Streaming
Netflix and YouTube bandwidth per stream: official figures and GB per hour
Short answer: Netflix recommends 3 Mbps for 720p, 5 Mbps for 1080p and 15 Mbps for 4K. YouTube lists 2.5 Mbps for 720p, 5 Mbps for 1080p and 20 Mbps for 4K. One 4K stream therefore needs about 15 to 20 Mbps of steady download.
Official figures and what they cost in data
Speeds come from the Netflix Help Center and YouTube Help, both read on 2026-11-07. The data columns are our arithmetic: Mbps × 3,600 ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000 = GB per hour, assuming the stream runs at the recommended rate the whole time. Real streams adapt and often use less, so this is a planning ceiling.
| Quality | Recommended speed | GB per hour | GB for a 3-hour evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix 720p HD | 3 Mbps | 1.35 | 4.1 |
| Netflix 1080p FHD | 5 Mbps | 2.25 | 6.8 |
| Netflix 4K UHD | 15 Mbps | 6.75 | 20.2 |
| YouTube 480p | 1.1 Mbps | 0.50 | 1.5 |
| YouTube 720p | 2.5 Mbps | 1.12 | 3.4 |
| YouTube 1080p | 5 Mbps | 2.25 | 6.8 |
| YouTube 4K | 20 Mbps | 9.00 | 27.0 |
Worked example: four people, one evening
Suppose one TV streams Netflix 4K (15 Mbps), a second TV streams Netflix 1080p (5 Mbps), a laptop plays YouTube 1080p (5 Mbps) and a phone plays YouTube 720p (2.5 Mbps). The sum is 27.5 Mbps. Using our own headroom rule of thumb (not a vendor figure), keep 30% spare for browsing and background updates: 27.5 × 1.3 = 35.75, so a measured download of about 36 Mbps is the least that works comfortably. Over three hours the four streams could use up to 27.5 × 0.45 × 3 = 37.1 GB.
Measure what you actually get
- Run a test at the device that streams, ideally while nobody else is using the network, and note the download figure (Wi-Fi testing guide).
- Divide the measured number by 1.3 to get the steady load you can plan for.
- Add the per-stream figures above until you reach that number; that is how many simultaneous streams fit.
- If a stream buffers even though the sum fits, check Wi-Fi signal and latency under load before blaming the plan.
When the numbers do not explain buffering
- Wi-Fi, not the plan. A TV in a far room may get a fraction of the speed your phone measures next to the router; see router placement.
- Units confusion. Providers sell megabits; downloads show megabytes. Mbps vs MB/s and the converter help.
- Upload saturation. A backup or video call can delay streams; see download vs upload.
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