Guide
YouTube nichesEuropeCPMcontent strategymonetisation2026Best YouTube Niches for European Creators in 2026: CPM, Competition, and Growth
Not all YouTube niches are equal. A personal finance channel with 50,000 subscribers can earn more per month than a gaming channel with 500,000. Niche selection is the most consequential early decision for a European creator because it determines your CPM ceiling, your brand deal potential, and the size of the audience you can realistically reach. This guide covers the highest-earning niches for European YouTube creators in 2026, with honest assessments of competition levels and what it takes to succeed.
Last updated: February 26, 2026
Step-by-Step Guide
Identify your intersection of knowledge, interest, and CPM potential
List 10 topics you know well enough to make 50+ videos about. Research the CPM range for each using this guide and YouTube Analytics benchmarks. Prioritise topics where your knowledge intersects with high CPM potential — you will need sustained motivation, so pure CPM optimisation without genuine interest rarely works.
Research competitor channels in your target niche and language
Search YouTube for channels in your intended niche and language. Note channels that are successful but not overwhelmingly dominant — spaces where one creator has 2–5 million subscribers suggest there is audience demand without monopoly. Spaces with no successful channels either have no demand or have not been tried yet — research which scenario applies.
Test your niche with 10 videos before committing
Post 10 videos in your chosen niche over 4–6 weeks. Analyse click-through rate (above 4% is positive), average view duration (above 40% is positive), and subscriber conversion rate. If these metrics are positive, continue. If they are consistently poor, assess whether the issue is execution or niche fit.
Plan your monetisation path beyond ads
Before starting, identify 3–5 affiliate programs in your niche that you can join once you have an audience. Map out which brands might sponsor your content. Consider whether a digital product (a course, guide, or template) is feasible in your niche. Having this plan ready before you reach monetisation prevents leaving revenue on the table.
Decide on language strategy: local or English
English gives you access to global audiences but puts you in direct competition with millions of English-language channels. Your native language gives you a captive, less contested market but limits audience size. Consider creating in your native language initially (easier competition, faster growth to monetisation) then adding English subtitles or a separate English channel once established.
Why niche selection determines your earning ceiling
YouTube CPM varies by a factor of 10 or more across content categories. A finance video and an entertainment video from the same creator, posted to the same channel, can earn radically different amounts per view because they attract different advertisers.
Advertisers target specific audiences based on intent and purchasing power. Financial services companies — banks, brokers, insurers, credit card providers — pay high CPMs because their products have high customer lifetime value. A new bank account customer acquired through a YouTube ad might be worth €200–€2,000 to the bank over their lifetime, justifying a high ad spend per view. A company advertising soda has much lower customer lifetime value per acquisition, and bids lower CPMs accordingly.
For European creators, this dynamic is amplified by the relationship between niche and audience geography. Finance content in German or English attracts advertisers willing to pay €8–€18 CPM because German-speaking audiences have high financial product uptake. The same finance content in a lower-income-market language might attract €3–€6 CPM because the financial products advertised are lower-margin.
Niche selection also determines brand deal potential, which typically outearns ad revenue for established creators. A personal finance channel can partner with fintech products (Trade Republic, N26, Scalable Capital) earning €40–€80 per referral. A food channel partners with meal kit services (HelloFresh, Marley Spoon) at lower commission rates and with less repeat purchase incentive. The finance creator's brand deal ecosystem is simply worth more per follower.
Highest CPM niches for European creators
Personal finance and investing is the highest-earning niche on YouTube across European markets. CPMs range from €10–€25 in Germany, €8–€20 in the UK and Nordic countries, and €6–€14 in France, Spain, and Italy. Content types that perform well: investment explainers, ETF and index fund tutorials, retirement planning, property investment, tax-saving strategies, and comparisons of financial products. The German-language finance category is less saturated than English, making it particularly accessible for new German creators.
Insurance and banking products are often the highest individual CPMs on the platform, with some finance channels reporting CPMs above €25 in Germany and Norway. Content covering health insurance comparisons, life insurance planning, and banking product reviews attracts insurers who bid aggressively for qualified leads.
Software and SaaS reviews earn €8–€18 CPM and have strong brand deal potential. European B2B software audiences are valuable to enterprise software companies bidding for professional audiences. Tutorials for tools like Notion, Figma, HubSpot, or Adobe products perform consistently. This niche works well as a faceless channel since screen recording eliminates the need for camera presence.
AI and technology content earns €10–€22 CPM and is growing faster than almost any other category — AI-adjacent content grew approximately 18x year-on-year through 2024–2025 by some estimates. The challenge is the speed of change: content can become outdated quickly, requiring ongoing production.
Legal and accounting content earns among the highest CPMs (€12–€20+) but requires professional credentials or partnerships with qualified professionals in most EU countries. Content covering European small business law, tax strategies, and contractual rights serves an underserved audience in most languages.
Moderate CPM niches with strong brand deal potential
Health, fitness, and nutrition content earns moderate CPMs (€4–€9) but has exceptional brand deal potential. Supplement brands, fitness equipment companies, meal planning services, and wellness apps all invest heavily in creator partnerships. A German fitness creator with 100,000 subscribers might earn €2,000–€5,000/month from brand deals despite relatively modest ad CPMs.
Real estate and property investment is a growing niche in European markets, particularly in Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands where housing is a politically and economically charged topic. CPMs run €8–€16 for content covering property investment, mortgage options, and real estate market analysis. This niche attracts estate agents, mortgage brokers, and property investment platforms as advertisers.
Career development and professional skills content earns €6–€12 CPM and has strong LinkedIn adjacency — creators who build YouTube audiences around career topics often convert them to LinkedIn followings, creating dual-platform income. Content covering job searching in Europe, visa processes for working abroad, and remote work opportunities serves a practical, commercially valuable audience.
Sustainability and climate content is growing rapidly in Northern European markets (Germany, Sweden, Netherlands) where environmental awareness drives purchasing decisions. CPMs are moderate at €4–€8, but brand deals with sustainable consumer brands, electric vehicle manufacturers, and clean energy services are increasing. This niche has lower competition than finance despite growing brand interest.
Lower CPM niches worth considering for European creators
Entertainment, gaming, comedy, and general lifestyle content represents the majority of YouTube content but earns the lowest CPMs — typically €2–€5 across European markets. That said, these niches support enormous channels because audience potential is far larger than in specialised categories.
Gaming earns €2–€5 CPM in most European markets but has a dedicated, loyal audience and strong Twitch crossover. PC gaming peripheral brands, gaming chair companies, and VPN services (common gaming sponsors) provide brand deal revenue. Scandinavian gaming creators have built some of Europe's largest YouTube channels — PewDiePie being the most famous example — demonstrating that low CPM can be overcome by enormous scale.
Cooking and food content earns €3–€6 CPM but has exceptional brand deal potential with food brands, kitchen equipment companies, meal kit services, and grocery delivery platforms. German, French, and Italian food content has loyal domestic audiences and cultural export potential.
Language learning is a niche that performs well across Europe because multilingualism is valued and practical. European creators teaching English to German speakers, Spanish to French speakers, or various languages to learners across the continent find engaged audiences. CPMs are moderate (€4–€7) but audience retention is high and brand deals with language learning platforms (Duolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur) are consistent.
Travel content earns lower CPMs (€3–€6) than pre-pandemic levels, as the travel industry has consolidated its influencer spending. However, European travel creators benefit from proximity to diverse destinations — creating content about Eastern Europe, the Balkans, or lesser-known Mediterranean destinations differentiates them from the oversaturated tropical travel niche.
Pro Tips
- The finance niche has the highest CPM but also the highest regulatory scrutiny — in Germany, France, and the UK, providing specific investment advice without authorisation can violate financial regulations. Stick to education and personal experience rather than personalised advice
- Evergreen content (videos that remain relevant for years) generates far better long-term returns than trending content — finance, tutorials, and how-to content stays relevant; news commentary becomes outdated
- Lower-competition languages (Polish, Dutch, Swedish) in high-CPM niches can outperform English-language channels in the same niche due to less competition despite similar CPM floors
- Niche authority matters more than channel size for brand deals — a 20,000-subscriber channel known as a trusted voice in German personal finance will earn more per deal than a 100,000-subscriber general lifestyle channel
- Platform algorithm changes can decimate niche channels overnight — always build supplementary revenue (email list, brand deals, affiliate income) rather than depending entirely on YouTube recommendations