Short-Form Video Statistics 2026: TikTok, Reels & YouTube Shorts Performance Data
Short-form videos will command 82% of global internet traffic by 2025, with YouTube Shorts generating 70 billion daily views, TikTok delivering 2.80% engagement rates, and ad spending projected to hit $145.8 billion by 2028. These 17 statistics reveal which platform offers creators the highest earnings potential and brands the strongest ROI.
The short-form video revolution is complete. What started as TikTok's experimental format has evolved into the dominant content consumption behavior across the internet. YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok now collectively capture more than half of all social media engagement—and that percentage climbs daily.
But beneath the surface numbers lies a complex performance landscape where platform choice determines success. TikTok maintains the highest engagement rates but offers lower monetization. YouTube Shorts drives massive daily views with better creator earnings. Instagram Reels leverages existing audiences but struggles with direct revenue. Understanding these nuances separates creators who scale from those who stagnate.
In this post, we'll explore 17 data-backed statistics that decode short-form video performance across all three major platforms. These numbers reveal engagement patterns, monetization potential, audience preferences, optimal video lengths, and the critical factors that determine whether your content reaches millions or disappears into algorithmic obscurity.
Whether you're launching a content strategy, optimizing existing channels, or deciding where to invest production resources, these statistics provide the performance benchmarks you need to make informed decisions in 2026's competitive short-form landscape.
1. Short-form video will represent 82% of global internet traffic by 2025
Video content is projected to make up 82% of all global internet traffic by 2025, with short-form videos dominating the majority of that share. This isn't a temporary shift—it represents a fundamental transformation in how humans consume information online. For creators and brands, short-form video has moved from optional to essential. Source: Firework Report / Vidico Analysis
2. YouTube Shorts generates 70 billion daily views
YouTube Shorts receives approximately 70 billion daily views worldwide, contributing massively to YouTube's overall watch time. This staggering number has more than doubled since 2021, when Shorts was generating just 30 billion daily views. With 2 billion monthly active users engaging with Shorts, the platform has established itself as a primary discovery tool and growth engine for creators. Source: Alphabet Investor Relations / Hootsuite Data
3. TikTok leads all platforms with a 2.80% engagement rate
For 2024, TikTok stands out with an average engagement rate of 2.80%—significantly higher than Instagram Reels at 0.65% and YouTube Shorts at 0.30%. Looking ahead to 2025, TikTok is projected to push its engagement rate to 3.15%, while Instagram Reels holds steady at 0.65% and YouTube Shorts climbs to 0.40%. This demonstrates TikTok's unmatched ability to drive active audience interaction. Source: Socialinsider Platform Comparison
4. Short-form video ad spending will reach $145.8 billion by 2028
The advertising opportunity in short-form video is exploding. Ad spending on short-form video advertising is forecasted to reach $145.8 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.52% between 2025 and 2028. This massive investment reflects proven ROI as brands discover that short-form content delivers higher conversion rates than traditional formats. Source: Statista Advertising Forecast
5. The short-form video market will grow from $1.97B to $3.55B by 2029
The short-form video industry is experiencing explosive expansion, hitting approximately $1.97 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $2.22 billion in 2025. By 2029, the market is expected to grow to $3.55 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5%. This growth is driven by demand for quick, engaging content across entertainment, education, and marketing sectors. Source: Short Video Platform Global Market Report
6. Instagram Reels reached 2.8 billion users in 2023
Instagram Reels has achieved massive scale, surging to 2.8 billion users in 2023 from around 2 billion in 2020. This positions Reels as having the largest potential audience among short-form platforms, leveraging Instagram's existing user base. However, despite this reach advantage, Reels lags behind TikTok and YouTube Shorts in both engagement rates and monetization opportunities. Source: SendShort Platform Analysis
7. TikTok users spend 58.4 minutes daily on the app
U.S. adults spend an average of 58.4 minutes monthly on TikTok, with users opening the app over 8 times daily. This exceptional time-on-platform metric explains TikTok's advertising appeal and why it maintains the highest engagement rates. For comparison, Instagram users spend 30 minutes daily (including Reels), while YouTube averages 48.7 minutes of total watch time. Source: Beacon Inside Usage Data / Yaguara Platform Comparison
8. Short-form videos receive 2.5x more engagement than long-form content
Short-form videos generate 2.5 times more engagement than long-form material on social platforms. This engagement advantage stems from higher completion rates, easier shareability, and algorithmic preference for content that keeps users scrolling. Two out of three consumers (approximately 66%) find short-form videos the most engaging content type across all formats. Source: Marketing LTB Engagement Analysis / SimpleBeen Platform Data
9. YouTube Shorts has a 5.91% engagement rate—highest among short formats
YouTube Shorts commands an average engagement rate of 5.91%, making it the highest-engaging short-form video format when measuring likes, comments, and shares relative to views. This surpasses TikTok's 5.75% in certain contexts and significantly outperforms Facebook Reels at 2%. The superior engagement stems from YouTube's algorithm rewarding retention and its ecosystem's built-in discovery mechanisms. Source: Statista Platform Metrics / Adam Connell Research
10. 60% of short-form videos are watched for 41-80% of their duration
Retention metrics reveal that 59% of short-form videos are watched for 41% to 80% of their duration, while 30% of short videos achieve watch rates exceeding 81%. Critically, 71% of viewers decide within the first few seconds whether a video is worth continuing—making strong hooks essential for performance. Videos under 90 seconds retain approximately 50% of viewers on average. Source: Marketing LTB Retention Study
11. YouTube Shorts between 50-60 seconds earn 4.1 million average views
While most creators produce Shorts under 40 seconds, data shows that videos between 50-60 seconds long earn the most views, averaging 4.1 million views. This sweet spot balances YouTube's 60-second limit with viewer retention patterns. In contrast, very short Shorts under 10 seconds average only 19,000 views, demonstrating that brevity alone doesn't guarantee success. Source: Inflow Network Performance Data / DemandSage Analytics
12. TikTok dominates short-video market with 40% share
TikTok holds approximately 40% of the short-video platform market, followed by YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels at 20% each. TikTok's dominance is particularly strong in the United States, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, and Brazil. Despite newer competitors, TikTok's first-mover advantage and algorithm sophistication maintain its leadership position among Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Source: SendShort Market Share Analysis
13. 73% of consumers prefer short-form videos to search for products
When researching products or services, 73% of consumers now prefer short-form videos over other formats. Additionally, 72% of people prefer video for learning about products or services in general. This preference shift has massive implications for e-commerce and marketing, with 82% of consumers saying watching a video influenced a purchase decision. Source: Yaguara Consumer Behavior Study / Vidico Marketing Research
14. YouTube Shorts creators earn $0.01-$0.07 per 1,000 views
YouTube Shorts monetization operates on a revenue-sharing model where creators earn between $0.01 and $0.07 per 1,000 views, depending on video length and engagement. This translates to $10-$70 per million views. While this seems modest, the massive view potential (videos between 50-60 seconds average 4.1 million views) creates significant earning opportunities when combined with sponsorships and affiliate marketing. Source: Inflow Network Monetization Analysis / ResourceRA Revenue Data
15. 85% of marketers consider short-form video the most effective format
An overwhelming 85% of marketers believe short-form video is the most effective content format on social media, with 44% already using it in their strategies. Of marketers currently leveraging short-form video, 57% plan to increase investment, while 30% of those not yet using it intend to start. This near-universal adoption reflects measurable performance advantages over static images and text. Source: Marketing LTB Marketer Survey / Yaguara Strategy Report
16. 21% of marketers say short-form video delivers the highest ROI
According to marketer surveys, the content formats delivering the highest ROI are short-form videos (21%), images (19%), and live-streamed videos (16%). These are also the top areas where marketing teams plan to increase investment in 2025. The ROI advantage stems from short-form video's ability to drive engagement, improve brand awareness (96%), generate leads (88%), and increase sales directly (84%). Source: PassiveSecrets ROI Analysis / Cropink Marketing Data
17. Nearly 90% of Gen Z and Millennials watch short-form videos daily
Approximately 90% of Gen Z and Millennials regularly watch short-form videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. Among these demographics, the average person spends over 80 minutes daily consuming short-form content—a figure that continues climbing. This generational preference isn't temporary; it represents a permanent shift in content consumption habits that will define media for decades. Source: SimpleBeen Demographic Study / Marketing LTB Usage Patterns
Platform Selection Strategy: Matching Format to Goals
The statistics reveal a critical insight: there is no "best" short-form video platform—only the best platform for your specific goals and audience.
Choose TikTok when you prioritize viral reach and engagement over immediate monetization. TikTok's 2.80% engagement rate and personality-agnostic algorithm make it ideal for brand awareness, trend participation, and building massive followings quickly. The trade-off: lower direct creator earnings ($0.02-$0.04 per 1,000 views) mean you'll need sponsorships and product partnerships to monetize effectively.
Choose YouTube Shorts when you want the highest long-term earning potential and channel growth. Shorts' integration with YouTube's main platform creates a powerful funnel: viral Shorts convert to long-form subscribers, generating compound returns. The 5.91% engagement rate, 70 billion daily views, and superior monetization ($0.01-$0.07 per 1,000 views plus channel monetization) make Shorts the best platform for sustainable creator businesses.
Choose Instagram Reels when you already have an established Instagram following or operate in visually-driven niches like fashion, fitness, or lifestyle. Reels' 2.8 billion user base provides unmatched reach potential, but the 0.65% engagement rate and limited direct monetization mean success depends on leveraging existing audiences and driving external conversions.
For maximum impact, most successful creators operate across all three platforms simultaneously—repurposing optimized content to capture each platform's unique advantages while building diversified audience bases that reduce platform dependency risk.
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