Affiliate marketing keeps growing in 2026, but the numbers people quote for it are all over the place.
One report values the global industry at about $18.5 billion (the commissions advertisers pay affiliates). Another, counting the wider tracking-and-software market, puts it at about $22.6 billion. Both can be “right” depending on what’s being counted.
This page collects the affiliate marketing statistics that hold up for 2026, with every figure dated and linked to its source. Where sources disagree, we say so instead of picking whichever number looks biggest.
Affiliate marketing statistics for 2026, at a glance
- US affiliate spend is projected at $13.81 billion in 2026, up 11.3% from $12.42 billion in 2025 (eMarketer).
- The channel is expected to generate about $241 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2026 (eMarketer).
- Coupon and discount publishers accounted for 42.4% of US affiliate revenue in the first half of 2025 (Awin, via eMarketer).
- 74% of brands generate 11% to 30% of their total revenue from affiliate marketing (impact.com, 2025).
- Affiliate drove about $113 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2024, which was 9.4% of the total (Performance Marketing Association).
- About 78.3% of affiliate marketers use SEO as a primary traffic source, and around half of affiliate traffic comes from mobile (Ahrefs).
- Google confirmed in April 2025 that it will not remove third-party cookies from Chrome (confirmed April 2025), though Safari and Firefox still block them by default.
- About 80% of affiliates now use AI tools to help create content (5W Public Relations).
A note on the numbers
Affiliate “market size” figures vary because they measure different things. Some count only the commissions advertisers pay affiliates. Some add the software and network layer on top (tracking platforms, partner-management tools). Others report a single country, usually the US.
So a $22.6 billion “platform market” figure and an $18.5 billion “commission spend” figure can both be correct, because each one counts a different pool of money. We’ve labelled each figure below with what it measures and roughly when it’s from, so you can compare like with like.
Affiliate marketing market size and growth
US affiliate spend is set to reach $13.81 billion in 2026
US advertiser spending on affiliate marketing is projected to hit $13.81 billion in 2026, an 11.3% rise from $12.42 billion in 2025, according to a September 2025 eMarketer forecast. That growth rate is faster than overall US retail ecommerce, which eMarketer puts at about 6.7% growth in a separate February 2026 forecast.
US affiliate spend grew 49.8% between 2021 and 2024
The Performance Marketing Association measured US affiliate spend at $13.62 billion in 2024. That was up 49.8% from 2021.
Affiliate generates about $241 billion in US online sales
In the same September 2025 forecast, eMarketer estimates affiliate marketing will generate roughly $241 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2026. That is one reason analysts describe affiliate as under-appreciated: the spend is small relative to the sales it touches.
Global estimates range from roughly $18 billion to $23 billion
The most-cited global figure is around $18.5 billion for the affiliate industry in 2024, from Cognitive Market Research. Grand View Research measures a broader “affiliate platform” market (which includes tracking and partner software) at about $22.6 billion for 2025. The two figures differ because one includes the software layer and the other does not.
The industry is projected to reach about $35.4 billion by 2033
On the commission-spend basis, the global affiliate industry is projected to reach roughly $35.4 billion by 2033, according to Cognitive Market Research. Other forecasts can run higher when they fold in influencer and platform spend, so treat any single long-range figure as a projection.
Here’s how the main figures compare once you label what each one measures:
| Figure | What it measures | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12.42B → $13.81B | US affiliate spend (advertiser commissions) | 2025 → 2026 | eMarketer |
| ~$241B | US online sales generated by affiliate | 2026 | eMarketer |
| ~$18.5B | Global affiliate industry (commission spend) | 2024 | Cognitive Market Research |
| ~$22.6B | Global affiliate platform + software market | 2025 | Grand View Research |
| ~$35.4B | Global affiliate industry (projection) | 2033 | Cognitive Market Research |
Where affiliate revenue comes from
Coupon and discount sites drive 42.4% of US affiliate revenue
Discount and coupon publishers captured 42.4% of US affiliate revenue in the first half of 2025, based on Awin data cited by eMarketer. It’s the single largest publisher category, which is a useful thing to know if you’re deciding what kind of affiliate program to run.
Cashback and rewards publishers took the biggest single share of ad spend
Cashback, loyalty and rewards platforms (Rakuten Rewards among them) claimed the largest share of US affiliate ad spend in 2024 at 35%, per a Performance Marketing Association report cited in the same eMarketer coverage. Coupon, cashback and loyalty partners together receive the bulk of affiliate budgets.
Content creators are the fastest-growing publisher type
On Awin’s network, creators’ share of affiliate revenue rose from 15.9% to 19.5% year on year, and eMarketer notes that newer advertisers entering affiliate now favour content and influencers over traditional tactics. The publisher mix is changing, but coupon and cashback still lead by revenue.
Who uses affiliate marketing
74% of brands get 11% to 30% of their revenue from affiliate
In impact.com’s 2025 State of Affiliate Marketing report, 74% of brands said they generate 11% to 30% of their total revenue from affiliate marketing. The survey ran in mid-2025 and covered over 1,500 marketers, publishers and creators in 8 countries.
Affiliate drove 9.4% of US ecommerce sales in 2024
In a study published in June 2025, the Performance Marketing Association found that affiliate marketing drove about $113 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2024. That was 9.4% of all US ecommerce sales that year.
31% of publishers say affiliate is a top revenue source
For 31% of web publishers, affiliate marketing is a top revenue source. Performance-based pay is a big part of the appeal: publishers only earn when they send a sale.
Affiliate-referred customers spend about 21% more per order
Research from Awin and Forrester found that customers who arrive through an affiliate have around a 21% higher average order value, and tend to stick around longer. The traffic converts well, and it doesn’t always cost more to get.
Affiliate marketing earnings and ROI
US affiliate spend returned about $8 in sales per $1 in 2024
The PMA found that $13.62 billion of US affiliate spend in 2024 drove about $113 billion in ecommerce sales. By our own calculation from those two figures, that comes to about $8 in sales for every $1 spent. ROI is the least standardised number in the whole category: sources rarely agree on which fees, verticals or crediting rules they include. Use it only as a rough sign that the channel tends to pay back.
Software programs pay the highest commissions, from 10% to 70%
Software programs tend to offer the most generous rates, ranging from 10% to 70%, because digital products carry little marginal cost and recurring subscriptions reward partners over time. Physical-goods programs usually pay rates in the single digits to low teens.
Where affiliate traffic comes from
78.3% of affiliate marketers use SEO as a primary traffic source
Search is still the main channel. Ahrefs, citing Authority Hacker survey data, reports that 78.3% of affiliate marketers use SEO as a primary traffic source. Organic search also tends to convert well because the intent is already there when someone searches for a product or a comparison.
About half of affiliate traffic now comes from mobile
Around half of affiliate-driven visits now come from mobile devices, and more in some niches. If your landing pages and checkout aren’t quick and easy on a phone, you’re losing a large share of potential conversions before they start.
88% of shoppers say an influencer has prompted a purchase
In a Vamp study from December 2023, 88% of consumers said they had bought something on an influencer’s recommendation in the previous six months. The survey covered consumers in the UK, Europe, Australia and the UAE. Trust plays a big part in affiliate sales, which is why useful content tends to outperform hard-sell links.
The move to creators and influencers
Brands that blend influencer and affiliate tactics saw 46% higher affiliate sales
In preliminary internal data published in December 2024, impact.com found that brands working with both affiliates and creators saw 46% more affiliate-driven sales than brands working with affiliates only. The two channels have merged: a creator posting a tracked link is doing affiliate marketing, whatever you call it.
59% of brands plan to put at least 25% of their affiliate budget into creators
In impact.com’s 2025 State of Affiliate Marketing survey, 59% of brands said they plan to allocate at least 25% of their affiliate budgets to creator partnerships. Creator content also survives shorter tracking windows better, because people often buy in the same session they watch.
Cookies, tracking and AI in 2026
Google is keeping third-party cookies in Chrome
After years of “cookiepocalypse” headlines, Google confirmed in April 2025 that it will not deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome, and won’t even show a standalone opt-out prompt. Existing Chrome privacy controls stay as they are. So the “cookieless future” many affiliate posts still warn about did not arrive as planned.
Safari and Firefox still block third-party cookies by default
Chrome’s reversal doesn’t make tracking a solved problem. Safari (via Intelligent Tracking Prevention) and Firefox already block third-party cookies by default, and have for years. That’s roughly a fifth of web traffic worldwide where third-party tracking doesn’t fire, which is a big reason many WooCommerce stores use coupon-code tracking or first-party data instead of relying on cookies alone.
About 80% of affiliates now use AI to help create content
Roughly 80% of affiliate marketers report using AI tools for content creation, according to a June 2026 report from 5W Public Relations. The catch is that AI-written content is now so common that it’s a weaker differentiator: original testing, real screenshots and a clear point of view are what stand out.
AI chatbots are starting to reshape product discovery
Shopping-related queries on ChatGPT grew faster than any other query type between late 2024 and mid-2025, and surveys show most people using generative AI have tried it for price comparison (about 54%) and deal finding. When a shopper gets an answer inside a chatbot instead of clicking a publisher’s link, the tracked click that triggers a commission never happens. It’s the emerging challenge for the channel, and the reason “getting cited by AI” is now part of the affiliate playbook. Figures here are from eMarketer’s 2026 affiliate coverage.
The biggest affiliate networks
Amazon Associates is the most widely used affiliate network
By share of sites that use an affiliate network, Amazon Associates leads with about 45%, well ahead of any single competitor, according to Datanyze. Read that one carefully, though. It counts how many websites use a network, not how much revenue those networks drive. Amazon’s 24-hour cookie window and low category rates mean many creators pair it with better-paying programs.
Affiliate fraud
Fraud was estimated at 17% of affiliate traffic in 2022
In a study published in May 2022, CHEQ found that 17% of affiliate traffic was fraudulent. CHEQ projected over $3.4 billion in affiliate fraud losses for 2022, up from $1.4 billion in 2020. Bot clicks, cookie stuffing and coupon abuse are all part of that cost. If you run a coupon-based program, tracking who redeems which code is one of the simpler ways to catch abuse.
Affiliate marketing statistics FAQ
How big is the affiliate marketing industry in 2026?
It depends what you count. The most-cited global figure is about $18.5 billion in commission spend, while a broader estimate that includes tracking and partner software puts it at about $22.6 billion for 2025. US advertiser spend alone is projected at $13.81 billion for 2026.
How much do US advertisers spend on affiliate marketing?
US affiliate spend is forecast to reach $13.81 billion in 2026, up 11.3% from $12.42 billion in 2025, according to eMarketer. That is faster growth than US retail ecommerce as a whole.
Is affiliate marketing still growing?
Yes. Nearly every credible forecast shows the channel growing through the late 2020s, with US spend rising at double-digit rates and long-range projections pointing to around $35.4 billion globally by 2033.
What share of affiliate revenue comes from coupon sites?
Discount and coupon publishers accounted for 42.4% of US affiliate revenue in the first half of 2025, making them the largest single publisher category, based on Awin data reported by eMarketer.
Did Google get rid of third-party cookies?
No. Google confirmed in April 2025 that it will keep third-party cookies in Chrome. Safari and Firefox, however, still block them by default, so cookie tracking still fails for a large share of visitors.
How much can you earn from affiliate marketing?
It varies enormously. Earnings depend heavily on the niche and the commission rate, and beginners often earn little at first.
What is the most-used affiliate network?
Amazon Associates is used by the most websites, with about 45% of sites that use an affiliate network, though that reflects reach rather than revenue given Amazon’s short cookie window and low commission rates.
Set up your own affiliate program
Given that coupon and discount publishers bring in more than 40% of US affiliate revenue, a coupon-based program is one of the more straightforward ways for a WooCommerce store to get started, and it sidesteps a lot of the cookie-tracking problems above.
Our plugin, Coupon Affiliates, lets you run a coupon-based affiliate program on your WooCommerce store. Each affiliate gets their own coupon code, and every sale that uses it is tracked to them, so you’re not relying on third-party cookies to give credit.
It handles affiliate registration and approval, generates coupon codes, and gives affiliates a dashboard to track their sales, commission and unpaid balance. With PRO, you can pay them via Stripe, PayPal, Wise or store credit. As the store owner, you approve registrations, run reports, manage payouts and set up email notifications from one place.
If you want the full walkthrough, see our guide to creating a WooCommerce affiliate program, or read more about WooCommerce affiliate marketing in general. To try the plugin, take a look at Coupon Affiliates or start a free trial.
Elliot Sowersby is a WordPress developer from Yorkshire, United Kingdom. He is the founder and lead developer of Coupon Affiliates and RelyWP.
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