YouTube CPM Rates in the UK by Niche (2026 Data)

Before diving into the numbers, let's clear up what these metrics actually mean for your bank balance.

CPM (Cost Per Mille) is what advertisers pay YouTube for 1,000 ad impressions on your videos. This is the gross figure. RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is what you actually earn per 1,000 views — after YouTube takes its 45% cut and accounting for views that didn't show ads.

The gap between CPM and RPM is significant. If your CPM is £10, your RPM might be £4-£5.50. Why? Because not every view generates an ad impression. Viewers with ad blockers, YouTube Premium subscribers, videos under 8 minutes with only pre-roll ads, and views from countries with low ad fill rates all reduce your effective earnings.

For UK creators specifically, about 60-70% of views typically generate monetisable ad impressions. This is higher than the global average but lower than the US, where the figure is closer to 75-80%. The practical takeaway: multiply any CPM figure by roughly 0.30-0.40 to estimate your actual RPM in pounds.

UK CPMs also vary by device. Desktop viewers generate higher CPMs than mobile viewers (advertisers pay more for desktop ad placements), and smart TV viewers fall somewhere in between. If your audience skews toward desktop viewing — common in business and tech niches — your effective CPM will be higher.

Here's the most comprehensive breakdown of UK CPM rates available, compiled from creator reports and advertising industry data.

Finance and investing: £10-£22 CPM. The highest-paying niche in the UK by a wide margin. Banks, investment platforms, insurance companies, and fintech brands bid aggressively for this audience. Sub-niches: stock investing (£12-£22), personal finance basics (£10-£16), cryptocurrency (£8-£14, down from previous years), mortgages and property investment (£12-£20).

Business and entrepreneurship: £8-£16 CPM. SaaS companies, business tool providers, and B2B advertisers target this demographic. Higher when content relates to specific tools or business categories.

Technology: £7-£15 CPM. Varies by sub-niche. Software reviews and tutorials (£10-£15) earn more than general tech news (£7-£10). Product review channels benefit from high CPMs during launch seasons.

Education and careers: £5-£10 CPM. Universities, course platforms, and career services are consistent advertisers. UCAS-related content peaks in January-March.

Health and wellness: £4-£8 CPM. Restricted by Google's advertising policies on health claims, which limits the number of advertisers bidding.

Food and cooking: £3-£7 CPM. Supermarkets and food brands advertise here. Seasonal spikes around Christmas, Easter, and summer barbecue season.

Gaming: £1.50-£4 CPM. Low because the audience skews young and uses ad blockers heavily. PC gaming content earns more than mobile gaming.

Entertainment and comedy: £2-£5 CPM. Broad but low-value to most advertisers.

Knowing CPM rates should directly influence your content strategy. Here's how to think about it practically.

The earnings equation: Monthly earnings = (Monthly views / 1,000) × RPM. If you can get 100,000 monthly views in a £12 CPM niche (roughly £5 RPM), you earn £500/month. In a £3 CPM niche (roughly £1.30 RPM), the same views earn £130/month. That's nearly 4x difference for identical effort.

High CPM doesn't mean easy money. Finance and tech niches pay well precisely because the content requires knowledge, research, and production quality. Viewers in these niches are more discerning. You can't blag your way through a video about ISA strategies the way you might with a reaction video.

Hybrid niches are underexploited. Content that sits between two niches often captures the higher CPM. A 'technology for small businesses' channel earns tech and business CPMs. 'Health and fitness for busy professionals' captures health and career CPMs. 'Property investment technology' sits at the intersection of three high-CPM categories.

Faceless channels can compete in high-CPM niches. You don't need to be a qualified financial advisor to make a well-researched video about how ISAs work. AI tools like FluxNote allow you to create professional, factual content in high-CPM niches with stock footage, quality voiceover, and polished editing — all without appearing on camera.

Consider audience value, not just views. A channel with 50,000 monthly views in UK finance (£500/month ad revenue) is more valuable overall than a channel with 200,000 views in gaming (£260/month). The finance audience is also more attractive to brands for sponsorships.