How Many Subscriptions Does the Average Person Have in 2026?

The short answer: 12 subscriptions, costing $219 per month ($2,628/year). That's according to C+R Research's recurring survey of American consumers. But the real number might be higher — 42% of respondents admitted they'd forgotten at least one active subscription.

We analyzed thousands of bank statements uploaded to Just Cancel and found that many people have 15-20+ recurring charges when you count everything: streaming, apps, cloud storage, gym memberships, software, insurance add-ons, and those free trials that quietly converted.

Subscription breakdown by category

Here's where the average person's subscription budget goes:

• Streaming video: 3.4 services, ~$45/month (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.)
• Music & audio: 1.2 services, ~$12/month (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible)
• Cloud storage & productivity: 1.5 services, ~$15/month (iCloud, Google One, Microsoft 365)
• Fitness & wellness: 1.1 services, ~$35/month (gym, Peloton, meditation apps)
• Food & delivery: 1.3 services, ~$25/month (DoorDash+, Instacart+, meal kits)
• Shopping & memberships: 1.2 services, ~$20/month (Amazon Prime, Costco, Walmart+)
• Software & apps: 2.1 services, ~$30/month (Adobe, antivirus, VPN, dating apps)
• News & media: 0.8 services, ~$10/month (NYT, WSJ, Substack)
• Gaming: 0.7 services, ~$12/month (Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Online)

By age group

Younger consumers subscribe to more services but spend less per service:

• Gen Z (18-25): 14 subscriptions, $187/month — heavy on streaming and gaming
• Millennials (26-41): 15 subscriptions, $238/month — the highest spenders overall
• Gen X (42-57): 11 subscriptions, $225/month — fewer services but pricier tiers
• Boomers (58+): 7 subscriptions, $147/month — mostly streaming and news

The hidden cost: forgotten subscriptions

Here's the stat that should alarm you: Americans waste an estimated $32.8 billion per year on subscriptions they've forgotten about or don't use. That averages out to roughly $133 per person per year on services collecting dust.

The most commonly forgotten subscriptions include:

• Free trial conversions (especially streaming add-ons and fitness apps)
• Cloud storage upgrades you no longer need
• Antivirus software that auto-renewed at a higher price
• Dating apps you stopped using months ago
• App subscriptions buried in your phone settings

How to find all your subscriptions

There are three ways to get a complete picture:

1. Upload your bank statement (fastest)

Just Cancel scans your bank or credit card statement and identifies every recurring charge automatically. It takes about 30 seconds and catches charges you'd miss manually — including ones with weird merchant names like "GOOGLE *YOUTUBEPR" or "APL*ITUNES."

2. Check your bank's recurring charges view

Some banks (Chase, Bank of America, Capital One) now have a built-in recurring charges section. It's decent but often misses annual charges, charges from secondary cards, and anything billed through Apple/Google.

3. Manual audit (thorough but slow)

Download 3 months of statements and search for identical amounts. This takes 20-30 minutes and you'll still probably miss a few. See our complete subscription audit guide for step-by-step instructions.

How much can you save?

Based on our data, the average Just Cancel user identifies $312/year in subscriptions they want to cancel. The biggest wins usually come from:

• Duplicate streaming services ($10-20/month)
• Forgotten free trials ($5-15/month)
• Software you replaced with free alternatives ($10-30/month)
• Premium tiers you could downgrade ($5-20/month)

Try our subscription cost calculator to see how much your subscriptions cost per year, or upload a statement to get your actual number in 30 seconds.