YouTube CPM Rates in Europe by Country (2026 Data)

Most data you find online about YouTube earnings quotes CPM (Cost Per Mille) — the amount advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. This is not what creators receive. YouTube keeps 45% of ad revenue as its platform fee, so creators receive approximately 55% of gross CPM.

RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is the creator-facing equivalent — total revenue per 1,000 video views, after YouTube's cut, including all revenue sources (ads, channel memberships, Super Chats, and YouTube Premium revenue). RPM is always lower than CPM because not every view results in an ad impression, and YouTube Premium revenue is distributed separately.

For practical planning: if your channel's CPM is €8, your RPM is likely €3.50–€4.50 depending on your ad format mix and how often viewers skip ads. Use RPM from your own YouTube Analytics for revenue projections — it is more accurate than any industry benchmark.

The figures in this guide are CPM benchmarks derived from aggregated creator-reported data. They represent typical ranges for each market, not guarantees. Actual CPM varies with content niche, seasonality, and audience demographics within each country.

Norway leads European YouTube CPMs with averages of €6.50–€16 across niches, with finance and insurance content reaching €18–€22. The small population (5.4 million) means fewer creators competing for ad inventory, but also a smaller total audience. Norwegian creators typically earn in the top 10% globally for per-view revenue.

Switzerland is comparable, with CPMs of €6–€13 for general content and €15–€23 for financial services content. Swiss-German content competes with German and Austrian channels for DACH market ad budgets, which can push CPMs higher for well-positioned channels.

Denmark and Sweden both average €5.50–€12 CPM, driven by high per-capita income, a dense advertiser ecosystem, and audiences with above-average digital purchasing power. Scandinavian tech and sustainability content has seen particularly strong CPM growth in 2024–2025.

The Netherlands averages €4.50–€8.62 CPM. The Dutch market is notable for its high English-language proficiency — most Dutch creators can choose between Dutch-language content (smaller but high-CPM audience) and English-language content (larger global audience). German-language content from Germany itself averages €5–€9.80 CPM, rising to €12–€18 for finance and software categories. Germany is Europe's largest advertising market by total spend, which supports consistently strong CPMs despite being a competitive creator environment.

France averages €3.50–€6.50 CPM for general content, with finance, insurance, and legal content reaching €8–€14. The French creator economy is among the most professionally organised in Europe, with dedicated influencer agencies and well-established brand deal structures. French beauty, lifestyle, and food content typically earns €3–€5 CPM from ads but commands premium brand deals.

Belgium and Austria both sit in the €4–€7.50 range, benefiting from proximity to major advertising markets (Germany for Austria, both Germany and France for Belgium). Austrian creators often aggregate with German-Swiss audiences for effective DACH reach.

Finland averages €5–€9 CPM — higher than its population size would suggest, reflecting Finland's strong technology sector advertising and affluent consumer base. Finnish tech and gaming content performs particularly well.

Ireland and the UK (post-Brexit) are technically outside the eurozone and EU respectively, but are included here as they are often considered alongside European markets. Ireland sees €5–€10 CPM. The UK averages £5–£15 (€5.80–€17.40) CPM, the highest in Europe by some measures, driven by the sheer volume of UK-focused advertisers.

Spain averages €2.50–€5.50 CPM for most content, with finance reaching €6–€10. Italy is similar at €2.50–€5.00. Both are large markets by audience size, making total revenue viable despite lower per-view rates.

CPM is not a fixed number — it fluctuates throughout the year and with content category.

Seasonal patterns are consistent across all European markets: Q1 (January–March) is the weakest quarter, often 30–50% below Q4 rates as advertisers start new budget cycles cautiously. Q2 and Q3 are moderate and relatively stable. Q4 (October–December) is the peak, with CPMs often 40–70% above the annual average as brands exhaust budgets before year-end. Christmas advertising in Germany, France, and the UK drives particularly sharp Q4 spikes.

Niche multipliers are equally significant. Taking Germany as an example, a general entertainment channel might average €4 CPM. The same views on a personal finance channel earn €10–€16 CPM. An insurance comparison channel can reach €18–€25. This is why many faceless YouTube channels target finance, investing, and software content rather than entertainment — the CPM difference more than compensates for slightly smaller audiences.

Top-CPM niches across European markets in 2026: personal finance and investing (€10–€25), insurance and banking (€12–€28), legal advice (€10–€20), software and SaaS reviews (€8–€18), B2B and marketing (€8–€15), education and career (€6–€12). Entertainment, gaming, and lifestyle consistently sit in the €2–€6 range regardless of country.