Maya Robertson
TikTok supported an estimated $81 billion in U.S. GDP and 410,000 jobs in 2025, according to a new economic impact study commissioned by the company.
The research, conducted by PF Global, examined TikTok’s economic impact across businesses, creators, local commerce and consumer activity in the U.S. It surveyed more than 11,000 adults and 5,000 businesses.
The $81 billion figure represents estimated economic activity supported by TikTok rather than revenue generated directly by the platform. The study uses survey findings, third-party data and economic modeling to calculate the platform’s broader contribution.
TikTok said its role in product and business discovery was a significant part of that impact. According to the research, 27 million Americans visited an independent shop, cafe or restaurant for the first time after discovering it on TikTok, resulting in an estimated $4.7 billion in local spending during 2025.
Overall, the report attributed approximately $14 billion in additional consumer spending across sectors including retail, tourism and hospitality to discovery through TikTok.
The study also estimated that TikTok prompted 19 million additional visits to U.S. towns, cities and tourist attractions during the year.
Businesses surveyed for the report also linked TikTok activity with customer acquisition and sales. Among companies using the platform, 93% said promoting products or services on TikTok had increased sales, while 84% said it helped them reach customers they otherwise would not have reached.
Another 83% said TikTok was important for customer acquisition and business growth, while 80% reported that the platform had helped them scale their operations.
These figures are based on businesses reporting their own experiences and do not represent independently measured incremental sales.
The report also estimates that 1.8 million U.S. entrepreneurs sold products or services through TikTok in 2025, highlighting the platform’s growing role in social commerce and creator-led businesses.
TikTok has been expanding its commerce and local discovery capabilities as it looks to connect content consumption with purchases and offline activity. The company says more than 200 million Americans use the platform to discover businesses, destinations, products, skills and other content.
Beyond commercial activity, the study estimated that educational and skills-related TikTok content contributed to 3.6 billion hours of informal learning among U.S. users in 2025.
TikTok’s headline economic figures should be viewed within the methodology of the study. The research was commissioned by TikTok, and its estimates combine survey responses with economic modeling rather than directly measuring all economic activity attributed to the platform.
Still, the findings provide a new snapshot of how TikTok is quantifying its footprint beyond advertising and social media usage, particularly through local business discovery, commerce and creator activity.
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