Short-Form Video Statistics 2026: Key Growth Facts

Short‑form video has emerged as one of the dominant forces reshaping the internet. Across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, bite‑sized clips are now driving a massive share of engagement, content creation, and advertising budgets worldwide. From boosting product discovery in e‑commerce campaigns to powering brand awareness in media strategies, short‑form video is influencing how audiences connect with content today. Dive into this article to explore the latestshort‑form video statistics and understand what they mean for creators, marketers, and platforms.

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• Short‑form video is expected to account for an estimated 82% of all internet traffic by 2025–2026.
• TikTok continues to rapidly grow its global audience, nearing 2+ billion monthly active users.
• YouTube Shorts now generates 200+ billion daily views worldwide.
• Instagram has reached an unprecedented 3 billion monthly active users, driven in part by Reels.
• Platforms reporting the highest short‑form engagement rates include Shorts (≈5.9%), Reels, and TikTok.
• 80%+ of consumers prefer video content over text for learning about a product or service.
• Over 90% of vertical short videos have higher watch completion than horizontal formats.

Recent Developments

• Short‑form video is now seen as essential, not optional, for digital strategies in 2026.
• TikTok’s posting volume outran competitors, with video output up by 156% year over year in some studies.
• Content platforms are adjusting metrics, e.g., YouTube updated Shorts view counting in 2025 to better align with competitors.
• Disney+ plans to integrate a vertical video feed to challenge short‑form leaders like TikTok and Reels.
• Growth in short‑form video is prompting more creators and brands to publish mobile‑first video stories.
• More platforms are optimizing for under‑60‑second content, reflecting shrinking attention spans.
• Increased algorithm refinements are improving personalized recommendations across short‑form feeds.
• Projections suggest even long‑form services are pivoting toward vertical micro‑content to keep engagement high.

Short Video Platform Market Growth Insights

• The global short video platform market was valued at $1.97 billion in 2024, highlighting the sector’s strong base driven by rising mobile video consumption.
• Market size is projected to reach $2.22 billion in 2025, reflecting accelerating adoption among creators, brands, and advertisers.
• By 2026, the market is expected to grow to $2.50 billion, supported by expanding monetization tools and algorithm-driven content discovery.
• Continued momentum pushes the market to approximately $2.82 billion in 2027, indicating sustained demand across entertainment, education, and marketing use cases.
• In 2028, global revenues are forecast to climb to $3.17 billion, driven by higher ad spend and increased short-form video engagement.
• The market is projected to peak at $3.55 billion by 2029, demonstrating long-term confidence in short-form video as a dominant digital format.
• Overall, the industry is growing at a strong CAGR of 12.5% between 2024 and 2029, underscoring robust, multi-year expansion in the global short video ecosystem.

User Demographics and Penetration

• Over 90% of Gen Z watch short-form videos frequently or sometimes.​
• 90% of Millennials engage with short-form content frequently or sometimes.​
• 81% of short-form video viewers watch primarily on smartphones.​
• 73% watch short-form videos multiple times per day.​
• 83% of TikTok users in key markets are under 35.​
• Over 50% of Boomers watch short-form videos at least sometimes.​
• The 25-34 age group comprises 21% of YouTube Shorts viewers.​
• 97% of Indian consumers watch short videos on Meta platforms daily.​
• 68% of 15-24 year-olds watch short-form videos daily.​

Platform Usage Statistics

• YouTube Shorts averages 200 billion views per day globally.
• TikTok sees users spending over 58 minutes daily on average.
• Short engagement rates: Shorts ≈5.9%, Reels and TikTok comparably strong.
• TikTok’s global user ad reach hit almost 2 billion adults in 2025.
• Instagram Reels is consistently among the top formats for short clips across demographics.
• Short‑form formats dominate weekly social engagement metrics compared to images or text.
• Platforms increasingly prioritize vertical, <60‑second clips for algorithmic feeds.
• Cross‑posting between platforms is common, boosting visibility and usage.

Optimal Short-Form Video Length Preferences

• 31 to 60 seconds is the most effective short-form video length, preferred by 33% of respondents, indicating strong viewer retention at this duration.
• Videos lasting 21 to 30 seconds follow closely, with 31% preference, highlighting a sweet spot for concise yet engaging content.
• Short-form videos in the 11 to 20-second range account for 18%, showing solid performance for quick, attention-grabbing formats.
• Content running 1 to 2 minutes is favored by 13% of users, suggesting longer short-form videos still have a measurable but reduced appeal.
• Extremely short videos under 10 seconds attract just 1%, indicating limited effectiveness for meaningful engagement.
• Longer short-form videos of 2 to 3 minutes see minimal preference at only 3%, reinforcing the importance of keeping content under one minute.

User Numbers and Growth

• TikTok continues to experience rapid growth, with over 2 billion users globally.
• YouTube Shorts has become a top destination with 2 billion monthly viewers.
• Instagram’s reach is now at 3 billion monthly active users.
• Short‑form content posting surged in recent years, with brand accounts increasing output by 50%+ in some studies.
• Global short‑video platform user base grew significantly year over year.
• Short‑form formats outpace traditional video growth in daily usage metrics.
• Expansion in emerging markets continues as mobile penetration rises.
• Even legacy social networks are seeing renewed activity due to short video features.

Viewer Retention Rates

• Videos under 90 seconds achieve a 50% viewer retention rate.​
• Videos under 1 minute attain approximately 66% completion rates on YouTube.​
• Short-form video ads under 15 seconds see 53% higher completion rates than those over 30 seconds.​
• YouTube Shorts deliver an average viewer retention rate of 73%.​
• Videos under 30 seconds hold completion rates above 65–70%.​
• Short videos around 1 minute retain about 70% of viewers to the end.​
• Captions boost video completion rates by up to 80% for consumers.​
• Educational tutorials achieve 70–80% average retention rates.​
• 6-second ads deliver 60% of a 30-second ad’s impact on attention.​
• Short clips get 2.5× more engagement than long-form videos.

Time Spent Watching Short-Form Videos

• Short-form video consumption averages 80 minutes per day, highlighting how deeply embedded bite-sized content has become in daily digital habits.
• Short videos reach millions of viewers every single day, reinforcing their role as one of the most powerful formats for mass audience engagement.
• Users spend over 60 minutes on fast, quick-entertainment content, underscoring the demand for instant, scroll-friendly video experiences.
• Watching short videos accounts for 5.5% of an entire 24-hour day, demonstrating the significant share of daily time devoted to short-form media consumption.

Engagement Metrics

• 68% of marketers prioritize engagement as their key video performance metric for 2026.
• Average social engagement rates across major platforms remain between 1.4%–2.8%, with video formats outperforming static posts.
• Short clips generate 2.5× more shares and comments than longer videos.
• Engagement often peaks when videos spark viewer interaction via calls‑to‑action (“like & share”).
• Vertical video formats exhibit stronger thumbstop rates, encouraging initial views that can turn into deeper engagement.
• Brands measure engagement through watch rate, likes, shares, and save metrics.
• TikTok’s For You Page recommendation system boosts engagement by connecting content to relevant users.
• Video platforms’ emphasis on looped playback increases measurable interaction events per video.

Platform Comparisons

• YouTube Shorts garners over 200 billion daily views globally in 2025.​
• TikTok users average 56 minutes daily on the app, outpacing rivals.​
• Instagram Reels accounts for 35% of total Instagram usage time.​
• YouTube Shorts boasts the highest 5.91% engagement rate among short-form platforms.​
• TikTok leads with 2.34% engagement rate, followed by Reels at 1.48%.​
• Short-form videos achieve 2.5x more engagement than long-form content.​
• TikTok holds 40% market share in short-form video, Reels and Shorts 20% each.​
• Over 43% of TikTok users have created a Duet.​
• YouTube Shorts has 2 billion monthly active users, surpassing TikTok’s 1.59 billion.​
• 56% of users prefer YouTube Shorts as the top short-form destination, and TikTok 50%.​

Marketer Adoption Rates

• 91% of businesses leverage video in their strategy.
• Short‑form formats account for a leading share of video adoption among social content creators.
• 47% of marketers report that short videos are more likely to go viral than longer formats.
• 98% of marketers include video broadly in their strategic plans for 2026.
• Short clips are often the first format brands pick when experimenting with new campaigns.
• Short videos’ ability to engage audiences quickly is a core adoption driver.
• TikTok, Reels, and Shorts remain the top three formats marketers deploy for social video content.
• Adoption rises as more analytics tools mature, helping teams measure short video ROI.

Marketing Investment Trends

• Global short-form video ad spend reached $88bn in 2023, projected to hit $145.8bn by 2028 at a 50% CAGR.​
• U.S. digital video ad spend grew 18% YoY to $64B in 2024, forecasted at $72B in 2025.​
• Short-form videos will comprise 60% of total digital video ad spend by 2028, up from 52% currently.​
• 89% of marketers report video delivers strong ROI, achieving it 49% faster than text-based content.​
• 51% of video marketers now use AI tools for creation or editing, up from 18% in 2023.​
• Video ads account for 60% of total mobile ad budgets in 2025.​
• 85% of marketers deem short-form videos the most effective social media format, with 32% higher ROI.​
• 91% of businesses include video in their strategies, allocating 10-12% of their budgets to it in 2026.​
• Nearly 40% of video ads will incorporate genAI by 2026, nearly doubling from 2024.​

Content Formats Delivering the Highest ROI According to Marketers

• Short-form video delivers the highest ROI at 31%, making it the most effective content format for marketers focused on engagement and conversions.
• Images rank second, with 22% of marketers reporting strong ROI, highlighting the continued importance of visual content.
• Blog posts generate a 15% ROI, proving that long-form written content still plays a key role in content marketing strategies.
• Case studies also account for 15% ROI, underscoring their effectiveness in building trust, credibility, and decision-stage influence.
• Podcasts and other audio content contribute a 14% ROI, showing steady performance as on-demand audio consumption continues to grow.

Ad Spending Projections

• Global digital ad spending is forecast to exceed $1 trillion in 2026, with online video expected to grow ~11.5%.
• Retail media and video formats show the fastest growth in digital ad budgets.
• In the U.S., video ad spend, especially short clips, is expected to rise.
• 90%+ of marketers intend to keep the same or higher video marketing spend in 2026.
• 14% of marketers plan to increase investment in video marketing.
• Only ~5% of companies plan to cut video advertising budgets.
• Video ad spending is expanding beyond social platforms into email and mobile.
• Short‑form digital video spending in the U.S. may reach $111 billion by 2025.

Purchase Influence Stats

• 82% of consumers have decided to buy after watching a marketing video.
• Short‑form clips influence brand discovery and trust.
• 46% of consumers say short‑form video impacts their final purchase decision.
• 52% of marketers track short videos in building brand trust.
• Short video influences mobile shoppers, who convert faster after watching product clips.
• Short‑form video ads achieve higher click‑through rates than many other ad formats.
• Video personalization increases conversion likelihood.
• Consumers exposed to short video ads are more likely to engage with shopping features.

Content Preferences

• Videos under 90 seconds retain ~50% of viewers on average.
• Videos with captions boost view time by 12% on average.
• Short-form videos get 2.5× more engagement than long-form.
• UGC earns 28% higher engagement than branded content.​
• Episodic content accounts for 60% of total streaming playtime.​
• Mobile devices drive 64% of global web traffic, including videos.​
• Viewers retain 95% of a message from video storytelling.​
• 82% of consumers prefer short videos for product research.​
• 66% of video ads are under 30 seconds in 2024.​

Key Benefits of Short-Form Video Marketing

• 85% of marketers consider short-form videos the most effective content format on social media, reinforcing their dominance in modern marketing strategies.
• Short-form videos generate 2.5× higher engagement than long-form videos, making them more effective at capturing and retaining audience attention.
• 3 out of 10 marketers (30%) strongly believe that short-form video delivers the best ROI, highlighting its growing importance for performance-driven campaigns.

Regional Adoption Differences

• North America holds a 37.6% share of the global short video platforms market in 2025.​
• Asia Pacific commands a 30.4% market share and exhibits the fastest growth in short video platforms.​
• Short-form video ad spend in North America reaches $47 billion in 2025, nearly half of digital video ads.​
• Latin America‘s short-form video user base surpassed 300 million in 2024.​
• India‘s digital media claims 46% of total ad spend in FY25, driven by short-form videos.​
• 81% of short-form video consumers watch primarily on smartphones in vertical format.​
• Over 90% of Gen Z users in Asia and Latin America engage with short-form videos daily.​
• India leads YouTube Shorts users with a 24% global share, ahead of the U.S. at 12%.​
• Mobile-first apps dominate short video platforms with a 79.5% market share in 2025.​

Future Projections

• Global short video platforms market to reach $3.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.1%.​
• 82% of internet traffic projected to be video by 2026, with short-form leading engagement.​
• Digital video ad spend to hit $72.4 billion in 2025, up 14% YoY and claiming 58% of video budgets.​
• Short video platforms in India are expected to generate $12 billion from monetization by 2030.​
• The AI video generator market is forecasted to grow to $3.44 billion by 2033 at 20.3% CAGR, aiding personalization.​
• Shoppable short videos boost conversion rates by 30% and purchase intent by 9x.​
• Live commerce on short video achieves conversion rates 10x higher than standard eCommerce.​
• 73% of consumers prefer short-form video for product discovery over other formats.​
• Short video platforms to expand to $3.55 billion by 2029 at 12.5% CAGR, driven by AI and e-commerce.​

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Short‑form video continues its explosive growth, reshaping how audiences consume media and how brands invest in digital strategy. From clear evidence of strong ROI and revenue impact to ongoing increases in ad spending and purchase influence, short clips are a cornerstone of modern marketing and media consumption. Regional patterns show broad global adoption, but the path forward points to deeper integration with commerce, AI, and cross‑platform experiences. Whether you’re a marketer, content creator, or business leader, the data underscores one thing: short‑form video isn’t fleeting; it’s foundational to the future of engagement and conversion.