Data brief
The Creator Economy, By the Numbers
Every number on this page is sourced directly from Goldman Sachs, Grand View Research, and the IAB, linked below. No estimates, no rounding for effect.
Market Size
$250B → $480B
Creator economy market size (2023 → 2027 projected)
Source: Goldman Sachs Research, 2023
$252.33B → $1,345.54B
Market size 2025 → 2033 (23.3% CAGR)
$310.37B projected for 2026.
Source: Grand View Research, 2026
The Creator Population
~50 million
Creators globally, expected to grow 10–20% annually
Source: Goldman Sachs Research, 2023
~4%
Creators who earn over $100,000/year
Source: Goldman Sachs Research, 2023
Brand Deal Dependency
~70%
Creator income from brand partnerships/sponsorships
Source: Goldman Sachs Research, 2023
Ad Spend Growth
$37 billion
U.S. creator economy ad spend in 2025
Up 26% year-over-year — growing roughly 4x faster than the overall media industry.
Source: IAB, 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report
Curious what happens when the deals behind these numbers go wrong? Read what actually happens when a brand deal falls apart.
Built for a market this size
This is the scale of a market still operating on DMs and handshake deals. That gap is what Pitchfork is built for.