Introduction
Social Media Statistics: Social media is among the most widely engaged digital activities worldwide, and it is not surprising that the prevalence of social networking continues to rise across all regions. As of January 2023, the global rate of social media usage was noted to be 59%. This figure is anticipated to grow as less developed digital markets enhance their infrastructure and gain access to affordable mobile devices. Indeed, a considerable portion of the global increase in social media can be linked to the growing use of mobile devices. The mobile-first market in Eastern Asia leads globally in mobile social networking infiltration, followed by well-known digital frontrunners such as Northern Europe and the Americas.
By early 2025, it is estimated that over 5.4 billion people will be using social media, which represents nearly two-thirds of the global population. On average, users spend about 2.5 hours each day on these platforms, with both the duration of use and the user base expected to grow, particularly in Asia and Africa. Facebook remains the most widely used platform, followed by others like YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
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- Social media emerged in the mid-1990s with the creation of platforms such as GeoCities, Classmates.com, and SixDegrees.com.
- Over 60% of individuals worldwide engage with social media platforms.
- 90% of social media users engage with at least one brand on social media.
- As of January 2025, over 5.24 billion people worldwide are active on social media. On average, each user engages with about 6.83 different platforms each month.
- $72 billion constitutes the total spending on social media advertising within the United States.
- Social media advertising expenditures are expected to surpass $300 billion.
- According to Social Media User Statistics, people worldwide spend an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes each day on social media.
Historical Facts
- Social media emerged in the mid-1990s with the creation of platforms such as GeoCities, Classmates.com, and SixDegrees.com.
- The name of the platform was derived from the concept of “six degrees of separation,” which posits that every individual on Earth is merely six connections away from any other individual.
- In the early 2000s, social media platforms experienced a surge in popularity, beginning with BlackPlanet (1999), followed by Friendster and Myspace, and later including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
- A study conducted in 2015 indicated that users worldwide allocated 22% of their online time to social networks, a trend likely driven by the proliferation of smartphones.
- As of 2023, approximately 4.76 billion individuals were utilizing social media, representing about 59% of the global population.
General Social Media Statistics and Facts
- Over 60% of individuals worldwide engage with social media platforms.
- By the year 2029, it is anticipated that there will be 335 million social media users in the United States.
- Currently, the number of social media users in the United States stands at 302 million.
- On average, individuals dedicate 143 minutes each day to social media activities.
- It is estimated that by 2027, there will be 6 billion global social media users.
- The current global count of social media users is approximately 5.2 billion.
- The social network penetration rate in the United States is 69.7%.
- Globally, the social network penetration rate is 63.9%.
Social Media User Behaviour
- 90% of social media users engage with at least one brand on social media.
- 74% of consumers depend on social media to assist in their purchasing decisions.
- 2% of social media users belong to the Millennial generation.
- 5% of social media users are part of Generation Z.
- 8% of individuals utilize social media to maintain connections with family and friends.
- 6% of social media users are from Generation X.
- 6% of social media users are baby boomers.
Statistics of Social Media Usage
- As of January 2025, over 5.24 billion people worldwide are active on social media. On average, each user engages with about 6.83 different platforms each month.
- Social Media User Statistics indicate that approximately 63.9% of the global population is active on social media.
- However, when focusing solely on those with internet access, this percentage rises to 94.24% of the 5.56 billion internet users globally.
- According to data from the platforms, 5.24 billion individuals are identified as active social media users.
- Social Media User Statistics reveal that 9% of the entire population participates in social media.
- Nearly 94.24% of internet users are active participants on social media platforms.
- Social Media User Statistics also indicate that 6% of adults (aged 18 and older) use social media.
- From a total global population of 8.12 billion, 5.24 billion individuals engage with social media, regardless of age or internet access.
- The number of social media users is expected to keep increasing in the coming years, although the growth rate is projected to stabilize. Between 2025 and 2028, the average annual growth is anticipated to be around 4%.
- In 2024, it is projected that approximately 5.17 billion individuals will utilize social media worldwide, representing a 5.5% increase from the previous year.
Social Media Business & Marketing Statistics
- $234.14 billion represents the overall global expenditure on social media advertising.
- $72 billion constitutes the total spending on social media advertising within the United States.
- The average amount allocated for ads per user globally on social media is $28.
- 96% of small enterprises incorporate social media into their marketing strategies.
- 77% of companies utilize social media to connect with their customers.
- 76% of industry experts assert that social media contributes to an increase in web traffic.
- 41% of small and local businesses rely on social media to generate revenue.
Social Media Statistics by Platform
- $164.5 billion represents the total revenue generated by Meta Platforms, which was previously known as Facebook Inc.
- $162 billion is the total advertising revenue produced by Meta.
- $193 billion of Facebook’s user base is located in the United States.
- More than 3 billion individuals are monthly active users of Facebook worldwide.
- The number of daily active users on Facebook is 2 billion.
- Every quarter, 1.1 billion fake Facebook accounts are eliminated.
- Facebook’s global average revenue per user stands at $13.12.
- 86% of marketers have indicated that they utilize Facebook for advertising purposes.
- Facebook’s penetration rate in the United States is 72.13%.
- 44% of marketers view Facebook as the most significant social media platform.
- 38% of marketers plan to increase their use of Facebook for marketing activities.
- 4% of Facebook users are men aged between 25 and 34 years.
- 13% of Facebook users are women in the age range of 25 to 35.
- There are 2 billion monthly active users on Instagram globally.
- The Instagram app has been downloaded 547 million times.
- In the United States, there are 169 million Instagram users.
- The average reach per image post on Instagram is 5,200 users.
- Nearly 80% of marketers worldwide utilize Instagram for their advertising efforts.
- Males constitute 50.4% of the global Instagram user base.
- More than half of the global Instagram audience is 34 years old or younger.
- Females make up 49.4% of the global Instagram users.
- 7% of Instagram’s overall user demographic falls within the 18-24 age range.
- 6% of Instagram’s total user demographic is between the ages of 25 and 34.
- Approximately 16.5% of Instagram users aged 18-24 are male.
- Approximately 15.2% of Instagram users aged 18-24 are female.
X
- More than 7 billion active minutes are utilized on X each day.
- The typical X user dedicates over 32 minutes of their daily routine to the platform.
- The global count of active X users stands at 429 million.
- In the United States, there are 106 million active X users, making it the nation with the highest number of X users.
- On average, 1.5 million individuals register for X each day.
- The count of active Twitter Blue subscribers is 640 thousand.
- Over 80% of active users in the United States engage with X for entertainment purposes.
- Males constitute 60.9% of X’s user demographic.
- More than 59% of active users in the United States utilize X as a source of news.
- Females represent 39.1% of X’s user demographic.
- 37% of users worldwide fall within the age range of 25 to 34 years.
YouTube
- In the third quarter of 2024, YouTube generated over $10.4 billion in global advertising revenue.
- Each month, 2.5 billion individuals utilize YouTube.
- YouTube’s audience in the United States comprises approximately 240 million users.
- More than 100 million users in the U.S. subscribe to YouTube Premium.
- 70% of YouTube visits from users around the globe originate from mobile and smartphone devices.
- 54% of YouTube’s user base is male.
- 46% of YouTube’s users are female.
- 12% of YouTube’s global audience consists of male users aged 25 to 34 years.
- Slightly under 10% of YouTube’s global audience comprises female users aged 25 to 34 years.
- LinkedIn’s revenue for the fiscal year 2024 amounted to $16.37 billion.
- In 2023, the platform generated nearly $6 billion in advertising revenue.
- The number of users on LinkedIn exceeds 1 billion.
- In North America, there are over 266 million LinkedIn users.
- Globally, there are 175.5 million Premium subscribers on LinkedIn.
- More than 69 million companies are registered on LinkedIn.
- The count of global Premium LinkedIn users stands at 640,000.
- Every minute, 10,000 members utilize LinkedIn to search for job opportunities.
- 65% of all online marketers worldwide have employed LinkedIn for marketing and advertising purposes.
- Over 56% of LinkedIn’s global user base is male.
- 3% of LinkedIn’s global users fall within the age range of 25 to 34 years.
- 44% of business-to-business (B2B) marketers have identified LinkedIn as the most significant social media platform.
- 43% of LinkedIn’s global users are female.
TikTok
- In 2025, TikTok’s brand value exceeded $106 billion.
- 5 million represents the total downloads of the TikTok app by users globally.
- Users worldwide spend over 34 hours monthly on TikTok.
- 3% of TikTok’s global user base consists of females.
- 28% of marketers indicated that they utilize TikTok for advertising purposes.
- 7% of TikTok’s global audience comprises men aged 25 to 34 years.
- 6% of TikTok’s global audience includes men aged 18 to 24 years.
- 6% of TikTok’s global audience consists of women aged 25 to 34 years.
- 1% of TikTok’s global audience includes women aged 18 to 24 years.
Snapchat
- In 2024, Snapchat’s worldwide annual revenue reached $5.36 billion.
- The total number of Snapchat users globally stands at 548 million.
- Daily active users of Snapchat amount to 453 million.
- In the United States, there are 106 million Snapchat users.
- The count of Snapchat+ subscribers is 14 million.
- Roughly 51% of Snapchat’s global user base consists of females.
- Among U.S. Internet users aged 15 to 25 years, 48% utilize Snapchat.
Social Media Ad Statistics
- Social media advertising expenditures are expected to surpass $300 billion.
- The growth rate for spending on social media advertisements is estimated at 5.63%, leading to a total of $76.4 billion.
- In terms of global spending on social media advertisements, the United States is projected to generate $88.1 billion by 2028.
- The number of users in the Social Media Advertising category is predicted to reach 5,851.53 million by 2027.
- A notable 77% of marketers employ Facebook and Instagram advertising as part of their marketing strategies to foster brand growth and broaden their audience.
Social Media Revenue Statistics
- According to a study carried out by Statista on social media revenue, the social networking industry was estimated to be worth around $122.6 billion in 2022.
- This resulted in an average revenue per download of approximately $10.96.
- With a forecasted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.56% from 2022 to 2029, the market value is expected to reach $206.76 billion by 2029.
Time Spent on Social Media
- According to Social Media User Statistics, people worldwide spend an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes each day on social media.
- In the United States, around 70% of adults participate in social platforms, with nearly 49% accessing them daily.
- The average American dedicates about 2 hours and 8 minutes each day to social media applications and websites.
- Young people, especially those aged 16 to 24, are the most active users of social media, averaging 3 hours and 38 minutes per day on these platforms.
- In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), the average daily interaction with social media is 3 hours and 10 minutes, demonstrating significant user participation.
- Individuals in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region spend about 2 hours and 16 minutes daily on social media, suggesting a more moderate usage level compared to other regions.
- Canada ranks highest in social media usage, with users spending an average of 3 hours and 54 minutes daily across various platforms, underscoring the important role of social media in daily life.
Social Media Fun Facts
- An average person uses around 6.83 different social media networks every month, showing how multitasking across platforms is common.
- Nearly half (48%) of consumers interact more with brands on social media than 6 months ago.
- 90% of users rely on social media to follow current trends and cultural moments.
- 83% of social media ad spending will be on mobile devices by 2030.
- Some social media users are abandoning smartphones to reduce social media addiction.
Recent Developments
- The trend over the last 20 years shows a more than 2.5-fold increase in users since 2015, showing the near-ubiquity of social media today.
- Generative AI tools have become mainstream for content creation in social media marketing, with 69% of marketers viewing AI as revolutionary and many organisations adopting AI widely into their workflows to meet the high demand for content.
- Social media advertising spending is projected to reach about $277 billion in 2025, with 83% of that spend expected to be on mobile platforms by 2030.
Social Media Future Predictions
- Worldwide, social media users spend about 151 minutes per day on average, and it’s expected to rise to 170 minutes daily by 2030.
- Social commerce is a major growth driver, with global social commerce revenue predicted to surpass $1.2 trillion in 2024 and expand to $6.2 trillion by 2030, growing at over 31% CAGR.
- Artificial Intelligence is set to revolutionise social media marketing and commerce, with the AI in the social media market valued at $2.69 billion in 2025 and forecasted to reach $9.25 billion by 2030.
Conclusion
Social media represents a worldwide phenomenon, boasting over 5 billion users globally and around 90% of internet users participating every month. Individuals typically dedicate nearly 2.5 hours each day to these platforms, utilizing various sites to interact with friends, obtain news, and explore trends. Although businesses can capitalize on this to connect with audiences through marketing efforts, social media also introduces challenges, such as possible adverse effects on mental health, thereby necessitating a balanced viewpoint.
