GITNUXREPORT 2026

Performance Marketing Industry Statistics

Performance marketing is rapidly growing and delivering strong returns across digital channels.

Sarah Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Affiliate commissions paid out totaled $8.2 billion in the US alone in 2023.

Statistic 2

81% of brands use affiliate marketing as core performance channel in 2023.

Statistic 3

Average affiliate commission rate 5-30% across industries in 2023 surveys.

Statistic 4

Affiliate marketing drove 16% of all US e-commerce orders in 2023.

Statistic 5

84% of publishers consider affiliate programs primary revenue source 2023.

Statistic 6

Global affiliate marketers number exceeded 15 million active in 2023.

Statistic 7

Affiliate channels deliver 20x higher ROI than other paid channels on average.

Statistic 8

94% of affiliate marketers report revenue growth from programs in 2023.

Statistic 9

Average order value via affiliates 27% higher than other channels 2023.

Statistic 10

Fashion affiliate niche generated $4.5 billion in commissions 2023.

Statistic 11

65% of affiliate programs use CPS model in 2023 benchmarks.

Statistic 12

Affiliate fraud losses estimated at $1.2 billion industry-wide 2023.

Statistic 13

Amazon Associates paid $2.5 billion to affiliates in 2023.

Statistic 14

42% of affiliates promote via blogs, 28% social media in 2023.

Statistic 15

SaaS affiliate programs average 12% commission rates 2023.

Statistic 16

Coupon affiliates drive 15% of total affiliate revenue 2023.

Statistic 17

76% of brands plan to increase affiliate budgets in 2024 per 2023 surveys.

Statistic 18

Gaming affiliate niche grew 35% YoY to $1.8 billion 2023.

Statistic 19

Average affiliate payout cycle 60 days in 2023 industry avg.

Statistic 20

55% of affiliates use email lists for promotion 2023.

Statistic 21

Health & beauty affiliates earned $2.1 billion commissions 2023.

Statistic 22

Multi-tier affiliate programs used by 22% of brands 2023.

Statistic 23

Affiliate marketing attribution window averages 30 days 2023.

Statistic 24

Finance affiliate niche $3.2 billion revenue share 2023.

Statistic 25

89% of affiliates value brand reputation in partnerships 2023.

Statistic 26

Travel affiliates rebounded with $1.5 billion post-2023.

Statistic 27

Global performance marketing spend reached $285 billion in 2023, representing 45% of total digital ad expenditure.

Statistic 28

Performance marketing industry CAGR projected at 14.2% from 2023 to 2030, driven by e-commerce expansion.

Statistic 29

US performance marketing market valued at $92 billion in 2023, up 18% from 2022.

Statistic 30

Affiliate marketing subset of performance marketing hit $17 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 31

Asia-Pacific performance marketing grew 22% YoY in 2023 to $85 billion.

Statistic 32

Europe's performance marketing spend forecasted to reach €75 billion by 2025.

Statistic 33

Performance marketing accounted for 52% of total ad budgets in e-commerce brands in 2023.

Statistic 34

Global programmatic performance ad spend hit $140 billion in 2023.

Statistic 35

Latin America performance marketing market expanded to $12 billion in 2023, 25% growth.

Statistic 36

Mobile performance marketing spend surpassed $100 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 37

Performance marketing ROI averaged 5:1 across industries in 2023 surveys.

Statistic 38

Total addressable performance marketing market estimated at $500 billion by 2027.

Statistic 39

B2B performance marketing grew 16% to $45 billion in North America 2023.

Statistic 40

Retail sector allocated 60% of ad budget to performance marketing in 2023.

Statistic 41

Global performance marketing agencies revenue topped $50 billion in 2023.

Statistic 42

Emerging markets performance marketing CAGR at 20% through 2028.

Statistic 43

SaaS companies spent $15 billion on performance marketing in 2023.

Statistic 44

Performance marketing penetration in total ad spend rose to 48% in 2023.

Statistic 45

Fintech performance marketing market size $8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 46

Healthcare performance marketing grew 19% to $20 billion globally 2023.

Statistic 47

Travel industry performance marketing rebound to $25 billion post-COVID 2023.

Statistic 48

Gaming app performance marketing spend $30 billion in 2023.

Statistic 49

EdTech performance marketing market valued at $10 billion 2023.

Statistic 50

Fashion e-commerce performance marketing $35 billion spend 2023.

Statistic 51

Automotive performance marketing digital spend $12 billion 2023.

Statistic 52

Real estate performance marketing leads cost averaged $200 in 2023 market.

Statistic 53

Telecom performance marketing budget 40% of total ads $18 billion 2023.

Statistic 54

CPG brands performance marketing allocation up to 55% in 2023.

Statistic 55

Logistics performance marketing market $5 billion growth 2023.

Statistic 56

Global performance marketing job market grew 12% adding 100k roles 2023.

Statistic 57

PPC ad spend in performance marketing hit $120 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 58

Google Ads CPC average $2.69 for search campaigns in 2023.

Statistic 59

65% of clicks from top 3 search positions in Google 2023.

Statistic 60

Search ad CTR averaged 3.17% across industries 2023.

Statistic 61

Quality Score impact: Ads with 10/10 score 2x conversions 2023.

Statistic 62

Mobile search PPC share 58% of total clicks 2023.

Statistic 63

Bing Ads CPC 30% lower than Google average $1.89 2023.

Statistic 64

Remarketing lists boost PPC CTR by 161% avg 2023.

Statistic 65

E-commerce PPC ROAS averaged 4.5:1 in 2023 benchmarks.

Statistic 66

Long-tail keywords CPC 50% lower, 2.5x conversions 2023.

Statistic 67

Google Shopping ads drove 35% of retail search revenue 2023.

Statistic 68

Ad extensions increase CTR by 15% on average 2023.

Statistic 69

Local services ads conversion rate 17% higher 2023.

Statistic 70

PPC budget allocation: 50% search, 30% display 2023 avg.

Statistic 71

Voice search PPC impressions up 40% YoY 2023.

Statistic 72

Dynamic search ads cover 15% more queries automatically 2023.

Statistic 73

Finance industry avg CPC $3.44 highest in 2023.

Statistic 74

Legal services PPC CPC peaked at $6.75 per click 2023.

Statistic 75

Average PPC conversion rate 2.94% across sectors 2023.

Statistic 76

Responsive search ads outperform expanded text by 10% CTR 2023.

Statistic 77

PPC fraud clicks 22% of total traffic costing $84B 2023.

Statistic 78

Average performance marketing ROAS 4.21:1 across channels 2023.

Statistic 79

Multi-touch attribution used by 62% of marketers in 2023.

Statistic 80

Privacy-first cookieless tracking adopted by 45% in 2023.

Statistic 81

AI-optimized campaigns improve ROAS by 35% avg 2023.

Statistic 82

Customer lifetime value from performance marketing up 28% 2023.

Statistic 83

Incrementality testing shows 25% true lift from performance ads.

Statistic 84

Zero-party data boosts ROI 2.9x in performance campaigns 2023.

Statistic 85

Headless commerce performance marketing ROAS 6:1 avg 2023.

Statistic 86

Performance max campaigns Google ROAS 18% higher 2023.

Statistic 87

Unified attribution platforms cut waste by 22% spend 2023.

Statistic 88

78% of marketers prioritize first-party data for ROI 2023.

Statistic 89

Server-side tracking adoption 55% improves accuracy 2023.

Statistic 90

Predictive analytics forecast 40% better budget allocation 2023.

Statistic 91

Omnichannel performance strategies lift ROI 31% 2023 benchmarks.

Statistic 92

Blockchain for attribution reduces fraud 18% improving ROI.

Statistic 93

2024 performance marketing trend: AI personalization 89% adoption.

Statistic 94

Sustainability-focused performance campaigns ROI 15% higher 2023.

Statistic 95

Voice commerce performance marketing growth 55% YoY 2023.

Statistic 96

Metaverse ad performance early ROI 3:1 in tests 2023.

Statistic 97

Web3 performance marketing wallets targeted ROI 4.8:1 2023.

Statistic 98

Edge computing cuts latency improving mobile ROI 20% 2023.

Statistic 99

68% of CMOs to increase performance budgets 15% in 2024.

Statistic 100

Generative AI content for ads cuts costs 30% ROI up 2023.

Statistic 101

Cross-device tracking lifts measured ROI 25% 2023 stats.

Statistic 102

Performance marketing LTV/CAC ratio avg 3.2:1 optimal 2023.

Statistic 103

Facebook Ads average CPM $7.19, CPC $0.97 in Q4 2023.

Statistic 104

Instagram ads drove 1.08% CTR avg for e-commerce 2023.

Statistic 105

TikTok ad ROAS averaged 2.5:1 for performance campaigns 2023.

Statistic 106

LinkedIn CPC avg $5.26 for B2B leads 2023 benchmarks.

Statistic 107

Display ads CTR 0.46% industry avg, view-through 1.2% 2023.

Statistic 108

YouTube trueview CPC $0.10-$0.30 avg 2023.

Statistic 109

Snapchat performance ads conversion rate 2.5% avg 2023.

Statistic 110

Pinterest promoted pins CPC $0.10-$1.50, 0.87% CTR 2023.

Statistic 111

Twitter (X) ads CPM $6.46 avg Q4 2023.

Statistic 112

Programmatic display spend $185 billion globally 2023.

Statistic 113

Video ads on social platforms 85% preference over static 2023.

Statistic 114

Retargeting display ads 70% higher conversion rates 2023.

Statistic 115

Native ads CTR 0.59% vs 0.37% banners 2023 benchmarks.

Statistic 116

Facebook carousel ads 10x engagement lift 2023 stats.

Statistic 117

Instagram Stories swipe-up CTR 0.51% avg 2023.

Statistic 118

LinkedIn sponsored content 3x lead gen over organic 2023.

Statistic 119

Display ad viewability rate improved to 72% in 2023.

Statistic 120

OTT/CTV ad spend in performance $25 billion 2023 growth.

Statistic 121

Social commerce sales via ads $492 billion projected 2023.

Statistic 122

TikTok shop ads conversion 8.5% higher than feed 2023.

Statistic 123

Programmatic DOOH performance spend up 28% to $8B 2023.

Statistic 124

Audio ads (podcast/Spotify) CPM $20-30 avg 2023.

Statistic 125

User-generated content ads 4x engagement 2023 surveys.

Statistic 126

Influencer social ads ROI 11x higher than traditional 2023.

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Buckle up, because the performance marketing engine isn't just humming—it's exploding with a staggering $285 billion spend in 2023, and this deep dive into the numbers shows exactly why every forward-thinking brand is doubling down.

Key Takeaways

  • Global performance marketing spend reached $285 billion in 2023, representing 45% of total digital ad expenditure.
  • Performance marketing industry CAGR projected at 14.2% from 2023 to 2030, driven by e-commerce expansion.
  • US performance marketing market valued at $92 billion in 2023, up 18% from 2022.
  • Affiliate commissions paid out totaled $8.2 billion in the US alone in 2023.
  • 81% of brands use affiliate marketing as core performance channel in 2023.
  • Average affiliate commission rate 5-30% across industries in 2023 surveys.
  • PPC ad spend in performance marketing hit $120 billion globally in 2023.
  • Google Ads CPC average $2.69 for search campaigns in 2023.
  • 65% of clicks from top 3 search positions in Google 2023.
  • Facebook Ads average CPM $7.19, CPC $0.97 in Q4 2023.
  • Instagram ads drove 1.08% CTR avg for e-commerce 2023.
  • TikTok ad ROAS averaged 2.5:1 for performance campaigns 2023.
  • Average performance marketing ROAS 4.21:1 across channels 2023.
  • Multi-touch attribution used by 62% of marketers in 2023.
  • Privacy-first cookieless tracking adopted by 45% in 2023.

Performance marketing is rapidly growing and delivering strong returns across digital channels.

Affiliate Marketing

  • Affiliate commissions paid out totaled $8.2 billion in the US alone in 2023.
  • 81% of brands use affiliate marketing as core performance channel in 2023.
  • Average affiliate commission rate 5-30% across industries in 2023 surveys.
  • Affiliate marketing drove 16% of all US e-commerce orders in 2023.
  • 84% of publishers consider affiliate programs primary revenue source 2023.
  • Global affiliate marketers number exceeded 15 million active in 2023.
  • Affiliate channels deliver 20x higher ROI than other paid channels on average.
  • 94% of affiliate marketers report revenue growth from programs in 2023.
  • Average order value via affiliates 27% higher than other channels 2023.
  • Fashion affiliate niche generated $4.5 billion in commissions 2023.
  • 65% of affiliate programs use CPS model in 2023 benchmarks.
  • Affiliate fraud losses estimated at $1.2 billion industry-wide 2023.
  • Amazon Associates paid $2.5 billion to affiliates in 2023.
  • 42% of affiliates promote via blogs, 28% social media in 2023.
  • SaaS affiliate programs average 12% commission rates 2023.
  • Coupon affiliates drive 15% of total affiliate revenue 2023.
  • 76% of brands plan to increase affiliate budgets in 2024 per 2023 surveys.
  • Gaming affiliate niche grew 35% YoY to $1.8 billion 2023.
  • Average affiliate payout cycle 60 days in 2023 industry avg.
  • 55% of affiliates use email lists for promotion 2023.
  • Health & beauty affiliates earned $2.1 billion commissions 2023.
  • Multi-tier affiliate programs used by 22% of brands 2023.
  • Affiliate marketing attribution window averages 30 days 2023.
  • Finance affiliate niche $3.2 billion revenue share 2023.
  • 89% of affiliates value brand reputation in partnerships 2023.
  • Travel affiliates rebounded with $1.5 billion post-2023.

Affiliate Marketing Interpretation

While a staggering $8.2 billion in commissions proves affiliate marketing is no side hustle, its $1.2 billion fraud headache is a sobering reminder that where big money flows, a few bad apples will try to grab the whole pie.

Market Size and Growth

  • Global performance marketing spend reached $285 billion in 2023, representing 45% of total digital ad expenditure.
  • Performance marketing industry CAGR projected at 14.2% from 2023 to 2030, driven by e-commerce expansion.
  • US performance marketing market valued at $92 billion in 2023, up 18% from 2022.
  • Affiliate marketing subset of performance marketing hit $17 billion globally in 2023.
  • Asia-Pacific performance marketing grew 22% YoY in 2023 to $85 billion.
  • Europe's performance marketing spend forecasted to reach €75 billion by 2025.
  • Performance marketing accounted for 52% of total ad budgets in e-commerce brands in 2023.
  • Global programmatic performance ad spend hit $140 billion in 2023.
  • Latin America performance marketing market expanded to $12 billion in 2023, 25% growth.
  • Mobile performance marketing spend surpassed $100 billion globally in 2023.
  • Performance marketing ROI averaged 5:1 across industries in 2023 surveys.
  • Total addressable performance marketing market estimated at $500 billion by 2027.
  • B2B performance marketing grew 16% to $45 billion in North America 2023.
  • Retail sector allocated 60% of ad budget to performance marketing in 2023.
  • Global performance marketing agencies revenue topped $50 billion in 2023.
  • Emerging markets performance marketing CAGR at 20% through 2028.
  • SaaS companies spent $15 billion on performance marketing in 2023.
  • Performance marketing penetration in total ad spend rose to 48% in 2023.
  • Fintech performance marketing market size $8 billion in 2023.
  • Healthcare performance marketing grew 19% to $20 billion globally 2023.
  • Travel industry performance marketing rebound to $25 billion post-COVID 2023.
  • Gaming app performance marketing spend $30 billion in 2023.
  • EdTech performance marketing market valued at $10 billion 2023.
  • Fashion e-commerce performance marketing $35 billion spend 2023.
  • Automotive performance marketing digital spend $12 billion 2023.
  • Real estate performance marketing leads cost averaged $200 in 2023 market.
  • Telecom performance marketing budget 40% of total ads $18 billion 2023.
  • CPG brands performance marketing allocation up to 55% in 2023.
  • Logistics performance marketing market $5 billion growth 2023.
  • Global performance marketing job market grew 12% adding 100k roles 2023.

Market Size and Growth Interpretation

With marketers now gambling nearly half their digital ad budgets on proven returns, the performance marketing revolution is essentially turning advertising from a speculative art into a measurable science, backed by a staggering $285 billion in global spend.

PPC and Search Advertising

  • PPC ad spend in performance marketing hit $120 billion globally in 2023.
  • Google Ads CPC average $2.69 for search campaigns in 2023.
  • 65% of clicks from top 3 search positions in Google 2023.
  • Search ad CTR averaged 3.17% across industries 2023.
  • Quality Score impact: Ads with 10/10 score 2x conversions 2023.
  • Mobile search PPC share 58% of total clicks 2023.
  • Bing Ads CPC 30% lower than Google average $1.89 2023.
  • Remarketing lists boost PPC CTR by 161% avg 2023.
  • E-commerce PPC ROAS averaged 4.5:1 in 2023 benchmarks.
  • Long-tail keywords CPC 50% lower, 2.5x conversions 2023.
  • Google Shopping ads drove 35% of retail search revenue 2023.
  • Ad extensions increase CTR by 15% on average 2023.
  • Local services ads conversion rate 17% higher 2023.
  • PPC budget allocation: 50% search, 30% display 2023 avg.
  • Voice search PPC impressions up 40% YoY 2023.
  • Dynamic search ads cover 15% more queries automatically 2023.
  • Finance industry avg CPC $3.44 highest in 2023.
  • Legal services PPC CPC peaked at $6.75 per click 2023.
  • Average PPC conversion rate 2.94% across sectors 2023.
  • Responsive search ads outperform expanded text by 10% CTR 2023.
  • PPC fraud clicks 22% of total traffic costing $84B 2023.

PPC and Search Advertising Interpretation

In 2023, the $120 billion PPC arena showed you can't just throw money at Google and hope, but must instead craft a brilliant, high-scoring, and mobile-first ad with extensions and long-tail keywords, because while being in the top three positions captured most clicks, the sobering reality is that nearly a quarter of your budget was likely stolen by fraudsters, proving that success in performance marketing is equal parts art, science, and vigilant fraud prevention.

ROI, Trends, and Future Outlook

  • Average performance marketing ROAS 4.21:1 across channels 2023.
  • Multi-touch attribution used by 62% of marketers in 2023.
  • Privacy-first cookieless tracking adopted by 45% in 2023.
  • AI-optimized campaigns improve ROAS by 35% avg 2023.
  • Customer lifetime value from performance marketing up 28% 2023.
  • Incrementality testing shows 25% true lift from performance ads.
  • Zero-party data boosts ROI 2.9x in performance campaigns 2023.
  • Headless commerce performance marketing ROAS 6:1 avg 2023.
  • Performance max campaigns Google ROAS 18% higher 2023.
  • Unified attribution platforms cut waste by 22% spend 2023.
  • 78% of marketers prioritize first-party data for ROI 2023.
  • Server-side tracking adoption 55% improves accuracy 2023.
  • Predictive analytics forecast 40% better budget allocation 2023.
  • Omnichannel performance strategies lift ROI 31% 2023 benchmarks.
  • Blockchain for attribution reduces fraud 18% improving ROI.
  • 2024 performance marketing trend: AI personalization 89% adoption.
  • Sustainability-focused performance campaigns ROI 15% higher 2023.
  • Voice commerce performance marketing growth 55% YoY 2023.
  • Metaverse ad performance early ROI 3:1 in tests 2023.
  • Web3 performance marketing wallets targeted ROI 4.8:1 2023.
  • Edge computing cuts latency improving mobile ROI 20% 2023.
  • 68% of CMOs to increase performance budgets 15% in 2024.
  • Generative AI content for ads cuts costs 30% ROI up 2023.
  • Cross-device tracking lifts measured ROI 25% 2023 stats.
  • Performance marketing LTV/CAC ratio avg 3.2:1 optimal 2023.

ROI, Trends, and Future Outlook Interpretation

While marketers are busy untangling the attribution spaghetti, chasing cookieless ghosts, and flirting with AI, the underlying truth is that the savvy ones, who connect data with genuine customer value, are quietly printing money.

Social and Display Advertising

  • Facebook Ads average CPM $7.19, CPC $0.97 in Q4 2023.
  • Instagram ads drove 1.08% CTR avg for e-commerce 2023.
  • TikTok ad ROAS averaged 2.5:1 for performance campaigns 2023.
  • LinkedIn CPC avg $5.26 for B2B leads 2023 benchmarks.
  • Display ads CTR 0.46% industry avg, view-through 1.2% 2023.
  • YouTube trueview CPC $0.10-$0.30 avg 2023.
  • Snapchat performance ads conversion rate 2.5% avg 2023.
  • Pinterest promoted pins CPC $0.10-$1.50, 0.87% CTR 2023.
  • Twitter (X) ads CPM $6.46 avg Q4 2023.
  • Programmatic display spend $185 billion globally 2023.
  • Video ads on social platforms 85% preference over static 2023.
  • Retargeting display ads 70% higher conversion rates 2023.
  • Native ads CTR 0.59% vs 0.37% banners 2023 benchmarks.
  • Facebook carousel ads 10x engagement lift 2023 stats.
  • Instagram Stories swipe-up CTR 0.51% avg 2023.
  • LinkedIn sponsored content 3x lead gen over organic 2023.
  • Display ad viewability rate improved to 72% in 2023.
  • OTT/CTV ad spend in performance $25 billion 2023 growth.
  • Social commerce sales via ads $492 billion projected 2023.
  • TikTok shop ads conversion 8.5% higher than feed 2023.
  • Programmatic DOOH performance spend up 28% to $8B 2023.
  • Audio ads (podcast/Spotify) CPM $20-30 avg 2023.
  • User-generated content ads 4x engagement 2023 surveys.
  • Influencer social ads ROI 11x higher than traditional 2023.

Social and Display Advertising Interpretation

In a sea of data where Facebook haggles over pennies, Instagram flirts with clicks, and LinkedIn charges a fortune just to say hello, it's clear that today's performance marketer must be a shrewd tactician, knowing precisely when to whisper in a user's ear with retargeting and when to shout from the rooftops with video, all while remembering that even a billion-dollar programmatic machine still needs a human spark of engagement to actually convert.

Sources & References