The creator economy has grown 119% in the last two years: report

New data has shown how the creator economy has grown by over 165 million globally over the past two years – a 119% increase.

In a study published this week, Adobe revealed that creators make up 23% of the world’s people, meaning almost one in four contributes to art and creativity.

Adobe research defines a creator as an adult over the age of 18 who either participates in creative activities such as photography or NFT creation and publishes and promotes their work online. They also devote themselves to creating content at least monthly with the aim of growing their social presence.

The study, which Adobe calls its most comprehensive look at the creator economy to date, found that Millennials make up 42% of creators, while Gen Z makes up just 14% of the community. In fact, creators are 40 years old on average.

The creator community is also slightly male at 52%. And markets like the US, Brazil, and Germany have some of the largest creator populations.

Creators tend to get involved in three mediums on average and visual arts is the most popular with photography being the overwhelming favorite. More than half (54%) of creatives participate in photography.

Creative writing is the second most popular medium, with 34% of creatives engaging in the medium. Meanwhile, 27% of creators are engaged in painting and illustration, followed by 25% of creators engaged in filmmaking.

Adobe’s research also highlights the difference between a creator and an influencer. The study defines influencers as creators with over 5,000 followers on their main social channel who are currently making money from posting social media content.

While certainly more prominent in markets like Brazil, Australia, the UK, and the US, according to the data, influencers actually make up just 14% of all global YouTubers.

However, Adobe has found that influencers work an average of six hours more per week compared to general creators. Additionally, that work appears to be paying off as influencers earn more.

According to Adobe, 5% of influencers earn in the upper income brackets, earning as much as attorneys, who make around $129,000 per year, and certified public accountants (CPAs), who have an average annual salary of $119,000.

According to the data, 6 in 10 creatives have a full-time job, with 62% of creatives reporting that their creative work accounts for half or more of their monthly income. In comparison, 72% of influencers manage to make half or more of their monthly salary from their creative work.

This isn’t the first study to show the surprising changes in our online habits. Data released by the Pew Research Center shows that Generation Z is the only demographic to report a decline in social media use in recent years.

Photo credit: Cover photo courtesy of Adobe