51+ Mind-Blowing Netflix Statistics for 2021

Netflix statistics are of huge importance to understanding its success, goals, as well as its impact on our lives.

The video streaming platform has been expanding with an incredible pace in the last decade, and it keeps finding new ways to grow. It’s no surprise it has become almost a daily routine, essential for tens of millions of internet users.

That’s why TechJury decided to gather a few facts, to give you a taste of what Netflix is all about:

• There were almost 208 million paying Netflix subscribers in Q1 of 2021.
• 47% of Americans prefer Netflix over any other video streaming service.
• Netflix has set up 1,300 recommendation clusters, based on our viewing preferences.
• Netflix is responsible for 8% of all time spent watching videos worldwide.
• The median age of Netflix users is between 35-44 years.
• 41% of Netflix users use the platform without paying.
• Extraction was the most-watched Netflix movie in 2020.

These are just an appetizer, now here comes the main dish.

Fascinating Netflix Statistics for 2021

Have you realized that more people use video streaming services lately?

Owing to the lockdown and the recent “stay at home” rule, billions of people have resorted to online streaming services. Recent stats have proven Netflix to be the people’s choice.

Dive into our Netflix statistics to learn how much impact this has had on the company. 

1. In quarter one of 2021, Netflix had 207.64 million paying customers.

(Source: Statista)

How many subscribers does Netflix have?

Every quarter since 2013, the company has experienced growth in terms of premium consumers.

In 2013 Netflix only had 34.25 million subscribers that paid to watch. Since then, the trend has been a steady growth every few months.

The latest data shows that the streaming giant had 207.64 million paying clients in Q1 of 2021.

2. In Q1 2021, Netflix had 74.38 million paying customers in the United States and Canada.

(Source: Statista)

The majority of Netflix subscribers were from North American, namely the US and Canada. According to Netflix statistics by country, the two accounted for about 74 million of the 207.6 million global clients.

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa came in second with about 68.5 million, while Latin America was third with about 37.9 million. The Asia Pacific brought in the least number with approximately 26.9 million.

3. 47% of Americans prefer to use Netflix over other video streaming services.

(Source: News 10)

Netflix is king.

But what about the competition?

Amazon Prime Video comes in second at 14%, while Hulu and Disney+ accounted for 13.6% and 13% respectively.

4. 41% of Netflix users use the platform without paying. 

(Source: Compari Tech)

Due to account and password sharing, a large number of people have somewhat free access to Neflix. About 14% watch using the password sent to them by friends or family. Also, 27% of users watch using the paid subscription of someone in their household.

5. The median age of Netflix users is between 35-44 years.

(Source: Business of Apps)

Back in 2015, millennials were the median users of the video-streaming service. Netflix stats for 2021, however, show that more adults and middle-aged people are getting interested in the video streaming platform.

6. There were 15 million UK households subscribed to Netflix in 2020.

(Source: Statista)

The number of total Netflix users in England was only 12.4 million in 2019. The country was in third place behind the United States and Brazil in the third quarter of 2020, with 15 million households.

7. Netflix had 9,400 full-time members of staff in 2020.

(Source: Statista)

According to Netflix statistics, the company had 9,400 full-time staff working in 2020. That was 800 employees more than it had the previous year, and twice as much as it had in 2016!

Netflix Shows Statistics

A large number of TV shows and movies are being streamed daily on Netflix. 

Want to know if your favorite show has a high number of views?

Or which movie is the most popular?

Read on to find out!

8. Extraction was the most-watched Netflix movie in 2020.

(Source: Deadline)

The action movie featuring Chris Hemsworth was released amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Netflix statistics for 2020 suggest that the movie has been viewed in more than 90 million households in the first 4 weeks of its release. It is well on its way to becoming the biggest movie premiere on the platform so far.

9. Money Heist 4 is the most-watched non-English TV show on Netflix.

(Source: The Guardian)

This Spanish TV show’s new season was the most anticipated one so far. The fact that it was also released amidst the coronavirus pandemic further fueled people’s anticipation for the series. Netflix user statistics for 2020 recorded over 65 million viewers of the show across the whole world in its first month only.

10. Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running show on Netflix.

(Source: Insider)

The Medial show has been on air since 2015 for a total of 15 seasons. As of 2020, the American drama had 342 episodes ahead of Criminal Minds (324 episodes) and The Office (210 episodes).

11. Two Netflix movies won awards at the 2020 Oscars.

(Source: Business of Apps)

Although a whopping 24 Netflix movies were nominated in the 2020 Oscar award ceremony across different categories, only a couple were able to clinch awards. Netflix stats for 2020 went further to reveal that so far, the company has won a total of 12 Golden Globe Awards out of a jawbreaking 75 nominations.

Streaming Netflix Statistics

Yes, Netflix is huge on streaming, duh. But these stats show exactly how massive they are, and it’s not looking like they’re slowing down anytime soon.

12. Netflix is the second most used video streaming service in the US.

(Source: Statista)

Youtube leads the way with 197.5 million monthly users on average. Netflix comes second with 72.9 million. However, Netflix is first among the video streaming services when it comes to paid subscribers.

13. Netflix is responsible for 14.92% of global application traffic share.

(Source: Sandvine)

A Sandvine report from 2018 points Netflix as the top video streaming site in the world. After all, users can access Netflix programs in 190 countries. This percentage is even higher in the States alone at 19.1%.

Depending on the US network operator, Netflix’ total downstream traffic can reach 40% in peak hours.

14. 23% of US adults stream Netflix on a daily basis.

(Source: Statista)

In comparison, this number was just 6% in 2011. And just to put this percentage in context, this equals over 57 million daily Neflix users in the US alone.

15. 51% of all US streaming service subscribers use Netflix.

(Source: CNBC)

Here are some US-related Netflix facts – 57% of all US citizens are using some form of streaming services, according to a CNBC survey. Over half of those (51%) stream Netflix. And 81% of those 51% stream it on a TV.

36% of all surveyed own both a cable and a streaming subscription.

16. Netflix has 13,612 unique titles.

(Source: Cord Cutting)

However, note that the permission to use the titles differs from country to country. According to Netflix statistics by country, the top three countries with the largest catalogs are the United States of America (5,087), Martinique (4,648), and Guadeloupe (4,645).

17. Netflix was the leading Subscription-video-on-Demand (SVoD) in the UK in 2020.

(Source: Statista)

Amazon Prime Video had dominated the market prior. However, in 2020, Netflix SVoD in the United Kingdom started catching up in 2019. In Q3 of 2020, Amazon got 10.1 million subscribers, 5 million less than Netflix, according to Netflix statistics.

18. Netflix is the Titan of Video-on-Demand in the United States.

(Source: Statista)

Statista survey from 2018 shows 77% of the VoD userbase have Netflix subscriptions.

19. By the end of 2020, experts predicted Netflix will be present in over 114 million households.

(Source: Forbes)

With a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8.96%, Netflix is expected to increase its reach from 81.5 million households today to 114 million worldwide next year. The authentic locations used for filming their Netflix shows in 2018 are among the main reasons for such growth.

20. Netflix was streaming 1,000 titles at first.

(Source: Thrillist)

That collection may seem small now, but in 2007 that was a lot. Netflix initiated the move because of the massive competition between DVD rental services at the time.

21. 58% of US users state Netflix Originals as the main reason for a subscription.

(Source: eMarketer)

Original content is vital for the success of any streaming service. In the case of Netflix, having no ads helps as well. 51% of all subscribers sign up to avoid watching ads.

22. The Asia Pacific region is the fastest-growing in terms of Netflix subscriptions.

(Source: Statista)

Although the APAC was the smallest market as of Q1 of 2021, its growth has been promising. In the last few years, it was doing about 50% of Latin America’s subscription rate. However, as of the first quarter of 2021, it closed that gap by about 20%.

Viewing Netflix Statistics

Now, let’ see how all this streaming translates into viewing stats. From DVDs to binge-watching,  Netflix has a vast menu of notable accomplishments.

23. Netflix’ total viewer pool is estimated at over 300 million worldwide.

(Source: BusinessInsider)

Todd Yellin, Product and Innovation VP at Netflix, recently stated their total users go above 300 million. This happened in an interview preceding the second season premiere of “Stranger Things”. This includes people, who share an account as well.

24. 37% of users binge-watch at work.

(Source: ThePlaylist)

A Netflix report showed that over a third of their users are okay with binge-watching shows at work. In addition, 27 percent binge while waiting for other services, and 12% have even used Netflix in public restrooms. And in case you don’t want your employees watching Netflix, you can always use an employee monitoring solution. 

25. The most binged show on Netflix is Friends. 

(Source: The Dubrovnik Times)

Netflix introduces new shows every month. But there are fan favorites that users can’t seem to get enough of, hence repeat them from time to time.

According to Netflix binge-watching stats, 63% of viewers have rewatched the Friends sitcom, while 59% of the Peep Show fans have watched it more than once. The office is the third most binge-watched show with 55%.

26. The billionth Netflix DVD was delivered in 2007.

(Source: Fox News)

Although the company focuses on streaming right now, it has come a long way since the beginning. The lucky customer was awarded a lifetime subscription in celebration of the milestone.

27. Viewers watched six billion hours of Netflix per month collectively in 2020.

(Source: Daily Mail)

Netflix viewing history reveals that users watched six billion collective hours in 2020 every month.

Each hour requires about 3 GB of data to stream. Looking at a monthly consumption, that goes up to around 18 exabytes.

28. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness was 2020’s most-watched reality show.

(Source: Forbes)

The reality show was ahead of Locke & Key (Drama) and Spare Force (Comedy). In terms of genres, reality shows were the most binge-watched by 32% of subscribers.

29. The total number of Netflix subscribers across the world reached 163.5 million in 2019.

(Source: Statista)

158 million of those are paying subscribers and over 5.5 million – free trial customers. Keep in mind the statistic in 2007 stood at just 7 million subscribers globally.

30. 80% of subscribers’ watch choices come from their personal recommendation engine.

(Source: BusinessInsider)

In 2016, Netflix estimated that just 20% of all subscribed title choices were made on their own. The others came from the AI-driven engine.

31. 45 million separate accounts have watched “Bird Box”.

(Source: TheVerge)

One of the most successful Netflix movies came out at the end of 2018. It got the attention of 45 million accounts in the span of one week.

32. Money Heist was the most viewed show in 2020.

(Source: Farout Magazine)

Money Heist Season 4 had 65 million viewers in 2020. In second place was Tiger King with 64 million viewers, then The Queen’s Gambit took third place with 62 million.

Netflix Finance Stats

We’ve covered the screen numbers, now come the coins.  All of Netflix’s efforts are surely paying off despite some contradictory stats.

33. Netflix revenue for Q1 of 2021 was approximately $7.16 billion.

(Source: MacroTrends)

Netflix earnings for 2021 reached $7.163 billion in the first quarter. That was a 24.2% increase year on year. For the 12 months prior, the company cumulatively made around $26.39 billion in revenue.

34. Netflix still makes the best of DVD rentals.

(Source: Observer)

In 2017 alone, Netflix earned close to $450 million in revenue just from DVD rental services. This is only natural, considering 4 million of their users had DVD rental subscriptions in 2016.

35. Netflix plans to spend $19.03 billion on content.

(Source: Business Matters)

In 2013, the giant streaming company only spent $2.3 billion on content. Its budget has increased over the years, as it strives to provide more high-quality video.

Video content will cost the organization close to $20 billion in 2021. That will be an increase of $1.73 billion compared to its spending in 2020.

36. Netflix lost more than one million subscribers to Disney Plus.

(Source: USA Today)

As you may know, Disney now has a streaming channel called Disney+, which led it to pull out of Netflix. On day one of operation alone, it gained 10 million subscribers.

That’s not all.

Barely a month after the service’s launch, Netflix lost around one million of its loyal customer base.

37. Netflix will have a positive cash flow after 2021.

(Source: CNBC)

Netflix facts reveal that it will break even in 2021. It’s now considering buying back its shares, a thing it hasn’t been able to do since 2011.

38. Netflix’s net worth is $30.48 billion.

(Source: Go Banking Rate)

Netflix’s net worth is about $30.5 billion, according to an evaluation by Go Banking Rates. Its market capitalization in the 52-week range is $166.71 – $242.63 billion, and the market share price for the same period is $290.25 – $593.29.

39. Netflix saves up $1 billion a year via its personalized recommendation engine.

(Source: BusinessInsider)

In an interview with Tech Insider Australia, Carlos Gomez-Uribe, product innovation VP at Netflix, stated they could correlate any user with their genre preferences. An academic paper by Gomez-Uribe and Neil Hunt claims “personalization and recommendations” save them at least a billion per year.

40. Netflix’ expected 2020 revenue in the US is $7.2 billion.

(Source: Forbes)

Netflix facts show this number was $1.6 billion in 2011 and then grew to $3.4 billion in 2014. 2017 showed another increase as the revenue was at $5.4 billion.

41. Netflix subscribers today pay an average of $11.56 monthly for the service.

(Source: FromeDome)

This is over 40% less than what they used to pay 10 years ago. The price back then was almost $20 per subscriber. Additionally, Netflix used to spend close to $48 to acquire a new customer. Acquiring a new customer now costs them $15.25 on average.

42. The first Netflix shares cost $15 per piece in 2002.

(Source: CrunchBase)

No more wondering when did Netflix go public.

The company introduces its initial public offering in 2002 by placing 5.5 million shares for sale. Netflix was evaluated at $82.5 million back then. Today, the company’s estimated value of $147 billion puts the share price at $339.

Some Curious Netflix Stats

Movie hunting, victory podiums, expansion, record breakers, and a bit more. Here are the facts, which formed the last, somewhat crazy section of this piece.

43. Netflix has over 76,000 hidden TV show/Movie categories.

(Source: Dayton Daily News)

It’s hard to place every category on the main page, so Netflix has prepared an Easter hunt for their users. In order to access silent movies, slapstick comedies, or B-Horror Netflix movies in 2019, you need to use a specific genre code.

Once acquired, simply log in and use it to browse.

44. In 2021, Netflix had 42 Golden Globe nominations.

(Source: Netflix)

The nominees for Netflix shows in 2021 were 20 awards, while the films got 22. Examples of the contenders were:

• Ozark
• The Crown
• The Queen’s Gambit
• Emily in Paris
• Over The Moon

45. It takes 5 days on average to binge-watch a series on Netflix.

(Source: CreditDonkey)

Keep in mind this is “on average”. I was quite surprised by these Netflix binge-watching stats, but there are binge racers who will try to finish a series in the first 24 hours after it’s released. There are 8.4 million of those enthusiasts across the globe.

46. Netflix came to the Canadian market in 2010.

(Source: CBC)

The Canadian Netflix only has around 3,500 titles, unfortunately. Well, still better than nothing, eh?

47. A user managed to watch the same movie 352 times in 2017.

(Source: News.com.au)

In the last week of November 2017, Netflix shared that a user has watched “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” a total of 352 times since the beginning of the year. Netflix didn’t disclose the user profile, however.

48. Blockbuster refused to buy the Netflix company in 2000.

(Source: BusinessInsider)

The offer was $50 million. Blockbuster didn’t take the chance because they viewed this business niche as too tiny.

49. A Netflix user watches an average of 60 films annually.

(Source: Much Needed)

Which equals one movie every six days. Or five movies per month.

50. Argentina has the cheapest Netflix rates.

(Source: Comparitech)

As of 2021, the country with the lowest Netflix prices is Argentina. Turkey has retained this title for quite some time, but it recently hiked its prices, leaving Argentina to claim it. 

Argentina’s plans are as follows:

• Basic – $3.28/month
• Standard – $5.40/month
• Premium – $7.87/month

51. Chris Rock earned $40 million for his work with Netflix.

(Source: Engadget)

The comedy actor produced two stand-up comedy specials – “Tamborine” debuted in February 2018, while the second one hasn’t premiered yet.

52. At the end of 2018, Netflix facts show they had 5,500 employees.

(Source: Forbes)

In October 2018, Netflix employed 4,700 people. The usual starting salary was $17-$18 an hour (+ a free Netflix subscription). Considering that Netflix had 8,600 full-time employees by the end of 2019, the company is growing at a lightning-fast pace. 

53. Over 56% of VPN users utilize them to access Netflix every month.

(Source: Data Prot)

Roughly 5 out of 10 VPN users outside the United States of America are watching Netflix every month.

In Mexico and Canada, 49% of Netflix fans confessed to using VPNs. The same case applies to 37% of Brazilians who watch Netflix.

54. During the first few months of the pandemic, Google searches for Netflix surged.

(Source: Comparitech)

Netflix statistics during quarantine show searches skyrocketed in March 2020, as it saw a 104% rise in relevancy on Google Trends.

55. In Q3 of 2020, the ratio of men to women was almost 50:50.

(Source: Statista)

The representation of females was 47.5%, while that of males was 46.1%. The slight discrepancy (0.9%) came from other gender identities. On top of that, 5.5% didn’t disclose their gender.

However, there were considerable disparities across departments. For instance, 60% of the tech department were men, while the creative and corporate sections had more women.

Conclusion

You probably already knew Netflix was getting big. It employs a lot of people and has a wealth of in-house productions – the company is in it to win it. It’s not surprising, then, that Netflix is chasing the 170-million subscriber mark.

What you probably didn’t know (and you needed those Netflix statistics to tell you) was the exact details of how successful this company is. Well, now you know. It’s a money machine that runs on your watching habits. What you do with this information is up to you.