The UK is spending £5 million each week on ChatGPT Plus subscriptions, which makes it one of the fastest growing paid services in the country. The latest data from SpendMapper shows that ChatGPT has grown faster than popular entertainment platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify.
The report says personal subscriptions to ChatGPT Plus went up 108% in the past year, compared to 35.9% for Disney+, 18.7% for Netflix and 4.4% for Spotify. ChatGPT now has more paying users than Adobe, Canva and LinkedIn, as well as antivirus and VPN brands like Norton, McAfee and NordVPN.
SpendMapper’s research, based on real consumer transactions and excluding business accounts, shows that around 2.4 million people in the UK now pay for ChatGPT themselves. That equals £265 million a year spent on personal AI subscriptions.
Millennials lead this growth, accounting for half of the country’s total spending on ChatGPT Plus. They spent £130 million last year, while users over 65 years old contributed £10.6 million. This shows how younger generations are driving adoption of AI in daily routines, from writing and research to managing work tasks.
At £20 per month, ChatGPT Plus costs more than Disney+ Premium at £12.99 and Netflix Premium at £18.99. Even with its higher price in mind, users appear to see more value in ChatGPT’s practical help than in entertainment.
What’s Behind The New Digital Spending Habit?
The numbers show a change in how people think about digital subscriptions. Instead of spending on streaming or shopping, many now pay for tools that help them think, write and make decisions faster.
ChatGPT’s fast growth shows how AI tools are being applied and used in everyday activities. People turn to it for advice, writing help or learning support, making it an everyday companion in both personal and professional life.
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Younger professionals, freelancers and students are the most active users. They treat ChatGPT as a helper for their projects and studies, showing a change in what people find useful online. This growth also comes from personal spending rather than company accounts, which means individuals themselves see value in using AI regularly.
No other AI product has seen this level of consumer growth in such a short time. ChatGPT has become a household name and a top digital expense for many, sitting in the same category as long-established entertainment services.
What Does ChatGPT Say About How The Tool Is Being Used?
As you can remember, ChatGPT had released a study on how people use it. In case you missed it, ChatGPT and the National Bureau of Economic Research released a massive study on how people use the chatbot. The work, done with Harvard economist David Deming, analysed 1.5 million conversations from its 700 million weekly active users around the world.
The AI startup’s research confirmed that 3 out of 4 conversations on ChatGPT are about daily tasks, such as writing, planning or getting advice. Writing is the most common use, while coding and self-expression are less frequent. The research grouped usage into Asking, Doing and Expressing.
About 49% of messages are Asking, where users look for answers or opinions. Doing makes up 40%, where ChatGPT helps with tasks like drafting or planning. Expressing covers 11% of usage, which includes personal reflection and creative writing.
These numbers aren’t so far off from the UK numbers in the SpendMapper data. Paul Lloyd, Co-Founder of SpendMapper, comments: “This data shows that Brits are no longer treating AI as a novelty.
“Millennials, in particular, are investing in premium AI tools like ChatGPT Plus – spending at levels that now rival household subscriptions such as Netflix or Spotify. It highlights a growing reliance on AI in daily life, extending well beyond the workplace.”
