UGC statistics 2026: the key figures, with their sources
This page gathers citable UGC statistics (User-Generated Content) for 2026: market size and growth, influence on purchase, authenticity, and cost. Every figure links to its source, with the date we checked it. Market estimates vary a lot with scope, so read them as orders of magnitude. In short: Market.us values the UGC marketing market at USD 9.3 billion in 2025 with 25.0% annual growth forecast, 87.49% of the marketers surveyed by Influencer Marketing Hub expect their influencer budget to rise in 2026, and in a 2021 Stackla survey only 19% of consumers found brand-created content authentic.
The UGC market in figures
The size of the "UGC" market depends heavily on the scope you adopt (platforms, marketing services, social commerce). Figures from different firms cannot be added up or compared directly.
UGC marketing: USD 9.3 billion in 2025, 25% annual growth forecast
Market.us values the user-generated content marketing market at USD 9.3 billion in 2025 and projects USD 86.6 billion by 2035, a compound annual growth rate of 25.0% over 2026 to 2035. It is a forecast, and it depends on how the firm defines the market.
Source: Market.us: User-Generated Content Marketing Market (last updated 10 July 2026), checked 30 September 2026
Audio and video were already the largest segment of UGC platforms in 2020
In a 2021 release, Grand View Research reported that the audio and video segment, including live streaming, captured the largest revenue share of the UGC platform market in 2020. The same release forecast USD 18.65 billion by 2028, with 26.6% annual growth from 2021 to 2028. It is an older forecast, useful for the direction more than for the value.
Source: Grand View Research press release on PR Newswire (19 July 2021), checked 30 September 2026
87.49% of marketers surveyed expect their influencer budget to rise in 2026
In Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 benchmark, based on more than 600 respondents, 87.49% expect their influencer marketing budget to increase and 5.55% expect a decrease. It measures intentions, not actual spend.
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub: Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2026, checked 30 September 2026
UGC and purchase decisions
Beyond market size, what brands care about is the effect on sales. Most consumer data on UGC comes from surveys: it measures what people say, not what they do. To measure what your own videos do, see our guide to measuring a UGC campaign.
80% say customer photos and videos make them more likely to buy
In a 2021 Stackla survey of more than 2,000 consumers, 80% said they would be more likely to purchase a product from an online store if its website had photos and videos from real customers.
Source: Social Media Today: survey reveals that UGC can drive improved trust and loyalty for eCommerce (Stackla survey, 19 September 2021), checked 30 September 2026
72% most want real customer photos and videos on e-commerce sites
The same survey found that 72% of consumers said real customer photos and videos are the content they most want to see on e-commerce sites. For software, the equivalent is a video of the product on screen: see the UGC video formats that work.
Source: Social Media Today: survey reveals that UGC can drive improved trust and loyalty for eCommerce (Stackla survey, 19 September 2021), checked 30 September 2026
UGC and trust
Trust is the real engine of UGC. Consumers give more credit to a peer than to a brand talking about itself.
Only 19% of consumers find brand-created content authentic
In the same 2021 Stackla survey, only 19% of consumers found brand-created content to be authentic, and 10% said influencer content resonates as authentic with them.
Source: Social Media Today: survey reveals that UGC can drive improved trust and loyalty for eCommerce (Stackla survey, 19 September 2021), checked 30 September 2026
60% said UGC is the most authentic form of content (pre-2022 data)
In an article published on 10 November 2021, Nosto reports from its Consumer Content Report that 86% of consumers said authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support, and that 60% said UGC is the most authentic form of content. These figures predate 2022. If you are weighing AI-generated videos against real people, read AI UGC vs real creators.
Source: Nosto: why authenticity matters (article published 10 November 2021, citing its Consumer Content Report), checked 30 September 2026
UGC and cost
UGC is also an economic argument: it lets you produce advertising content without organising a studio shoot.
Per video, per pack or per campaign: how UGC is priced
Pricing models differ from one platform to another: per video, in packs, by subscription or per campaign. Billo, for example, sells videos from $99 each, bought as packs. On UGC Pocket: from €2,000 per campaign, no subscription, price and terms set out in the commercial proposal. Our guide to UGC pricing in 2026 compares the models line by line.
Source: Billo: best UGC platforms, buyer's comparison, checked 30 September 2026
No audience needed to produce UGC
Unlike classic influencer marketing, UGC doesn't rely on the size of the creator's community but on the quality of the content. That is what makes production easier to scale.
Read more: What is UGC? and UGC vs influencer.
What it means for brands
Three practical takeaways emerge from this data:
- Read market figures as a direction. Estimates vary with scope and firm; the consistent signal is growth, not one specific value.
- Bet on authenticity, not production. Consumers say they find real customers' content more authentic than brand content. A creator who actually uses your product brings that credibility.
- Compare on cost per usable video. A set of videos lets you test several variations; judge an offer on the videos you can actually run.
A methodological note: the absolute figures for the UGC market vary by scope and by firm, and consumer surveys measure declared behaviour. Always cite the source and favour the trend over an isolated number.
Understand UGC before you get started
If you're new to the subject, start with the fundamentals: what UGC is and how it differs from classic influencer marketing.
FAQ
Is the UGC market growing in 2026?
Market studies say so. Market.us values the UGC marketing market at USD 9.3 billion in 2025 and forecasts 25.0% annual growth over 2026 to 2035. Values vary with each firm's methodology and scope, so read them as orders of magnitude.
Does UGC really improve conversion?
Surveys point that way. In a 2021 Stackla survey of more than 2,000 consumers, 80% said they would be more likely to buy from an online store whose website had photos and videos from real customers. These are declared intentions, so test on your own funnel.
How much does a UGC video cost?
It varies by format and platform: Billo, for example, sells videos from $99 each, bought as packs. On UGC Pocket: from €2,000 per campaign, no subscription, price and terms set out in the commercial proposal.
Are these figures guaranteed to be accurate?
Market statistics depend on each firm's scope and methodology. We link every figure to its source, with the date we checked it. Always check the source at the date of your reading.