Email Marketing Statistics & Trends for 2026

There’s a saying about progress: Slow is fast, and fast is slow. That is, you have to take care and constantly evaluate your actions in the past and the present to move forward effectively.

It’s true about everything, even small business email marketing. You must measure efforts to determine results. You must have a clear understanding of trends and campaign strategies used by your competition and others in the industry. Then, you can start 2026 prepared and ready to succeed.

One way to accomplish this fast and slow method is with an in-depth analysis of email marketing statistics. As the year shifts into the final quarter, it’s a good time to evaluate what worked and what needs improvement. Gathering and analyzing data helps to set you up for success next year — and beyond. 

2026 email marketing statistics and trends

Email remains one of the top marketing channels

Even as other platforms like social media continue to demand small business owners’ attention, email remains a top channel. According to a 2026 Constant Contact survey of over 1,500 small business owners across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, 41% expect email marketing to be their most valuable marketing channel this year.

Small businesses are using AI to write emails

Small business owners are notoriously busy, and they’re taking advance of new technology to save time. According to Constant Contact’s 2026 Small Business Now report, 54% of small businesses are currently using AI, and 44% of them are using it to write emails or other content.

The majority of small businesses now use email marketing

In 2026, the number of people worldwide using email is expected to reach a whopping 4.73 billion. And of course, many of those are small businesses, with Forbes Advisor reporting that 64% of small businesses now use email marketing.

View time makes a difference 

Think about how fast some people scroll down their social media feed, only glancing for a second or two at something, and then keep moving. That’s unlike a typical interaction a person has with an email. One way to track this difference is by measuring what’s known as view time.

Forbes Advisor breaks down view time statistics into under two seconds, between two and eight seconds, and more than eight seconds. Eight seconds may not seem like a lot at first, but 61% of recipients spend at least that long on email. Once you hook your recipient with engaging messaging and design, they will likely spend more time taking it in.

More people are using their smart devices to check email

One reason email marketing remains so popular and effective is that people can open emails on numerous devices, like desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Sleep Advisor found that 78% of people check their email before going to work, and 11% of those Americans check email immediately upon waking. Another 19% check their email within 30 minutes of waking up. 

That’s not surprising given busy schedules and smartphones nearby. Pew Research Center reports that 97% of Americans own smartphones, and 15% of people who do not use broadband but get online with their smart devices. That’s a big shift from 10 and 20 years ago when it was more common to browse the internet and receive emails on a desktop.

Naturally, all these people require mobile-optimized email, which we’ll talk about more in a moment. 

Getting the timing right for effective emails

There has been much handwringing by small business marketers as to the best times to push send-on campaigns, so again: Let’s look at the email marketing statistics.

Statista found that Tuesday is the most preferred day of the week, with 35% of respondents favoring it for their email sends. As far as the time of day, that has a lot to do with your message and audience. Research shows that mornings and weekends tend to see better open rates, which we’ll talk about next.

Effectiveness of email marketing

To gauge the effectiveness of email marketing, let’s look at two important statistics: open rates and click-through rates.

Open rates measure the number of emails opened compared to the number of emails sent. Click rates compare the number of people who clicked a link within the email against the number of emails that were successfully delivered. 

Open rates: latest statistics

Wondering “What is a good open rate for email?” Across all industries, 32.55% is the average open rate for email marketing.

Perhaps that rate for industry averages feels low, but knowing more about this data can help keep expectations realistic. The reality is that email marketing remains one of the most effective means of connecting with customers for both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies.

For example, childcare services enjoy a 47.17% open rate on emails sent to list members. Nonprofit businesses also have a fairly high open rate of 38.56%, and faith-based organizations see 41.30% of emails opened by recipients.

Engagement statistics explained

It’s nice that people open emails, but marketers also want them to engage with their messages. That’s the next step in the customer sales funnel, after all. Two statistics that help track the interactions people have with email are bounce rates and engagement rates. 

• Engagement rates. The engagement rate refers to the rate at which recipients spend more than 10 seconds with the email. They may even click on a link embedded in the email, which is another statistic called the click-through rate. 
• Bounce rates. A bounce rate tracks the emails that never made it to the inbox. It’s the number of emails sent compared to the total number of emails delivered. As far as the average click-through rates, for all industries, it’s 2.03%. For bounce rates, the average is 10.31%. 

Of course, you want higher clicks and fewer bounces. That’s how you’ll get a better return on investment (ROI) — a concept that all small business owners understand. But that’s where email marketing really shines. Year after year, email remains one of the most effective ways to funnel a perspective into a paying customer.

Statista reports that the average ROI for email marketing is $36 for every dollar spent. Some industries do even better, with a $45 ROI for every dollar spent by retail, ecommerce, and consumer goods businesses.

Mobile email designs are trending upward 

As mentioned earlier, statistics show people use mobile smart devices to open email. That makes sense, seeing how the younger generations use their smartphones for all kinds of tasks. 

Statista reported that 79% of millennials and 57% of Gen Z members liked being contacted by brands via email. This means it’s vital that your email marketing software can seamlessly optimize your message to be viewed both on desktop and mobile device screens. Many marketers are now adopting a “mobile first” philosophy for email design, especially for businesses that have target audiences likely to spend more time with their smartphones than desktop computers.

Often the most effective email designs come from mobile-responsive templates, as few busy business owners have time to craft good-looking emails from scratch. In fact, “a lack of time” is the reason 40% of small business owners responded when asked why they tended to delay or procrastinate on marketing tasks, according to Constant Contact. Trust us, we get it! 

Personalization remains paramount

Email marketing statistics support what many professionals do: personalizing their messages. Statista reported that 65% of marketers are sending subject lines that are personalized to the recipient. 

But that’s really just the beginning of personalization with email marketing. A powerful way to personalize your message is with email segmentation. It’s even possible to automate this personalization process within your email marketing platform.

With email segmentation, you can split your main email lists into smaller target audiences to refine your message and increase engagement.

Most B2B buyers prefer email marketing 

In 2024, email marketing remains foundational for B2B companies. It makes sense, as no busy business owner wants to be interrupted while working. Instead, they prefer to address these opportunities and offers in their own time. 

It’s not only efficient and direct, but it leaves a record of communication.

In a survey of B2B and B2C marketers, Statista found that 16.8% of them sent newsletters as part of their email marketing campaign. Additionally, 15.3% sent promotional email campaigns.

Consumers trade email addresses for discounts

As consumer-focused businesses refine their email marketing campaigns, they’ll soon learn they need many kinds of messages for effective email nurturing. The welcome email leads to the newsletter, which leads to a discount code or even an abandoned cart reminder. 

The discount code may be the most important offer to present to grow your email list. Statista found that 48% of consumers surveyed happily gave their email address to receive a discount. Another 16% of consumers signed up for advance notice of sales.

Generative AI & automation also gained interest

Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are starting to get attention in email marketing circles. From brainstorming content ideas to scheduling email delivery during the best times, AI can make the process more efficient and save time. 

Generative AI helps begin the content creation process and marketers like using it. As high as 42% of companies are already adopting AI internally for marketing purposes, according to the CompTIA Community research. Data analysis and customer support are the only two other areas where companies rely more on AI.

Another way marketers use AI is to optimize send times, which 66% of respondents shared with Statista. Another 54% said that AI helped them craft their calls to action. Other ways to use AI include subject line optimization, retargeting, and personalization.

Spam & phishing remain concerns 

The term “phishing” refers to the act of sending email with the purpose of defrauding the recipient. Phishing emails often encourage people to share personal information, like passwords or credit card numbers. Phishing and spam, which is unwanted email, remain a sore spot for email marketers looking to stand out as reputable businesses of integrity.

Statista reported there were close to a million unique phishing sites in the United States in the first quarter of 2024. While that’s bad, spam could be considered an even bigger problem with 8 billion spam emails sent every day in the United States! 

Staying off email spam lists requires working with a reputable email software platform and ensuring every person on your email list signs up and wants to receive your messages.

Looking toward the future

While you spend time reviewing the email marketing statistics of 2026, it’s worth seeing what you can integrate and upgrade in your current marketing strategy. From personalization to automation, there are many tactics and technological tools that can make email marketing even more effective next year. 

Consider comparing your various email benchmark statistics with national numbers, such as open rates and bounce rates. This can help you identify where your company can make subtle yet important changes to your process for the most measurable improvement. When you cut through the emotional elements of messaging and look straight at the numbers, sometimes creative updates and ideas can emerge. 

Whether you’re moving fast or slow in 2026 with your email marketing strategy, numbers can’t lie.