Research desk / Updated October 20, 2026
Affiliate marketing
and online shopping statistics.
A practical reference for the commerce, advertising, and product-recommendation signals that shape affiliate marketing. Every figure below links to its original source and publication date.
What this covers
The context around a recommendation matters.
Affiliate marketing sits where product discovery, online shopping, and advertising meet. The sources below do not claim to measure every affiliate transaction. They give a clearer, cited picture of the market in which product recommendations compete for attention and trust.
Use the linked primary sources when you need the original report, its methodology, or the precise wording behind a number.
$1.234T
U.S. retail e-commerce sales in 2025
The Census Bureau estimates that U.S. retail e-commerce sales reached $1.2337 trillion in 2025, up 5.4% from 2024 and equal to 16.4% of total retail sales.
Read the source ↗U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, fourth quarter 2025 release
$258.6B
U.S. internet advertising revenue in 2024
IAB and PwC reported $258.6 billion in U.S. internet advertising revenue for 2024, a 14.9% increase from 2023.
Read the source ↗IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, full year 2024
62%
of U.S. TikTok users use it for product reviews or recommendations
Pew Research Center found that 62% of U.S. adult TikTok users say looking at product reviews or recommendations is a reason they use the platform. Among users ages 18 to 29, the figure was 74%.
Read the source ↗Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults
Method and sources
Built for quoting, not guesswork.
This page uses named, public sources: the U.S. Census Bureau for retail e-commerce estimates, IAB and PwC for U.S. internet advertising revenue, and Pew Research Center for its survey on product recommendations.
Figures are kept as each source reported them. This page is refreshed when a source releases a meaningful update, with the page structure and statistic links kept stable for readers who cite it.
Z Digital Marketer. “Affiliate Marketing and Online Shopping Statistics.” Updated October 20, 2026. https://zdigitalmarketer.co/affiliate-marketing-statistics
Put the numbers in context
Looking at affiliate marketing training?
Start with the practical checks that help a beginner assess a course, offer, or recommendation with clear eyes.