# The creator economy by the numbers: how big is influencer marketing?

> Global influencer marketing is estimated at about $32.55 billion in 2025, US spend passed $10 billion, and Goldman Sachs projects the creator economy could approach $480 billion by 2027. The key figures, with sources.

**Influencer marketing is a fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar channel: Influencer Marketing Hub estimates the global industry at $32.55 billion in 2025, eMarketer forecast US spend to pass $10 billion in 2025, and Goldman Sachs projects the wider creator economy could approach $480 billion by 2027.** Here are the main numbers and what they mean.

## How big is the influencer marketing industry?

- **Global market: about $32.55 billion in 2025**, up from $24 billion in 2024, according to Influencer Marketing Hub's benchmark report. Statista's estimate for 2025 is similar, at roughly $33 billion. Different trackers count slightly different things, so figures vary, but they agree on scale and direction.
- **United States: over $10 billion in 2025.** eMarketer's March 2025 forecast put US influencer marketing spend at about $10.52 billion in 2025, after 23.7% growth in 2024, and said it would pass $10 billion a year earlier than previously expected.

## How big is the creator economy?

Goldman Sachs Research estimates the creator economy's total addressable market at about $250 billion and projects it could reach about $480 billion by 2027. Its research also found:

- roughly **50 million creators** worldwide, growing 10–20% a year;
- **brand deals are the main income source** for creators, at about 70% of revenue in survey data;
- only about **4% of creators earn more than $100,000** a year.

That last point matters for brands: most creators are small and independent, and brand deals are how they get paid. There's a large supply of creators with focused audiences who want sponsorships.

## How many people want to be creators?

Morning Consult found in 2023 that **57% of Gen Z Americans** would become an influencer if given the chance, about the same as in 2019 (59%). The supply of creators isn't shrinking.

## Why is spending still growing?

- **Attention keeps shifting to social feeds.** GWI data reported by eMarketer shows Gen Z is more likely to look up a brand on social media than on a search engine.
- **Measurement improved.** Tracked links and server-side conversions let brands see which creators drive sales. See [Influencer marketing is measurable now](/blog/influencer-marketing-is-measurable).
- **Ads face headwinds.** About one in five internet users regularly blocks ads (GWI, 2024).

Growth isn't unlimited or even. eMarketer expected US growth to slow to about 15% in 2025 as the market matures and platforms shift. But slower growth on a $10 billion base is still a lot of new money each year.

## What do the numbers mean for brands?

1. **Competitors are already here.** A channel growing this fast is not experimental anymore.
2. **The creator supply is large and mostly small.** Smaller creators are plentiful and often more cost-effective. See [why micro-creators outperform](/blog/why-micro-creators-outperform).
3. **Operations are the bottleneck.** With millions of creators, the hard part is finding the right ones, agreeing terms, verifying posts and paying them. That is work software, and increasingly AI agents, can do. See [AI agents will run influencer marketing](/blog/ai-agents-will-run-influencer-marketing).

## Key figures at a glance

| Figure | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Global influencer marketing, 2025 | ~$32.55 billion | Influencer Marketing Hub |
| Global influencer marketing, 2024 | ~$24 billion | Influencer Marketing Hub |
| US influencer marketing spend, 2025 | ~$10.5 billion | eMarketer |
| Creator economy by 2027 | ~$480 billion | Goldman Sachs |
| Creators worldwide | ~50 million | Goldman Sachs |
| Creators earning $100K+ a year | ~4% | Goldman Sachs |
| Gen Z who'd become an influencer | 57% | Morning Consult (2023) |

## FAQ

### How big is the influencer marketing industry in 2025?
Influencer Marketing Hub estimates it at about $32.55 billion globally in 2025, up from about $24 billion in 2024. Statista puts 2025 at roughly $33 billion.

### How much do US brands spend on influencer marketing?
eMarketer forecast US influencer marketing spend at about $10.5 billion in 2025, the first year above $10 billion.

### How big will the creator economy be by 2027?
Goldman Sachs Research projects the creator economy could approach $480 billion by 2027, up from about $250 billion.

### How many creators are there?
Goldman Sachs estimates about 50 million creators worldwide, growing 10–20% a year. Most are small; only about 4% earn more than $100,000 a year.

## Sources

- [Influencer Marketing Hub: Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report](https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/)
- [Statista: Influencer marketing market size worldwide](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092819/global-influencer-market-size/)
- [eMarketer: US influencer marketing spending will surpass $10 billion in 2025](https://www.emarketer.com/press-releases/us-influencer-marketing-spending-will-surpass-10-billion-in-2025)
- [Goldman Sachs: The creator economy could approach half a trillion dollars by 2027](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027)
- [Morning Consult: Gen Zers still really want to be influencers](https://pro.morningconsult.com/analysis/gen-z-interest-influencer-marketing)
- GWI via [eMarketer](https://www.emarketer.com/content/search-behavior-being-redefined-thanks-generational-shifts) and [Press Gazette](https://pressgazette.co.uk/marketing/ad-blockers-mean-publishers-missing-out-on-ad-revenue-from-one-in-five-readers/)