According to Forbes, the global creator economy is estimated at $200 billion in 2024, heading toward $1 trillion. However, this value is heavily concentrated, with TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program only available in eight countries as of 2025, excluding major markets like Australia and Canada. In Australia, TikTok earned $679 million from 9.5 million users in 2024, while in Canada, it contributed $2.3 billion to GDP, yet creators in both get no platform payouts. The market size gap is stark: New Zealand’s influencer market was $46.9 million in 2024, Australia’s will be $589 million in 2025, and the U.S. is headed for $13.7 billion by 2027. In the UK alone, creators added £2.2 billion and 45,000 jobs to the economy last year. When top talent leaves a smaller market, that entire economic engine relocates with them.
The Convenience Economy
Here’s the thing: platforms monetize where it’s convenient, not where it’s fair. They’ll happily generate billions from a country’s user base and ad revenue, like that $679 million in Australia, and then turn around and tell creators there they’re not eligible for the rewards program. It’s a brutal math problem. Creators aren’t stupid. Why would you build a career in an economy that treats you like a free content farm? The petition from Canadian creator @sharstylescurls says it all—her 50 million views could have netted her $20-50k in the U.S., but in Canada, it’s worth $0 from TikTok. That’s not a gap; it’s a canyon.
More Than Just One Person Leaves
But the real cost isn’t just one creator’s lost income. When a mega-creator moves from Auckland to LA, they don’t go alone. They take their small business with them. That means their editor, their videographer, their manager, their assistant—all those jobs and that spending power vanish from the local economy. It’s a quiet, steady drain of infrastructure. And culturally, it’s maybe even worse. These creators are often unofficial ambassadors, showing the world the humor and perspective of their home country. When enough of them leave, that authentic local voice just fades away. What’s left? Content filtered through the same few global hubs: LA, NYC, London. Everything starts to look and sound the same.
The Mentorship Vacuum
So what’s the long-term damage? It signals to the next generation that you can’t make it at home. Every success story ends with a plane ticket. That means the most experienced voices, the ones who could mentor newcomers, advocate for better local platform deals, or strengthen industry networks, are just gone. The market loses its leaders. It creates a cycle where the only “viable” path is to leave, which further depletes the talent pool, which makes the market even less attractive for brands and platforms. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Who’s Gonna Fight?
Now, who fixes this? Platforms could, but they have no incentive to. Governments could treat creator economies like film industries—with tax breaks, funding, and infrastructure—but most still see “influencers” as too frivolous for that kind of investment. A UK survey found 56% of creators feel they have no voice in policy. And honestly, the talent themselves often take the easy way out. It’s simpler to relocate than to organize and lobby for change back home. But that just removes the very pressure that could shift the system. Someone has to stay and make noise. Otherwise, the buffet across the pond will just keep getting bigger, and the hometown kitchen will eventually close for good.
