Gravity
Subscription spending: what the data shows
Updated June 2026
The average U.S. consumer spends about $219 a month on subscriptions, but estimates their spending at just $86. That’s a $133-a-month blind spot (about $1,596 a year), and 42% of people have forgotten they were still paying for something they no longer use. Every figure on this page links to its primary source.
$219 vs $86
Average actual monthly subscription spend vs. what consumers estimate they spend, a 2.5× gap. (C+R Research, survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, April–May 2022.)
Source: C+R Research, 2022 · link to this stat
$133 / month
How much more the average person spends than they think, roughly $1,596 per year of largely invisible spending.
Source: CNBC (citing C+R Research), 2022 · link to this stat
42%
Share of consumers who have forgotten they were still paying for a subscription they no longer use.
Source: C+R Research, 2022 · link to this stat
74%
Share who say it's easy to forget about recurring monthly subscription charges.
Source: C+R Research, 2022 · link to this stat
72%
Share who put all their monthly subscription payments on auto-pay, making charges even easier to overlook.
Source: C+R Research, 2022 · link to this stat
$48 / month
Average U.S. household spend on video streaming services alone, with 47% having recently made a change to save money.
Source: Deloitte Digital Media Trends 2023 (via Variety) · link to this stat
What people think vs. what they actually spend
| Measure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated monthly spend | $86 | C+R Research, 2022 |
| Actual monthly spend | $219 | C+R Research, 2022 |
| Monthly blind spot | $133 | C+R Research, 2022 |
| Annualized blind spot | ≈ $1,596 | $133 × 12 |
Why the gap is so large
The blind spot isn’t carelessness, it’s structural. Subscription charges are spread across different billing channels, so no single screen shows you the total:
- Apple-billed apps appear in iPhone Settings → Subscriptions.
- Directly billed services (many streaming, news, and software plans) only show up on your card statement.
- PayPal and other wallets hold their own list of automatic payments.
- Annualrenewals arrive once a year, long after you’ve forgotten you signed up.
Combined with auto-pay (72%) and how easy people say it is to forget recurring charges (74%), it’s no surprise that 42% end up paying for something they no longer use.
Sources
- C+R Research, “Subscription Service Statistics and Costs”, survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, April 22–May 2, 2022. crresearch.com
- CNBC, “Consumers spend an average $133 more each month on subscriptions than they realize” (2022). cnbc.com
- Deloitte Digital Media Trends 2023, reported by Variety. variety.com
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