reaches creators. The report says 55% of advertising and subscription revenue from the YouTube Partner Program is paid directly to creators, artists and media companies. The rest supports platform operations, infrastructure and other business costs.
YouTube also revealed that it has paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the past four years, covering 2022 through 2025. That figure includes earnings from advertising, from YouTube Premium and Music subscriptions and from other monetization features in the Partner Program.
The report found that many creators now operate as small businesses. They pull revenue from advertising, memberships, merchandise, sponsorships and other streams rather than a single source.
YouTube noted that many creators have grown beyond producing videos. Some hire employees, work with contractors and launch products and services tied to their channels.
Creator economy continues to grow
The report follows several initiatives aimed at supporting creators, including expanded monetization options, AI-powered production tools and new protections around synthetic media and digital likenesses.
YouTube has spent recent months reworking the same areas. It updated its monetization policies, added AI transparency measures and expanded features meant to help creators grow their businesses on the platform.
The annual Impact Report is one of YouTube’s primary ways of measuring the economic activity its creator ecosystem generates, rather than focusing solely on platform revenue.