What 20,000 creators told us about unleashing Europe’s potential

What 20,000 creators told us about unleashing Europe’s potential

Europe’s creator economy contributes over €8.4 billion to the EU’s GDP – but creators often feel left out of decision making.

Oct 12, 2026[[read-time]] minute read

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Over twenty years ago, YouTube began with a simple, powerful idea: that everyone, everywhere, deserved a global stage. In 2025, this creative ecosystem contributed over €8.4 billion to the EU’s GDP and supported more than 220,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

In 2025, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed over €8.4 billion to the EU’s GDP and supported more than 220,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

Europe’s creator economy is a vital engine of cultural influence and economic resilience. Our revenue-sharing model, the YouTube Partner Program, pays eligible creators more than half of the revenue generated from their channels, and in turn they invest – green-lighting their own shows, building the media companies of the future, and hiring editors, camera operators and studios. YouTube acts as a powerful export engine for European culture, with over 70% of watch time on content produced by EU27 channels coming from outside the region.

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But too often, creators are isolated from having a say in their own future. So we asked them directly.

Our new report, “Creative Capital,” heard from over 20,000 creators from all 27 EU Member States on what is working – and what’s holding them back. This landmark survey is the first time that European creators from across the EU27 have provided a single, unified voice detailing exactly what they need to thrive.

Their feedback reveals a consistent challenge: ambitious entrepreneurs locked out of decision making processes; traditional funding schemes, and official data. And so our report recommends five practical steps to unlock Europe’s creative potential – building a creator economy that competes with any region in the world.

YouTube acts as a powerful export engine for European culture, with over 70% of watch time on content produced by EU27 channels coming from outside the region.

1. Recognise creators in official data: 63% of creators receive little to no support when engaging with government bodies. Changing this is key to ensuring their voices are heard, and in turn their potential unlocked.
2. Open up industry support: 64% of creators say more recognition from traditional industry would help them thrive. European institutions should launch a dedicated strand within the Creative Europe program and adapt award criteria so that digital-first storytelling can compete on equal terms with traditional film and television.
3. Invest in skills: 60% of creators report insufficient support for specialised training and workforce development. Europe should invest in its creative pipeline, building training, cross-exchange border programs and apprenticeships that reflect the realities of the digital economy.
4. Expand funding and physical spaces: 65% of creators lack access to public grants, while 65% of professional creators lack access to dedicated studio spaces. To solve this, financial institutions must make small-business loan programs accessible to creator-led companies, while creative spaces must offer shared, affordable studio hubs.
5. Protect open discovery: 83% of creators say that recommendation algorithms are vital to their growth and revenue, while 71% warn that reduced visibility would directly threaten their livelihoods. Policymakers must safeguard a fair, merit-based system where viewers decide what they want to watch. Imposing rigid prominence mandates would force platforms to give special treatment to a small group of organisations prioritised by the government, at the expense of all others.

71% of creators warn that reduced visibility would directly threaten their livelihoods.

Capturing this opportunity does not require Europe to invent new institutions from scratch. It simply requires making it easier to access the ones Europe already has. By recognizing creators as central to Europe’s creative future, ensuring a level playing field, and working together across government and industry, we can help thousands more Europeans turn a creative idea into a thriving, world-class business. Read the full Creative Capital report here.