Written by Lucy Hall and reviewed, fact-checked and signed off by a SocialDay editor before publication. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy. Spotted something wrong? Tell the newsroom.

Two-thirds of European creators receive no government support, despite contributing more to GDP than many legacy sectors. YouTube's Creative Capital report exposes the structural barriers holding back an export economy built by entrepreneurs regulators don't officially recognise.

YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed over €8.4 billion to the EU's GDP in 2025 and supported more than 220,000 full-time equivalent jobs, yet 63% of creators receive little to no support when engaging with government bodies.

That is the central finding of Creative Capital, YouTube's new report drawing on over 20,000 creators from all 27 EU Member States. The survey is the first time that European creators from across the EU27 have provided a single, unified voice detailing exactly what they need to thrive.

The report lays bare a paradox. Europe's creator economy is a significant economic contributor and cultural export engine (more than 70% of EU27 creator watch time comes from outside Europe), yet creators remain locked out of decision making processes, traditional funding schemes, and official data.

For social media marketers, this matters because creator campaigns depend on a functional infrastructure: training pathways, access to capital, studio spaces, and official recognition that makes partnerships with creators legible to finance and procurement teams. When creators cannot access small-business loans because their profession is not classified in tax systems, or when they cannot bid for cultural funding because digital storytelling is excluded from award criteria, brand deals become the only revenue stream.

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