Affiliate marketing is never dead and continues to be a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry, driven by technological advancements, and changing consumer behavior.

In this post, let’s contemplate the latest affiliate marketing statistics covering the industry’s current trends, insights, and projections for the industry.

These affiliate marketing statistics will help you (affiliate marketers & advertisers) build effective marketing strategies to grow your affiliate marketing business.

Latest Affiliate Marketing Statistics

Global Affiliate Marketing Spending:

As per the reports from Astute Analytics, affiliate marketing revenue is projected to reach a whopping $39805 M by 2031 at a CAGR of 7.9% over the year 2023-2031

Affiliate Marketing’s Share of Digital Advertising Spend:

The digital advertising spending around the world is projected to reach $836 Billion by 2026. (Source by Statista)

Growth in Affiliate Partner Networks:

The top affiliate marketing networks dominating the affiliate industry include Amazon, Shopify, eBay, CJ Affiliate, Clickbank, Tradedoubler, Rakuten Advertising, and Impact Radius. 

These affiliate partner networks work on CPA, CPC, CPS, CPI, and other models.

In 2023, the global affiliate marketing platform was valued at $16207.46 million. This value is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.44% and reach USD 38352.89 million by 2030. (Source: GlobeNewswire)

Mobile devices generate 50% of the affiliate marketing traffic. Take a look at the Google Trends for Mobile affiliate marketing for the past 5 years.

Desktop:

Mobile:

The graph shows that in September 2020, mobile affiliate marketing took a leap but the highest was seen in Jan 2023. In October 2023 it reduced a bit and is reducing to date.

mobile affiliate marketing graph

With the Smartphone market size projected to reach $978.2 Billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 6.8%, I am sure this will greatly impact the affiliate marketing business.

Influencer Marketing Impact:

Influencer marketing is one of the effective ways to make money with affiliate marketing. Marketers leverage social media platforms to recommend and review products.

In 2023, the global influencer market size was valued at 21.1 billion U.S. dollars. This is triple what it was in 2019. In 2024, the influencer marketing market size is projected to reach 24 billion USD. The creator economy is booming with more and more brand endorsements. (Source: Statista)

Cross-Device Conversions:

Cross-device conversions are the conversions made by a user by clicking on one device but purchasing from another device. Cross-device attribution is important because it helps affiliate marketers make a commission even if someone clicks their affiliate link on a desktop but purchases from a mobile & vice-versa.

There are various methods for cross-device conversions. This includes cookies, device IDs, email addresses, or login data.

According to Go-Globe, the average digital consumer now owns 3.64 digital devices. One of the top priorities for over 74% of worldwide marketers is matching customers across multiple devices. 

Cross Device Marketing Statistics and Trends











Top Performing Affiliate Niches:

The top-performing affiliate niches in 2024 include health and wellness, finance, beauty and skincare, technology, and eCommerce, with each niche experiencing significant growth in affiliate-driven sales.

For more detailed statistics on affiliate niches and their performance, visit Diggity Marketing. Here, you will find a case study on niches that perform the best and the ones that have the poorest revenue. This case study will help you decide which affiliate marketing niche to choose when starting a blog and career in affiliate marketing.

Affiliate Commission Structures:

Widely used commission structures by affiliate platforms include CPA, CPS, RevShare, CPI, CPM, and CPC. Out of all these commission models, CPA dominates the affiliate industry due to its last-click attribution rule favorite amongst affiliate companies.

payment and attribution models

How does a CPA model work?

In a CPA commission structure, the advertiser pays a commission to affiliates when a user acts, such as:

  • Subscribing to a service or purchasing a product
  • Registration for an event
  • Signing up for email newsletters

CPA accounts for 99% of affiliate commissions compared to other affiliate commission models. (Source: IAB)

Global Regional Variances:

North America remains the largest affiliate marketing market, accounting for approximately 40% of global affiliate spending, followed by Asia-Pacific growing at a CAGR of 8% during 2022-2030. (Source: Research and markets)

Sustainability and Ethical Considerations:

Affiliate marketing can be sustainable as it operates primarily online, potentially reducing environmental impacts compared to traditional retail. However, its sustainability hinges on factors like ethical practices, compliance with regulations, and adaptability to market changes. 

According to articles like those from Forbes and Entrepreneur, ethical considerations, such as transparency in marketing and promoting products aligned with societal values, are crucial for long-term success. 

Additionally, staying updated with regulations and consumer preferences while embracing innovative strategies can contribute to the sustainability of affiliate marketing businesses.

Ethical Fashion is a promising affiliate marketing niche with a market size of $693 Million in 2021 and projected to reach $17302 Million by 2031 at a CAGR of 9.58% during 2022-2031. (Source: BusinessResearchInsights). As far as sustainability is concerned, the global green technology & sustainability market size was $15.85 Billion in 2022. The market share is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22.7% till 2030. (Source: GrandViewResearch)

Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Affiliate Marketing

AI is changing the world drastically. There are always pros and cons of technology. Some say because of AI people will lose their jobs. The fact is if you don’t learn AI, you will be left behind. The global AI market size is expected to reach US$305.90bn in 2024 and further reach US$738.80bn by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 15.83% from 2024-2030. (Source: Statista)

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Conclusion

Keeping a bird’s eye view of the affiliate marketing statistics is crucial for the success of an affiliate marketing business. Whether you are an advertiser or an affiliate, these affiliate marketing trends, insights, and projections are a gold mine for you. So, save this as a bookmark and share it with others.

Till then…

Be Healthy, Be Wise, and Keep Sharing!

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