Netflix is a lot older than many realize. Founded in 1997, it started as a small DVD service that allowed users to order DVDs by mail before it expanded to the service as we know it today. In fact, many of its subscribers today might not even be familiar with the concept of DVD and mail!
Then, in 2007, a decade after it was founded, it started to transform its identity to the Netflix that we’re familiar with by offering its subscribers the option to stream content.
Its history is actually quite interesting, but we won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty. Instead, in this article, we’ll share some of the most interesting and recent statistics about its subscribers, revenue, and growth over the years.
21 Netflix Stats: Subscribers, Revenue, Growth and More [2023]:
- 1. It Has About 223 Million Paid Subscribers
- 2. Amazon Prime Video Expected to Beat Netflix by 2027
- 3. Its Net Income Was More Than $5 Billion in 2022
- 4. It’s the 7th Biggest Internet Company
- 5. It Received 26 Emmy Wins in 2022
- 6. It Received 27 Oscar Nominations in 2022
- 7. Netflix Commissioned 160 Titles in Q2 2022
- 8. Squid Game Is the Most Popular non-English Netflix Show
- 9. Stranger Things Was the Most Streamed Acquired Series in 2022
- 10. Red Notice Is Its Biggest Original Movie
- 11. It Has Over 5,000 Titles
- 12. Switzerland and Croatia Are the Least Cost-effective Countries for Netflix Basic and Standard Plans
- 13. Customers in Pakistan Get the Best Value for Money
- 14. Slovakia Has the Most Netflix Content
- 15. The Majority of Netflix Subscribers Are From North America
- 16. Hispanic Americans Make Up Its Biggest Audience
- 17. Most Americans Would Pay More If It Means No Ads
- 18. Its Largest Share of Subscribers Are Millennial
- 19. It’s Most Popular Among Urban/suburban Democrats
- 20. Netflix Subscribers Watch Sport the Least Often
- 21. It Has an Equal Share of Male and Female Employees
- Frequently Asked Questions
21 Netflix Stats [Updated]
1. It Has About 223 Million Paid Subscribers
As of Q3 2022, Netflix had about 223 million paid subscribers across the globe which came as an increase of nearly 2.5 million subscribers compared with Q2.
In fact, Q2 it was the first time in years that the streaming service experienced a decline. That said, the loss for the second quarter was at least lower than anticipated, with original calculations estimating it to be double.
To put 2022’s performance into perspective, Netflix managed to add just over 18 million paying subscribers in 2021. Before you think this was impressive, it was not even half of how many they managed to welcome in 2020 when they enjoyed their highest ever year-on-year increase. Most businesses might have struggled in 2020, but Netflix managed to add 36.57 million paying subscribers to its current base to reach just over 200 million subscribers.
2. Amazon Prime Video Expected to Beat Netflix by 2027
As the numbers suggest according to Statista, Netflix’s days might be counted. According to estimates, Amazon Prime Video could surpass Netflix and (Disney+) by 2027.
Netflix currently still holds the title of the most in-demand video streaming service across the globe, even though it experiences decline in streaming market share, year over year.
3. Its Net Income Was More Than $5 Billion in 2022
In 2022, Netflix’s total net income was $5.044 billion, a 0.14% decline from its $5.12 billion worth in 2021. Considering that the company reported a net income loss in 2000, 2001, 2002, the streaming service made a lot of progress during the past two decades.
With regards to its total annual revenue for 2021, it was about $26.7 billion. It's the highest to date and is 10+ times more than the annual revenue it generated in 2007.
4. It’s the 7th Biggest Internet Company
As of June 2022, Netflix was the seventh largest internet company across the world with a market cap of more than $267 billion. The top three biggest companies were:
- Alphabet (Google’s parent company)
- Amazon
- Meta
Source: statista.com
5. It Received 26 Emmy Wins in 2022
For the 74th annual Emmy Awards held in September 2022, Netflix received 105 nominations and ultimately walked away with 26 wins, the second most wins after HBO and HBO Max that received 38 wins.
In 2021, it was virtually the opposite picture with Netflix stealing the spotlight with a total of 44 Emmys, the most wins that they’ve recorded in a year. While they received the most wins in 2021, they received more nominations the previous year. In 2020, they’ve received the most nominations to date — a whopping 160.
Some of the awards they received at 2022’s Emmy event include:
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae’s role in Squid Game
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Julia Garner’s role in Ozark
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
6. It Received 27 Oscar Nominations in 2022
In 2022, Netflix’s stories were recognized with 27 Oscar nominations which included two for the prestigious Best Picture category. While they received nearly 30 nominations, they managed to bag only one major award when Jane Campion won Best Director for The Power of the Dog.
They might have received fewer nominations than the previous year when they received 36 nominations and awards for Best Production Design as well as Cinematography, but 2022’s performance in terms of nominations was still better than 2020 when they received 24 Oscar nominations.
7. Netflix Commissioned 160 Titles in Q2 2022
Netflix is also home to original content that includes TV shows, movies, documentaries, kids’ series, anime, and stand-up specials that are found only on its platform. It’s a key component of its offering and includes a host of well-known, popular titles like:
- Squid Game
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines
- Stranger Things
- Bird Box
- The Crown
- House of Cards
- Orange Is the New Black
In Q2 2022, Netflix commissioned 160 TV shows and movie titles, slightly down from last year when it commissioned almost 200 titles in Q1 2021. Most of these originals are produced outside of the US.
8. Squid Game Is the Most Popular non-English Netflix Show
As of May 2022, Squid Game is the most popular non-English TV show on Netflix, using the number of hours views. It’s more than double as popular as Money Heist: Part 5, the second most popular non-English TV show on Netflix. In total, Squid Game had more than 1.6 billion viewing hours.
Source: statista.com
It was also one of the TV shows that received the most nominations for the 2022 Golden Globe Awards with three nominations, just two shy of HBO’s Succession that received the most number of nominations.
At the 2022 Emmy Awards, it performed even better. It won a total of six awards, placing it in second spot with Euphoria for the TV shows that won the second-most number of Emmys. Once again, HBO had the winning show with The White Lotus walking away with 10 in total.
Squid Game’s success in 2022 should come as no surprise. After all, it was the most popular digital original series release in 2021 and its premiere attracted almost 85 times the demand of the average series.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO and Chief Content Officer, commented that the company was taken aback by the popularity of this show, especially with regards to its reception across the globe.
In fact, Squid Game was so popular that an internet service provider in South Korea, SK Broadband, sued Netflix for maintenance work and the costs of increased network traffic caused by this rapid increase in viewers.
Perhaps more interestingly, it was also reported that a South Korean woman consulted a US law firm regarding possible compensation for suffering as her number was unintentionally used as a key element in the series. Consequently, she was flooded with countless calls. In an interview with Money Today, a South Korean newspaper, she shared that she had to delete over 4,000 numbers from her phone.
It’s reported that Netflix has since then edited out her phone number. It was also reported that Netflix has offered her compensation of up to 5 million South Korean Won. Though, the company has not commented regarding any possible compensation claims.
9. Stranger Things Was the Most Streamed Acquired Series in 2022
In 2022, Stranger Things was the acquired TV series that was streamed the most, according to FlixPatrol’s data. It was followed by Manifest and Inventing Anna.
10. Red Notice Is Its Biggest Original Movie
According to Insider, Red Notice is the biggest original movie that Netflix has ever shared. In its first month alone, it was watched more than 360 million hours. The movie features Dwayne Johnson and tells the tale of an FBI profiler on the hunt for an elusive criminal.
11. It Has Over 5,000 Titles
While Amazon Prime Video boasts the biggest library size, Netflix has more titles than other streaming platforms in the United States. According to JustWatch, in 2022, it had about 3,600 movies and 1,800 TV shows.
Source: businessofapps.com
12. Switzerland and Croatia Are the Least Cost-effective Countries for Netflix Basic and Standard Plans
While Netflix has subscribers from all over the world, if you’re based in Switzerland or Croatia, signing up for a Netflix basic or standard plan isn’t really great value for money. After taking into consideration the library size and monthly cost, Comparitech worked out that Croatians pay nearly double for a basic plan. While Switzerland has a pretty big library size (more than 5,000 titles in total), its monthly cost means that their citizens also pay basically double.
Other countries where Netflix offers less value for money for these plans are:
- Denmark
- Moldova
- Liechtenstein
- Sweden
- Norway
- San Marino
- Indonesia
- Belgium
- Israel
13. Customers in Pakistan Get the Best Value for Money
Previously, Netflix users from Argentina got the best Netflix deals if they signed up for a basic or standard plan. Fast-forward a year and Argentina has dropped to position four in terms of cost-effectiveness. Now, viewers in Pakistan, India, and Turkey get more value and it doesn’t matter if they sign up for a basic, standard, or premium plan.
To give you a better idea of how much money they’re “saving”, in these three countries the price per title ranges between $0.00026 and $0.00056 per title.
Other countries where Netflix offers better value for money are:
- Colombia
- Philippines
- Ukraine
- Brazil
- South Africa
- Slovakia
- Bulgaria
- Lithuania
14. Slovakia Has the Most Netflix Content
As of April 2022, Netflix subscribers from Slovakia were spoiled with the most choice. It had the biggest Netflix media library across the world with 7,436 titles. In second spot, it was Bulgaria with 7,162 titles, while Lithuania was in third place with just shy of 7,000 titles.
Leading countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada didn’t even make the Top 5.
15. The Majority of Netflix Subscribers Are From North America
Most Netflix subscribers come from the United States of America and Canada. These two countries alone accounted for more than 73 million of its total subscribers. This works out to a share of about 35% of Netflix’s global subscriber base. In terms of revenue, Business of Apps calculates North America’s contribution to Netflix’s revenue at nearly $13 billion.
16. Hispanic Americans Make Up Its Biggest Audience
When looking at the ethnicity of its viewers, a survey completed in August 2021 in the United States reveals that 70% of Hispanic Americans answered that they subscribed to Netflix. Only 61% of white respondents answered that they have a Netflix subscription.
Though, a survey completed by Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter paints a different picture. In February 2021, they collected responses from US adults about streaming platforms. According to their data, 65% of respondents who subscribed to Netflix were white. Only 31% classified themselves as Hispanic or Black.
17. Most Americans Would Pay More If It Means No Ads
A survey completed among US streamers between April and May 2022 has revealed that the vast majority aren’t interested in an ad-supported cheaper plan. Only 14% of the participants stated that they would likely switch to a cheaper plan, even if it meant that their viewing experience would be interrupted by ads.
18. Its Largest Share of Subscribers Are Millennial
Source: morningconsult.com
According to data shared by a Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter survey, millennials account for a third of its subscriber base. Generation X accounted for its second biggest share (26%), while 22% were baby boomers. So, with regards to age, it’s pretty much popular across all age groups.
There’s also no real difference with regards to gender. It’s only slightly more popular among females who had the highest share of subscribers (52%).
On the other hand, data shared by Statista paints a slightly different picture with regards to its popularity among the different age groups. According to their stats, it's a lot more popular among younger viewers in the US with about 75% of consumers aged 18 to 34 indicating that they’re a Netflix subscriber. Only 44% of consumers 65 and older said that they were subscribed to the service.
19. It’s Most Popular Among Urban/suburban Democrats
Source: morningconsult.com
With regards to political affiliations, Netflix is more popular among democrats. Just over 40% of respondents who participated in a Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter survey indicated that they’re democrat, followed by independents (33%), and republicans (25%).
The vast majority of its subscribers also reside in urban or suburban areas. Only 23% indicated that they’re from a rural area.
20. Netflix Subscribers Watch Sport the Least Often
Source: morningconsult.com
In a survey completed by Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter, almost a third (29%) of its subscribers indicated that they never watch sport. Only 13% shared that they watch sport about once per week.
21. It Has an Equal Share of Male and Female Employees
As of 2022, the company employed about 12,100 employees. This is more than double the number of employees it had six years ago.
What’s more, it has transformed from being mainly a US-based company to an international enterprise to include a diverse base of employees. As of Q4 2021, Statista reports that the company boasted an equal share of male and female employees. According to its data, 47.9% identified as female, 43.8% identified as male and 1.3% listed an additional gender identity. Though, this ratio didn’t apply to all its different departments. For example, in its tech department, about 60% of the employees were male, while its Creative and Corporate segment had more female employees.
According to Zippia, with regards to ethnicity specifically, 9% of employees were Asian. More than 18% were Hispanic or Latino.
Wrapping Things Up
Unlike one of its original series, House of Cards, that tumbled when a number of allegations of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey surfaced, it’s safe to say that Netflix won’t follow the same path. Looking at these statistics, Netflix looks pretty secure, still has the biggest market share, both globally as well as in the US.
That being said, stranger things have happened and with Apple, Amazon, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max to name only a few all fighting for a bigger market share, it will be interesting to watch how it unfolds in the next few years. In fact, current estimations give Netflix only four years before Amazon Prime becomes the new kid on the block. There’ll probably be a documentary about it soon. One thing that is sure is that as long as binge-watching remains one of our favorite pastimes, there’ll always be a need for on-demand streaming services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Netflix produce a lot of original content?
Netflix’s original content makes up more than a third (35%) of its entire content library, according to What’s on Netflix. This includes TV shows, movies, documentaries, kids’ series, anime, and stand-up specials that are found only on its platform. It’s a very important component of its offering and includes a host of well-known, popular titles like Squid Game, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Stranger Things, and Orange Is the New Black. At the end of 2020, it boasted more than 2,000 original titles.
How popular is Squid Game?
As of 13 October 2021, over 110 million Netflix accounts have streamed at least two minutes of Squid Game in the last 27 days, making it officially Netflix’s biggest original series launch. It’s so popular that the increase in viewers motivated an internet service provider in South Korea, SK Broadband, to sue Netflix for maintenance work and the costs of increased network traffic.
What are some common issues that subscribers have with Netflix?
The biggest issue that subscribers have with Netflix is that it loses popular shows, like The Office. Almost a third of US subscribers shared in a survey that this was their biggest complaint. Other common issues include Netflix original shows being canceled and the price going up. The same survey also found that nearly 20% of subscribers didn’t really have any complaints regarding their Netflix service.
Where is Netflix the cheapest?
If you’re in Argentina, you’ll get the best value for money if you sign up for a Netflix basic or standard plan. While a premium plan offers slightly better value to people from Turkey, Argentina is the second cheapest place to sign up for a Netflix premium plan. As a matter of fact, in Argentina Netflix can be about 80% cheaper than in the UK and US, according to Comparitech. Other countries where Netflix offers better value for money are Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa.
Which country has the most Netflix subscribers?
The majority of Netflix subscribers come from the United States of America and Canada. These two countries alone accounted for more than 74 million of its total subscribers. This works out to a share of about 35% of Netflix’s global subscriber base. In terms of revenue, Business of Apps calculates North America’s contribution to Netflix’s revenue at about $11.45 billion. Its second biggest region is Europe, the Middle East and Africa, followed by Latin America.
