Influencer Marketing Statistics 2026: Ad Spend, Budgets, ROI and Consumers
US brands were projected to spend $37.1 billion on creator advertising in 2025, up 26% on 2024, and $43.9 billion in 2026, according to IAB. That is 3.2 times the 2021 level. Creator spend grew 28.5% a year from 2021 to 2024, against 11.0% for all US internet advertising. Proving ROI is still the main problem: 39% of buyers name it as a top challenge. On the consumer side, 45% of US adults buy at least one item a month on a creator recommendation, rising to 69% of Gen Z.
Key statistics
- US creator economy ad spend was projected at $37.1 billion in 2025, up 26% on 2024, according to IAB.
- US creator economy ad spend is projected to reach $43.9 billion in 2026, up 18% on 2025, according to IAB.
- US creator ad spend grew 28.5% a year from 2021 to 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
- 39% of US creator ad buyers named proving ROI as a top-three measurement challenge in 2025, according to IAB.
- 45% of US consumers bought at least one item a month on a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
Influencer marketing market size
IAB publishes the most detailed public estimate of US influencer marketing spend. It counts only ad money brands pay to or around creators on purpose: direct partnerships, paid boosts of creator posts, and planned ads next to creator content. It leaves out affiliate links, tips and subscriptions.
Creator ad spend in the US rose from $13.9 billion in 2021 to $29.5 billion in 2024. IAB projects $37.1 billion for 2025 and $43.9 billion for 2026. On those figures the market will be 3.2 times its 2021 size, a compound growth rate of about 25.9% a year. Growth is slowing, though. The 2026 projection of 18% is the lowest yearly rise in the series, after 33.5% in 2024 and 26% in 2025.
Creator spend is growing much faster than digital advertising as a whole. From 2021 to 2024 it grew 28.5% a year, against 11.0% a year for US internet ad revenue, according to IAB and PwC. In 2024 creator spend was about 11.4% of the size of internet ad revenue. The two figures are built differently, so treat that as a sense of scale rather than an exact share.
Social media is where most of this money flows. US social ad revenue reached $117.7 billion in 2025, up 32.6%, and has doubled since 2021. IAB and PwC credit part of that growth to creator content. For the wider picture, see our digital advertising statistics.
Source: IAB and Advertiser Perceptions, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report, November 2025.
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US creator economy ad spend was projected at $37.1 billion in 2025, up 26% on 2024, according to IAB.
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US creator economy ad spend is projected to reach $43.9 billion in 2026, up 18% on 2025, according to IAB.
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US brands spent $29.5 billion on creator economy advertising in 2024, according to IAB.
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US creator economy ad spend was $22.1 billion in 2023, according to IAB.
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US creator economy ad spend was $13.9 billion in 2021, according to IAB.
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US creator ad spend grew 33.5% in 2024, the fastest rise since 2021, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
How we calculated it: $29.5 billion (2024) / $22.1 billion (2023) - 1 = 33.5%. Other years: 2022 +32.4% ($18.4B / $13.9B), 2023 +20.1% ($22.1B / $18.4B). IAB chart labels: +32%, +20%, +34%.
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US creator ad spend grew 28.5% a year from 2021 to 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
How we calculated it: Compound annual growth: ($29.5 billion in 2024 / $13.9 billion in 2021) ^ (1/3) - 1 = 28.5%. All three years are IAB estimates, not projections.
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US creator ad spend is on course to grow 25.9% a year from 2021 to 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
How we calculated it: Compound annual growth: ($43.9 billion in 2026, projected / $13.9 billion in 2021) ^ (1/5) - 1 = 25.9%. The 2026 figure is an IAB projection.
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US creator ad spend in 2026 is projected at 3.2 times its 2021 level, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
How we calculated it: $43.9 billion (2026 projection) / $13.9 billion (2021) = 3.16.
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US creator ad spend is projected to add $6.8 billion in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
How we calculated it: $43.9 billion (2026 projection) - $37.1 billion (2025 projection) = $6.8 billion.
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US internet advertising revenue reached $294.6 billion in 2025, up 13.9% on 2024, according to IAB and PwC.
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US internet ad revenue grew 11.0% a year from 2021 to 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB and PwC data.
How we calculated it: Compound annual growth: ($258.6 billion in 2024 / $189.3 billion in 2021) ^ (1/3) - 1 = 10.96%. Compare creator ad spend at 28.5% a year over the same years (IAB).
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US creator ad spend was projected to grow 1.9 times as fast as US internet ad revenue in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB and PwC data.
How we calculated it: Creator ad spend growth of 26% (IAB projection, made August 2025) / internet ad revenue growth of 13.9% (IAB and PwC, actual) = 1.87.
| Year | Creator ad spend | Change | Internet ad revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $13.9B | $189.3B | ||
| 2022 | $18.4B | +32.4% | $209.7B | +10.8% |
| 2023 | $22.1B | +20.1% | $225.0B | +7.3% |
| 2024 | $29.5B | +33.5% | $258.6B | +14.9% |
| 2025 | $37.1B (projected) | +26% | $294.6B | +13.9% |
| 2026 | $43.9B (projected) | +18% | Not yet reported |
Influencer marketing budget statistics
Budget data comes from two kinds of source. IAB breaks its spend estimate down by industry. Vendor surveys from Linqia and CreatorIQ ask marketers how their own budgets are changing.
Retail and consumer goods dominate. Retail brands were projected to spend $12.3 billion on US creator ads in 2025, a third of the total. Add consumer packaged goods at $5.5 billion and the two account for 48.0%. Every other category spends about $2.2 billion or less. Retail can tie creator posts to sales most easily, which helps explain the lead.
Most budgets are still rising. 62% of US enterprise marketers planned to raise influencer spend in 2026, according to Linqia, and 33% planned to spend more than $5 million. CreatorIQ found 71% of organisations had raised budgets in 2025. Its headline figure, a 171% jump in average reported budgets, is an average across a self-selected global sample and should not be read as market growth. IAB's own estimate of market growth for 2025 is 26%.
Creator marketing is not yet a fixed line in most plans. 62% of brands fund it from social media budgets and 53% from creator-specific budgets, so the money is often carved out of other pots. Even so, 48% of buyers call creators a must-buy, behind only social media (74%) and paid search (60%).
Source: IAB and Advertiser Perceptions estimates, November 2025.
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Retail brands were projected to spend $12.3 billion on US creator advertising in 2025, the most of any category, according to IAB.
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Consumer packaged goods brands were projected to spend $5.5 billion on US creator advertising in 2025, according to IAB.
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48% of US creator ad buyers called creators a must-buy for their media plan in 2025, behind only social media (74%) and paid search (60%), according to IAB.
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62% of US enterprise marketers planned to increase influencer marketing budgets in 2026, according to Linqia.
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33% of US enterprise marketers planned to spend more than $5 million on influencer marketing in 2026, according to Linqia.
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71% of organisations reported higher influencer marketing budgets in 2025, according to CreatorIQ.
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Average reported annual influencer marketing budgets rose 171% year on year in 2025, according to CreatorIQ.
| Industry | Creator ad spend |
|---|---|
| Retail | $12.3B |
| Consumer packaged goods | $5.5B |
| Financial | $2.2B |
| Apparel | $2.1B |
| Tech | $1.9B |
| Auto | $1.6B |
| Telecom | $1.5B |
| Travel | $1.3B |
| Home | $1.2B |
| Health and wellness | $1.0B |
| Media and entertainment | $0.4B |
| Total | $37.1B |
Influencer marketing ROI statistics
There is no independent, public measure of influencer marketing return on investment. What the surveys do show is how hard marketers find it to prove one.
ROI is both the main goal and the main gap. 40% of US creator ad buyers rank overall ROI among their top three KPIs, more than any other measure. Yet 39% name proving ROI as a top measurement challenge, and 34% struggle to attribute sales to creators.
The sources disagree on scale because they ask different questions. IAB asked buyers to pick their three biggest challenges, which caps each answer. Linqia asked directly and found 79% of enterprise marketers struggle to measure ROI, with 48% naming attribution as the biggest gap. Both point the same way.
Pay models reflect the problem. Three in four brands pay creators flat fees, while 49% use performance-based pay. Fixed fees are simpler when results are hard to track. You will often see a figure of $5.78 returned per $1 spent. We could not trace it to a current primary source, so it is not on this page.
Source: IAB and Advertiser Perceptions, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report.
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39% of US creator ad buyers named proving ROI as a top-three measurement challenge in 2025, according to IAB.
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34% of US creator ad buyers named attributing sales to creators as a top-three measurement challenge in 2025, according to IAB.
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40% of US creator ad buyers ranked overall ROI among their top three KPIs for creator campaigns in 2025, according to IAB.
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32% of US creator ad buyers named finding the right creators as a top-three challenge in 2025, the most cited, according to IAB.
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49% of US brands used performance-based pay with creators in 2025, while three in four used flat fees, according to IAB.
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79% of US enterprise marketers surveyed for the 2026 edition said they struggled to measure influencer marketing ROI, according to Linqia.
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48% of US enterprise marketers surveyed for the 2026 edition named attribution as their biggest measurement gap, according to Linqia.
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81% of US enterprise marketers surveyed for the 2026 edition said repurposed influencer content beat brand-created assets, according to Linqia.
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29% of brands said Instagram drove the most creator marketing ROI in 2025, just ahead of TikTok at 27%, according to CreatorIQ.
| Challenge | Share of buyers |
|---|---|
| Proving ROI | 39% |
| Attributing sales to creators | 34% |
| Tracking long-term impact or loyalty | 32% |
| Attributing brand lift to creators | 31% |
| Including creator results in media mix models | 28% |
| Measuring reach and frequency | 26% |
| Comparing ROI with other channels | 26% |
Influencer marketing statistics by platform and creator size
Platform data comes from vendor surveys of brands and creators. Creator size data comes from IAB, which asked buyers which follower tiers they work with.
Instagram is the default platform for brands. 85% say it is the social platform they use most for creator marketing, according to CreatorIQ. On returns the race is closer: 29% say Instagram drives the most ROI and 27% say TikTok. Creators see it differently, with 33% saying TikTok gives their content the best performance. For more on video platforms, see our short-form video statistics.
Brands lean on the middle of the market. 61% work with mid-tier creators of 50,000 to 500,000 followers, and 55% each with macro and micro creators. Celebrities with 5 million or more followers are the least used tier at 30%. Small brands are more likely to use nano creators (54%) than large ones (38%).
AI adoption figures vary widely by source. CreatorIQ found 95% of brands use AI in creator marketing, while IAB found 46% were using it and 29% planned to. CreatorIQ counts any use, such as writing captions. IAB asked how AI is built into creator campaigns.
Source: IAB and Advertiser Perceptions, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report.
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85% of brands said Instagram was their most used social platform for creator marketing in 2025, according to CreatorIQ.
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29% of brands said Instagram drove the most creator marketing ROI in 2025, just ahead of TikTok at 27%, according to CreatorIQ.
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33% of creators said TikTok gave the best content performance in 2025, according to CreatorIQ.
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61% of US creator ad buyers partnered with mid-tier creators of 50,000 to 500,000 followers in 2025, the most used tier, according to IAB.
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45% of US creator ad buyers worked with nano creators in 2025, according to IAB.
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30% of US creator ad buyers worked with celebrity creators of 5 million or more followers in 2025, the least used tier, according to IAB.
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85% of US news influencers had a presence on X in 2024, ahead of Instagram (50%) and YouTube (44%), according to Pew Research Center.
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46% of US creator ad buyers were using AI for creator marketing tasks in 2025, and 29% planned to within a year, according to IAB.
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95% of brands used AI in creator marketing in 2025, most often for captions (45%), according to CreatorIQ.
| Creator tier | Followers | Share of buyers |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-tier | 50K to 500K | 61% |
| Macro | 500K to 1M | 55% |
| Micro | 10K to 50K | 55% |
| Nano | Smallest tier | 45% |
| Top-tier or mega | 1M to 5M | 42% |
| Celebrity | 5M+ | 30% |
How consumers respond to influencer recommendations
The largest recent consumer survey on creator buying is a Statista poll of 1,050 US adults for NeoReach, run in January 2026. Pew Research Center adds data on how many Americans get news from influencers.
Creator buying is a habit for many, but mostly for the young. 45% of US adults buy at least one item a month on a creator's advice. The rate falls steeply with age: 69% of Gen Z, 50% of millennials, 24% of Gen X and 11% of baby boomers. Gen Z is 6.3 times as likely as boomers to buy this way. Food is the most common outcome: 31% have tried a new restaurant or food item because of a creator.
One post rarely sells. Only 12% of consumers might buy after seeing a product once, and 52% need two or more exposures. Creators agree: 60% say they need two to three posts to drive action. Discounts are the strongest pull, with 45% naming promotions as the top reason to buy from a brand. See also our social commerce statistics.
Influence reaches beyond shopping. 21% of US adults regularly got news from news influencers in 2025, the same as in 2024, according to Pew. The share was 38% for adults under 30 and 8% for those 65 and over. Most of these influencers are independent: 77% have never worked for a news organisation.
Source: Pew Research Center, News Influencers Fact Sheet, survey of US adults, 18 to 24 August 2025.
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45% of US consumers bought at least one item a month on a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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69% of Gen Z consumers in the US bought at least one item a month on a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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50% of US millennials bought at least one item a month on a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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11% of US baby boomers bought at least one item a month on a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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Gen Z consumers in the US were 6.3 times as likely as baby boomers to buy monthly on creator advice in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from NeoReach data.
How we calculated it: 69% of Gen Z / 11% of baby boomers buying at least one item a month on a creator recommendation = 6.27.
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Monthly creator-driven buying in the US was 45 percentage points higher among Gen Z than Gen X in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from NeoReach data.
How we calculated it: 69% of Gen Z - 24% of Gen X buying at least one item a month on a creator recommendation = 45 points.
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55% of US consumers had been influenced by a creator to take a real-world action in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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59% of US consumers said they would buy a product based on a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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22% of US consumers said they would buy within a day of seeing a creator recommendation in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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31% of US consumers had tried a new restaurant or food item on a creator recommendation in 2026, the top influenced action, according to NeoReach.
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52% of US consumers needed to see a product two or more times before buying in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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12% of US consumers might buy a product after seeing it once from a creator in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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45% of US consumers said discounts and promotions were the top reason to buy from a brand in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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77% of surveyed creators priced brand work mainly on the time and effort needed in 2026, according to NeoReach.
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21% of US adults regularly got news from news influencers on social media in 2025, unchanged from 2024, according to Pew Research Center.
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38% of US adults aged 18 to 29 regularly got news from news influencers in 2025, according to Pew Research Center.
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8% of US adults aged 65 and over regularly got news from news influencers in 2025, according to Pew Research Center.
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US adults under 30 were 4.75 times as likely as those 65 and over to get news from influencers in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: 38% of adults aged 18 to 29 / 8% of adults aged 65+ who regularly get news from news influencers = 4.75.
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63% of US news influencers were men and 30% women in 2024, according to Pew Research Center.
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77% of US news influencers had no past or present affiliation with a news organisation in 2024, according to Pew Research Center.
| Generation | Ages in survey | Respondents | Buy monthly on creator advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Z | 18 to 27 | 315 | 69% |
| Millennials | 28 to 43 | 350 | 50% |
| Gen X | 44 to 59 | 315 | 24% |
| Baby boomers | 60 to 78 | 70 | 11% |
| All adults | 18 to 78 | 1,050 | 45% |
How these sources measure influencer marketing
No government body measures influencer marketing. Every figure on this page comes from an industry body, a research centre or a vendor, and each one counts something different.
IAB's spend figures are estimates by Advertiser Perceptions, built from a survey of 453 US ad decision-makers and company financials. The 2025 and 2026 values are projections made in August 2025, not final results. IAB counts only intentional ad spend. Studies that add affiliate income, tips and merchandise report much larger "creator economy" totals, which is why market-size figures vary so much.
IAB and PwC internet ad revenue is reported by the companies that sell ads and is not audited. Comparing it with creator spend shows scale, not a share, because creator spend can include ads outside the internet.
The NeoReach consumer data comes from a Statista online survey of 1,050 US adults in January 2026. Only 70 baby boomers took part. Its creator survey of 539 people is labelled directional by NeoReach. Linqia (200+ US enterprise marketers) and CreatorIQ (1,723 marketers, agencies and creators worldwide) sell influencer marketing services, so their samples and framing may lean towards active buyers. Pew Research Center figures come from surveys of US adults and a 2024 study of 500 news influencers and 104,786 of their posts.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the influencer marketing industry in 2026?
US creator ad spend is projected to reach $43.9 billion in 2026, up 18% on 2025, according to IAB. That counts only ad money brands pay to or around creators on purpose. No public estimate of the same quality exists for the global market.
How much did influencer marketing grow compared with last year?
IAB projected 26% growth in US creator ad spend in 2025, to $37.1 billion, after 33.5% in 2024. US internet ad revenue grew 13.9% in 2025, so creator spend was growing about 1.9 times as fast.
What is the ROI of influencer marketing?
No independent public source measures it. 39% of US creator ad buyers name proving ROI as a top challenge, according to IAB, and 79% of enterprise marketers told Linqia they struggle to measure it. The often quoted $5.78 per $1 figure could not be traced to a current primary source.
Which platform is best for influencer marketing?
85% of brands say Instagram is their most used platform for creator marketing, according to CreatorIQ. For ROI, 29% of brands pick Instagram and 27% TikTok. 33% of creators say TikTok gives the best content performance.
How many people buy products because of influencers?
45% of US adults buy at least one item a month on a creator recommendation, according to a January 2026 Statista survey for NeoReach. That rises to 69% of Gen Z and falls to 11% of baby boomers.
Which industries spend most on influencer marketing?
Retail, with a projected $12.3 billion of US creator ad spend in 2025, followed by consumer packaged goods at $5.5 billion, according to IAB. Together they make up 48.0% of the total.
Sources
- IAB (research by Advertiser Perceptions), 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report, November 2025, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- NeoReach (consumer survey by Statista), 2026 Creator Impact Report, May 2026, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- IAB and PwC, Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full-year 2025 results, April 2026, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Linqia, 2026 State of Influencer Marketing Report, 2026 edition, released 2025, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- CreatorIQ, 2026 State of Creator Marketing report (press release via Business Wire), 1 October 2025, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Pew Research Center, America's News Influencers, 18 November 2024, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Pew Research Center, News Influencers Fact Sheet, 4 November 2025, accessed 3 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
Changes to this page
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