25 statistiques les plus intéressantes sur le marketing d'affiliation en 2026

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 closer to $24 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 influence 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).
• Around 81% of advertisers and 84% of publishers run affiliate programs (Rakuten-commissioned study).
• Affiliate drives roughly 16% of all ecommerce orders in the US (industry estimate).
• SEO is the top traffic source for about 69% of affiliates; around half of affiliate traffic now comes from mobile (Authority Hacker).
• 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 (Authority Hacker).

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 $23 billion “platform market” figure and an $18 billion “commission spend” figure aren’t in conflict. They’re counting different pools. 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 outpaces overall US retail ecommerce, which is growing about 6.7% over the same period.

Affiliate influences about $241 billion in US online sales

The same eMarketer forecast estimates affiliate marketing will drive 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 $24 billion

The most-cited global figure is around $18.5 billion for the affiliate industry in 2024, from Cognitive Market Research, reported widely across the industry. Grand View Research measures a broader “affiliate platform” market (which includes tracking and partner software) at about $23.8 billion for 2026. The gap is scope, not disagreement.

The industry is projected to reach about $31.7 billion by 2031

On the commission-spend basis, the global affiliate industry is projected to reach roughly $31.7 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate near 8%. Longer-range forecasts run higher because they tend to fold in influencer and platform spend, so any single “2031” figure is best treated as a projection.

Here’s how the main figures compare once you label what each one measures:

Where affiliate revenue actually 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 make up the bulk of where affiliate budgets land.

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 shifting, but coupon and cashback still lead by revenue.

Who uses affiliate marketing

81% of advertisers and 84% of publishers run affiliate programs

A Rakuten-commissioned study found that around 81% of advertisers and 84% of publishers use affiliate marketing. That data is from 2022, so the real figure is likely higher now, but it remains the most-cited adoption benchmark and lines up with the “over 80% of brands” number you’ll see quoted elsewhere.

Affiliate drives about 16% of ecommerce orders

Industry estimates put affiliate at more than 16% of ecommerce orders in the US. For a channel many marketers still class as “nice to have,” that is a meaningful slice of online buying.

31% of publishers say affiliate is their top revenue source

Pour 31% of web publishers, affiliate marketing is their single largest revenue source, ahead of display ads for many. 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

Reported ROI ranges from about $6.50 to $15 per $1 spent

You’ll see affiliate ROI quoted as anything from about $6.50 to $15 in revenue for every $1 spent (Rakuten commonly cites $12). This is the least standardised number in the whole category: sources rarely agree on which fees, verticals or crediting rules they include. Treat it as a sign the channel tends to pay back, not as a precise figure to plan around.

Roughly 10% of affiliates earn about 90% of the revenue

Earnings are heavily skewed. Across most programs, around 10% of affiliates generate close to 90% of the revenue. A small group of experienced publishers does most of the selling, which is why recruiting and keeping good partners matters more than sheer partner count.

The highest-earning niches are e-learning, travel and beauty

By average monthly affiliate revenue, Authority Hacker’s income survey puts e-learning on top at about $15,551, followed by travel ($13,847) and beauty ($12,475). These are averages for established affiliates, not typical beginner earnings, so read them as a ceiling rather than a starting point.

SaaS programs pay the highest commissions, often 20-70%

Software programs tend to offer the most generous rates, commonly 20% to 70%, because digital products carry little marginal cost and recurring subscriptions reward partners over time. Physical-goods programs usually sit in the single digits to low teens.

Where affiliate traffic comes from

SEO is the top traffic source for about 69% of affiliates

Search remains the workhorse. Around 69% of affiliates name SEO as their main traffic source, with social media close behind at about 67%. Organic search also tends to convert well because the intent is already there when someone searches for a product or a comparison.

More than 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, 88% of consumers said they had bought something on an influencer’s recommendation in the previous six months. Trust does a lot of the heavy lifting in affiliate, which is why honest, useful content tends to outperform hard-sell links.

The shift to creators and influencers

Blending influencer and affiliate tactics can lift sales by up to 46%

Impact’s research found that brands combining influencer and affiliate approaches saw up to 46% more affiliate-driven sales. The two channels have quietly merged: a creator posting a tracked link is doing affiliate marketing, whatever you call it.

Creator revenue share keeps climbing year on year

As noted above, creators’ share of Awin’s affiliate revenue rose from 15.9% to 19.5% in a single year, and shoppable video on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram is growing fast. 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 third of web traffic 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, per Authority Hacker. 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 around 46%, 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 has been estimated at up to 17% of affiliate traffic

Widely quoted figures put affiliate fraud at up to 17% of traffic, with losses running into the billions (a commonly cited estimate is around $1.4 billion, based on 2022 data). Newer network-level data suggests AI-based screening has started to bring invalid traffic down, but bot clicks, cookie stuffing and coupon abuse remain real costs. If you run a coupon-based program, tracking who redeems which code is one of the simpler ways to keep it honest.

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 runs closer to $24 billion. 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 $31.7 billion globally by 2031.

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 tracking gaps remain for a large share of visitors.

How much can you earn from affiliate marketing?

It varies enormously. Around 10% of affiliates earn about 90% of the revenue. Established affiliates in top niches like e-learning and travel can average five figures a month, but most earn far less, and beginners often earn little at first.

What is the most-used affiliate network?

Amazon Associates is used by the most websites, with roughly 46% 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.

Notre plugin, Coupons affiliés, 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. You can pay them automatically 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 Marketing d'affiliation WooCommerce in general. To try the plugin, take a look at Coupon Affiliates ou start a free trial.

Elliot Sowersby

Elliot Sowersby est un développeur WordPress du Yorkshire, au Royaume-Uni. Il est le fondateur et le développeur principal de Coupons affiliés et RelyWP.