Exploring YouTube's impact in the UK in 2025
Exploring YouTube's impact in the UK in 2025
Find out more by downloading YouTube’s 2025 Impact Report.
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Progress Impact
From idea to impact
From idea to impact
It all starts with an idea. For more than 20 years, YouTube has helped British creators turn ideas into videos, channels, communities and businesses. What begins as a creative spark can impact every corner of the UK: generating jobs, supporting local economies, helping millions of people learn new skills and connecting audiences with the information and culture they care about. Together, creators and viewers shape conversations, opportunities and communities that extend far beyond the platform.
Claims at a glance
£2.8B+
GDP
YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed over £2.8 billion to the United Kingdom's GDP in 2025.
According to research by Oxford Economics
60K
FTE
YouTube's creative ecosystem supported more than 60,000 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the United Kingdom in 2025.
According to research by Oxford Economics
Where British creators build sustainable businesses
Across the UK, many creators now run next-generation media and production companies, with editors, producers and commercial partners behind them. And a large share of the people building media careers in Britain today got their start (and continue to grow their businesses) right here on YouTube. As they reach new audiences, they reinvest close to home, hiring local crews and commissioning nearby suppliers. This fuels the growth of new creative clusters from Exeter to Aberdeen, spreading the benefits of the creator economy into local economies and boosting national revenue.
@KSI
1
75% of creators who say they have a media and entertainment career started that career on YouTube.
According to research by Oxford Economics
British culture, shared with the world
YouTube is home to British culture, in all its forms. From live music, festivals and sport to comedy, podcasts and the day's breaking news, this is where communities across the country come together around the moments everyone is talking about. And things that are made here don’t just stay here. British artists, broadcasters and creators use the platform to find audiences far beyond the UK, turning homegrown talent into global followings and extending Britain's cultural reach and soft power around the world.
@VictoriaMagrath
1
Over 80% of watch time on content produced by channels in the United Kingdom comes from outside of the United Kingdom.
YouTube first-party data, Global, 2022–2025
1
85% of viewers report watching music videos, music festivals or awards ceremonies on YouTube in the last year.
According to research by Oxford Economics
Where the UK learns and grows
YouTube is also where millions across the UK come to learn. Whatever the question, there’s a quality answer from trusted educators, subject experts and the country's most respected media voices – in whatever format best suits the viewer. Parents use it to support their children's learning at home, with age-appropriate content and parental controls, while teachers make subjects more accessible and engaging well beyond the classroom. Open to everyone, YouTube helps people retrain, build practical skills and dive deeper into the things that matter most to them.
@MissEstruchBiology
1
80% of parents who use YouTube say YouTube (or YouTube Kids for children under 13) helps their children learn.
According to research by Oxford Economics
Where creative skills grow through partnership
A thriving creator economy demands high-quality skills and YouTube is investing alongside trusted UK media partners to provide them. Backed by a major three-year, £3 million commitment to boost creative skills, the National Film and Television School (NFTS), BBC and YouTube training programme is helping to upskill industry professionals across the country and bridge the skills gap. As creator-led businesses move toward formal recognition in national classifications, the creator economy is becoming an integral part of the UK's official economic infrastructure.
@DamienTalksMoney
17K+
More than 17,000 channels have over 100,000 subscribers.
YouTube first-party data, Global, 2022–2025
1
82% of viewers report using YouTube to gather information and/or expand their knowledge on a particular interest.
According to research by Oxford Economics
Explore stories across the UK
Meet the creators, music artists and businesses who call YouTube
home.
@georgeclarkey
@TheBodyCoachTV
@RickShielsPGA