The affiliate and partner marketing industry is a foundational sales driver, yet capturing its complete international scope has historically been a challenge.
To bridge this gap and to contribute to more transparency within the German Affiliate Industry, the Affiliate and Partner Marketing Circle (APMC) was officially founded this year within the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW) e.V.
A Methodological Blueprint: Aligning Germany and the UK
To achieve a fast, efficient, and thoroughly sound data collection, the APMC closely collaborated with its British sister organisation, The Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association (APMA). Aligning with their State of the Affiliate Nation report was instrumental in establishing a comparable cross-border benchmark.
The Key Numbers: Defying Economic Headwinds
Both reports highlight an industry growing significantly faster than the broader macroeconomy. In Germany, total investment reached €932 million in 2025 (+8.3% YoY), driving a staggering €18.7 billion in revenue (+12% YoY). Across the channel, the UK market showcases immense scale, with total spend reaching £1.8 billion (+7.3% YoY), propelling £20.7 billion in driven revenue.
Takeaways for Marketers: Beyond Last Click
The data firmly debunks the myth that affiliate marketing is a pure bottom-funnel voucher engine. It is an agile, full-funnel channel acting as a dominant infrastructural layer.
1. The Full-Funnel Journey
- The Reality: The APMC’s advanced touchpoint analysis revealed that while affiliate networks are visible in only 12.4% of standard last-click configurations, they are involved in 24.9% of all online transactions along the customer journey.
- The Shift: In the UK, close to one pound in every five is now spent on non-CPA models (clicks, tenancies, or hybrid deals). Advertisers increasingly pay for top-of-funnel engagement and content through the affiliate framework.
2. Market Divergence: Germany vs. UK
- The German Landscape: Germany relies strongly on robust content integrations, large media houses, and trusted comparison engines. The higher program density (8,989 programs) shows a fragmented, deeply verticalised merchant ecosystem requiring close-knit relationship management.
- The UK Drivers: While cashback and loyalty remain the largest single block (29%), Comparison Shopping Services (CSS), tech partners, and subnetworks see the fastest growth. UK marketers aggressively use tech partnerships to automate on-site optimisation.
Strategic Guidance
- Diversify the Partner Mix: Build an active mix of tech platforms, content creators, and CSS partners to capture users at every step of the funnel.
- Rethink Commissioning Models: Move away from strict last-click CPA. Allocate "test and learn" budgets for hybrid commissioning to properly reward upper-funnel influence.
By partnering together, the APMC and APMA are proving that affiliate marketing is a highly controllable, top-tier performance layer across Europe.
To download the report and to learn more, currently only available in German, head over to https://www.apmc.online/marktzahlen
