50 Affiliate Marketing Statistics for Your 2025 Inbound Efforts

The art of creating content has grown prolifically in the last decade, with brands like Amazon choosing to promote their products through the use of affiliates.

Our team has compiled affiliate marketing statistics to help your business navigate the changing industry and its current trends.

Megon Venter

B2B SaaS Content Writer

Megon is a B2B SaaS Content Writer with 7 years of experience in content strategy and execution. Her expertise lies in the creation of document management tutorials and product comparisons.

The Global Affiliate Marketing Industry

• The global affiliate marketing industry is projected to reach $15.7 billion by 2024, showcasing significant growth.

Source: Statista

• Affiliate marketing accounts for approximately 15% of all digital media advertising revenue globally.

Source: Statista

• Affiliate networks generated over $12 billion in revenue globally in 2022, a significant growth compared to previous years.

Source: Forbes

• Affiliate marketing is projected to account for 9% of the total digital marketing spend by 2025.

Source: Business Insider

• 38% of U.S. retailers attribute a significant portion of their annual revenue to affiliate marketing, with online sales accounting for the majority.

Source: Rakuten Marketing

• 83% of brands now work with affiliate influencers, highlighting the growing trend of affiliate marketing in influencer strategies.

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

• The online travel industry alone accounts for 30% of global affiliate marketing revenues, showcasing the sector’s reliance on affiliates.

Source: eMarketer

• There are more than 10,000 affiliate marketing agencies globally, reflecting the increasing demand for professional services in this field.

Source: Digital Commerce 360

• Approximately 40% of affiliate marketers report generating a significant portion of their revenue through mobile traffic.

Source: Mobile Marketing Association

• 64% of affiliate marketers report using blogs as their primary source of traffic for affiliate sales.

Source: ProBlogger

• 37% of affiliate marketers rely on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to drive traffic and generate commissions.

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

• Email marketing is responsible for 20% of affiliate marketing sales, showing the continued value of email campaigns in generating affiliate revenue.

Source: OptinMonster

• 46% of affiliate marketers say they get most of their traffic through search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, particularly Google.

Source: Search Engine Journal

• 55% of marketers use video platforms like YouTube as a key source for affiliate marketing, highlighting the importance of video content.

Source: Video Marketing Statistics

• 53% of affiliate marketers generate traffic and sales through referral programs, driving consumer decisions through word-of-mouth and referral links.

Source: Neil Patel

• Over 50% of affiliate marketers work with affiliate networks like ShareASale and Commission Junction to find offers and optimize their campaigns.

Source: Awin

Trends in Revenue from Affiliate Marketing

• 81.2% of affiliate marketers earn over $20,000 annually, with many reporting $8,000+ in monthly earnings.

Source: AffStat Report

• Brands can expect a return on investment of about $15 for every $1 spent on affiliate marketing.

Source: Forbes

• About 80% of affiliate marketers earn between $0 and $80,000 annually.

Source: AffStat Report

• Analysts forecast that the affiliate marketing industry will grow at a CAGR of 18.86% from 2023 to 2032, potentially reaching $40 billion by 2032.

Source: Grand View Research

• Affiliate marketing is responsible for 16% of all online orders in the U.S., illustrating its substantial contribution to e-commerce sales.

Source: Rakuten Marketing

• The global affiliate marketing industry is expected to reach $17 billion in revenue by 2023, indicating strong growth year after year.

Source: Statista

• In 2021, U.S. affiliates earned an estimated $6.8 billion in commissions, underlining the growing importance of affiliate marketing in the digital landscape.

Source: Business Insider

• For some U.S. retailers, affiliate marketing accounts for up to 28% of their total sales, demonstrating its vital role in driving revenue in the retail sector.

Source: Econsultancy

"AI is gaining momentum in the workplace. Affiliate marketers have already begun to implement the technology and will continue to increase their use."

David Gasparyan

Forbes Councils Member

Source: Forbes

Driving Growth through Affiliate Marketing

• 65% of U.S. retail companies say affiliate marketing has a “high” or “very high” effectiveness in generating online sales.

Source: Affiliate Marketing Association

• 89% of affiliate marketers report that performance-based commissions are the most preferred model for collaboration.

Source: Awin

• Affiliate marketing drives 16% of all online orders in the U.S., indicating its significant influence on e-commerce.

Source: Affiliate Marketing Association

• The affiliate marketing industry is growing at an annual rate of 10% year-over-year.

Source: Statista

• Influencers and affiliate marketers drove 20% of U.S. e-commerce revenue during Cyber Monday 2024.

Source: Business Insider

• Over 80% of companies report that affiliate marketing is a valuable tool to drive revenue.

Source: Rakuten Marketing

• Around 65% of affiliate marketers use blogging as a method to drive website traffic.

Source: ProBlogger

• The global affiliate marketing industry is projected to grow at a 10% annual rate, reaching $17 billion in revenue by 2023.

Source: Statista

• 38% of U.S. retailers attribute a significant portion of their annual revenue to affiliate marketing.

Source: Rakuten Marketing

Impact of Content Marketing

• Affiliate marketing drives approximately 16% of all e-commerce sales in the U.S.

Source: Rakuten Marketing

• 40% of affiliate marketers generate a significant portion of their revenue through mobile traffic.

Source: Mobile Marketing Association

• 62% of affiliate marketers say content marketing (including blogs and videos) is their primary traffic driver.

Source: Awin

• B2B affiliate marketing is estimated to generate $5.7 billion in revenue by 2025.

Source: Statista

• 89% of affiliate marketers prefer performance-based commissions, with higher earnings linked to this model.

Source: Awin

• Brands earn an average return of $15 for every $1 spent on affiliate marketing, showcasing a high ROI.

Source: Forbes

• 83% of brands have used influencers to promote affiliate marketing campaigns, demonstrating its growing significance in the industry.

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

• The average affiliate marketer earns about $8,000 per month.

Source: AffStat Report

• 17% of affiliate marketers make over $100,000 per year primarily through influencer marketing.

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

Industry Trends in Affiliate Marketing

• E-commerce Sales via Affiliate Marketing: 40% of e-commerce sales are attributed to affiliate marketing campaigns.

Source: Forbes

• 46% of affiliate marketers report the majority of their revenue comes from search engine traffic.

Source: Search Engine Journal

• 35% of consumers use coupon or deal sites that feature affiliate links to make online purchases.

Source: Rakuten Marketing

• The fashion industry is one of the largest beneficiaries of affiliate marketing, accounting for over 10% of total sales in the sector.

Source: Awin

• Affiliate marketing is responsible for 30% of global affiliate marketing revenues in the travel industry.

Source: eMarketer

• 50% of affiliate marketers report that creating high-quality content is crucial for driving sales.

Source: Affiliate Marketing Association

• In 2021, the total revenue generated by affiliate marketing networks in the U.S. reached $12 billion.

Source: Business Insider

• 67% of affiliate marketers use social media marketing (mainly Instagram and Facebook) to promote affiliate products and services.

Source: Social Media Examiner

Check back in weekly to see more guides to the latest trends in marketing and technology.