Last Updated: November 21, 2023
Highlights. Airbnb statistics indicate the travel booking site has recovered from the previous year’s losses with a 638% increase in net income throughout 2022.
- Corporate revenue for the second quarter of 2023 totaled $2.484 billion.
- Airbnb is valued at $74.6 billion as of October 2023, up 45.9% since the start of the year.
- The average host earned $14,000 in 2022.
- Over 60% of U.S. hosts say they rent out their primary home while they’re on vacation.
- Over 4 million hosts have 7 million global listings on Airbnb.
For further context, see our report on the Vacation Rental Industry.
Airbnb Booking Statistics
Since its founding in 2007, Airbnb has expanded to over 220 countries as part of the “sharing economy.”
- Airbnb broke its own booking record in the second quarter of 2022 when guests collectively booked 115.1 million stays (including Experiences).
- The gross booking value for 2022 Q2 was $19.1 billion.
- Bookings in 2023 Q2 were up 13% year-over-year (YoY).
- Airbnb users have booked over 1.5 billion stays worldwide.
- The average Airbnb rental in the U.S. is booked 21 nights per month.
- There are more than 4 million hosts worldwide.
- 45% of bookings on Airbnb are for at least one (1) week.
- Airbnb includes listings from over 100,000 cities and towns.
- The average U.S. Airbnb occupancy rate was 48% in 2021.
Airbnb Business Statistics
Airbnb’s biggest competitor in online travel booking is Booking.com. Airbnb was first incorporated in 2008 as AirBed & Breakfast, Inc. (changed to Airbnb, Inc. in 2010).
- Airbnb’s 2022 second-quarter revenue totaled $2,484,000,000.
- The company’s quarterly revenue increased 36.6% from 2023 Q1 to Q2 and 18.1% YoY.
- Competitor Booking Holdings (Booking.com, KAYAK, Priceline.com, etc.) surpassed Airbnb’s 2023 Q2 revenue by 120%.
- Expedia Group’s (Vrbo, Hotels.com, Orbitz, etc.) revenue surpassed Airbnb’s by 35.2%.
- The company has 880,510 followers on X (formally Twitter), which is more than four (4) times as many as Booking.com has.
- Airbnb works with 11,000 third-party partners.
- 400,000 companies directly engage with Airbnb to manage travel for their employees.
- Airbnb has over 400 agreements with local and national governments to automate the collection of tourism taxes, collecting over $2 billion in tourism-related taxes through these agreements.
Airbnb Guest Statistics
More guests are booking longer stays, indicating a market among “digital nomads” (i.e., remote workers who travel indefinitely).
- Guests were 18.4% more likely to stay in their Airbnb for at least a week in 2021 compared to 2019.
- Over one (1) year, 100,000 guests stayed in the same Airbnb for over three (3) months.
- 54% of Airbnb guests are female.
- 36% of guests are between the ages of 25 and 34.
- 15% are between 18 and 24; 13% are aged 55 and older.
- 95% of surveyed guests choose Airbnb for ease and security of payment.
- 86% say the location of their Airbnb is more convenient than a hotel.
- 77% want to live like locals.
- 64% agree that home-sharing is more ecological or environmentally friendly.
- 43% indicate functionality is their top valued amenity.
Airbnb Host Statistics
Women are more likely to register as hosts and are consistently rated as the best hosts on Airbnb.
- There are 4 million hosts worldwide.
- 85% of hosts are located outside the United States.
- Globally, 56% of hosts are women.
- Nationwide, the average host earns $122 per night for a private room with up to two (2) guests.
- For entire units with up to four (4) guests, hosts earn an average of $309 per night.
- The average host earns $14,000 annually.
- Over 60% of hosts in the U.S. say they rent out their primary residence while they’re on vacation.
- Average annual earnings among hosts have increased 85% since 2019.
- Hosts have collectively earned over $180 billion.
- 22% of hosts indicate that they chose to host after first being an Airbnb guest.
- The fastest-growing host demographic is seniors, with over 400,000 senior hosts.
- Hosts can insure their property for up to $3 million through the AirCover program.
Type of Property | Number of Listings |
---|---|
Cabin | 240,000 |
Farm | 150,000 |
Tiny Home | 60,000 |
Camper | 12,500 |
Earth Home | 4,000 |
Yurt | 3,800 |
Castle | 2,600 |
Treehouse | 2,500 |
Houseboat | 2,000 |
Mansion | 1,500 |
Private Island | 1,200 |
Shepherd’s Hut | 1,100 |
Cave | 750 |
Tower | 200 |
Windmill | 190 |
Airbnb Plus Program
“The Airbnb Plus program will end on 6 November 2023. We will soon announce new upgrades to help your listing stand out to guests. Existing guest reservations will not be impacted by the program ending.” – Airbnb
- Airbnb’s Plus Program identifies exceptional Hosts. To qualify, Hosts and properties have to maintain several status requirements and pass a 100-point in-person inspection.
- Airbnb Plus properties have to be verified in person.
- In addition to maintaining the Airbnb Hospitality Standards, Plus Hosts must have a minimum 4.8 rating.
- Listings must accept 95% of bookings in the previous 12 months.
- No reservations canceled by the Host (except under extenuating circumstances) over the past year.
- Plus listings must either be “Entire Home” listings or private bedrooms with an attached private bathroom.
- In 2020, over 26,000 Plus homes were available in 41 cities around the world.
- Plus homes earned up to 400% more than standard listings.
Airbnb Superhosts
The Airbnb Superhost program started in 2014 to celebrate the most experienced and top-rated hosts on the platform.
- There are one (1) million Superhosts in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
- Superhosts earned a collective $23 billion between October 2021 and September 2022.
- The typical Superhost earns 64% more than a regular Airbnb host.
- 34% of Airbnb hosts in the U.S. are Superhosts.
- 75% of Superhost properties are entire homes; 20% are private rooms.
- To qualify, Superhosts must maintain a 4.8 rating or higher over the past year.
- Superhosts must have hosted at least 10 stays in the past year, cancel less than 1% of the time, and respond to 90% of booking messages within 24 hours.
Airbnb Experiences
Experiences are host-led activities. Travel restrictions in 2020 prompted the launch of Online Experiences as a way for hosts to lead activities virtually.
- Hosts of “Experiences” earn an average of $10,000 per year.
- Online Experiences offer tours and classes similar to the Experiences program, except all events are hosted via Zoom.
- 56% of hosts use Online Experiences to supplement their income from a part-time or full-time job.
- More than 80% of Online Experience guests attend from outside the host’s home country.
- Over the holidays, Airbnb partnered with Santa Visits USA to launch a special initiative offering Online Experiences with Santa, including Virtual Visit and Story Time with Santa, Sign Language Santa, and Mama Claus Holiday Joy.
Airbnb Home-Sharing Trends
Hosts and commercial operators listing multiple properties for rent represent one of Airbnb’s fastest-growing segments.
- Eco-friendly stays increased 141% from 2018 to 2019.
- Hosts with 10 or more properties generate a quarter of all multi-host revenue.
- 81% of Airbnb’s revenue in 2017 came from whole-unit rentals where the owner was not present during the guest’s stay.
- Revenue growth for whole-unit rentals increased by an average of 76% from 2017 to 2020.
- Nights booked at unique properties increased by 50% between 2019 and 2021.
- Over 2.5 million nights were booked for tiny homes in 2021, earning hosts over $195 million collectively.
Regulating Airbnb
In 2019, Airbnb became heavily regulated, restricted or made illegal altogether in many cities where it previously had very high numbers of listings and bookings.
- Airbnb suspended 6,600 guest users in 2021 as a result of its temporary party ban; Airbnb codified a permanent ban in July 2022.
- Due to increasing regulations, growth is slow or not occurring at all in some of Airbnb’s former top cities.
- Between 2017 and 2019, listings in New York City fell 7.1% and listings in San Francisco fell 16.7%.
- In 2015, over 10% of all active listings were in New York City, London, and Paris.
- In early 2020, less than 3% of all active listings were in New York City, London, and Paris.
Location | Laws & Regulations |
---|---|
Barcelona, Spain | Property owners must have a city-approved license to rent their property on Airbnb. |
Boston, Massachusetts | Hosts renting for less than 28 days must register as a short-term rental operator with the city, get a business certificate, and notify neighbors within 30 days of registering. |
Breckenridge, Colorado | Hosts must obtain one of 2,200 available accommodation unit licenses and have an agent available 24/7 to respond to complaints. |
Chicago, Illinois | To rent less than 32 days at a time, hosts must obtain a short-term rental license. |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Primary residents must have a permit and must remain present during any short-term stay. Real estate agents cannot rent out a property for less than 31 days. |
Los Angeles, California | Hosts may only rent out their primary residences (where they live for more than 6 months out of the year); furthermore Hosts may rent no more than 120 days per year. |
New York City | Hosts renting for less than 30 days must be permanent residents. While Hosting, they must occupy the property, and they may not Host more than one property at a time. |
Paris, France | Listings must have a registration number to ensure compliance, and apartments may only be rented out for 120 days a year. |
Portland, Oregon | Hosts may only rent their primary residences where they live at least 270 days per year and must obtain a short-term rental permit. |
San Francisco, California | Hosts must be permanent residents and live on the property for a minimum 275 nights per year. They may not have more than one listing or rent out for more than 90 nights each year. |
Santa Monica, California | Hosts must occupy the property during renter stay. They must also register for a business license and pay 14% of their revenue to the City. |
Airbnb Corporate Statistics
Airbnbhad to eliminate more than 25% of its workforce as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions. While the company has since reestablished many positions, it still doesn’t have as many employees as it did at the end of 2019.
- 6,811 employees work for Airbnb in 29 cities worldwide.
- Airbnb hired 679 new employees in 2021, increasing their workforce 11.1% YoY.
- 48.3% of employees are women in the binary†; women fill 43.6% of leadership roles.
- Airbnb employs 1,900 engineers; 29.0% of them are women.
- 15.0% of Airbnb’s US-based employees are from underrepresented populations.
- Airbnb scored 100/100 on the American Association of People with Disabilities’ Disability Equality Index® in 2021 and 2022.
- 1,000 employees surveyed gave Airbnb 3.8 out of 5 stars when scoring career opportunities, salary/benefits, management, culture/values, and work/life balance.
- 75% of Airbnb employees felt their pay was fair.
†Airbnb collected binary-only gender data until 2020; 2021 employee surveys allow respondents to self-identify their gender.
Demographic | Overall Representation | Leadership Representation |
---|---|---|
Women, in the binary | 48.3% | 43.6% |
Underrepresented Minority | 15.0% | 14.1% |
American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Asian | 44.2% | 26.4% |
Black or African American | 5.8% | 6.3% |
Hispanic or Latino | 9.2% | 7.7% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.4% | ** |
Two or More Races – UM* | 2.6% | ** |
Two or More Races – NonUM | 2.6% | ** |
White | 39.6% | 58.1% |
Decline to State or Provide | 2.3% | 2.5% |
*Underrepresented Minority
***Insufficient data
Airbnb Lobbying Statistics
Airbnb has a vested interest in public policy, such as legislation regarding travel, housing, and corporate taxes
- In 2023, as of the third fiscal quarter, Airbnb spent $820,000 on lobbying.
- In 2022, Airbnb spent $1.03 million on federal lobbying.
- Airbnb’s lobbying expenditures in 2022 surpass 2021’s average quarterly expenditures by 6.1%.
- Airbnb works with three (3) lobbying firms that focus mainly on public policy as it relates to taxes, telecommunications, and travel & tourism.
- In 2023, Airbnb lobbyists have focused on six (6) government bodies, including the Department of Housing & Urban Development and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Airbnb & COVID-19
Airbnb’s revenue took a massive hit from quarantines and lockdowns throughout 2020. As a result, the company postponed its initial public offering (IPO).
- In the second fiscal quarter of 2022, there were 50% more active listings for non-urban destinations than there were in 2019 Q2.
- Airbnb’s valuation decreased 48.6%, from $35 billion to $18 billion, from January to May 2020.
- Airbnb may have lost up to 54% of its overall revenue due to the novel coronavirus.
- Booking rates dipped by 85% at one point in 2020.
- Optimistic investors, contributed an additional* $2 billion to the company’s IPO fund after March of 2020.
- In August of 2020, Airbnb enacted a global ban on gatherings of more than 16 people at Airbnb listed properties “until further notice”.
- The $1 billion-dollar Airbnb Host Endowment launched in October 2020 with the purpose of providing emergency funds, educational grants, and other support to hosts and their families.
*In addition to the $6.4 billion previously raised across 22 funding rounds.