Number of Social Media Users in 2024: Demographics & Predictions

What was the number of social media users in 2020?

We Are Social, in collaboration with Hootsuite, estimates that  there were 4.14 billion social media users worldwide in 2020, which is around 86.9% of the total 4.83 billion internet users all over the world today. A more recent estimate showed that there were 4.2 billion social media users at the start of 2021. The number of social media users has grown  31.4% from 2018’s 3.196 billion. It records a 332.99% growth from the 0.97 billion users in 2010.

Social media usage is so widespread across so many geographies across the globe that the busiest of social networks are churning out content on a massive scale in real-time. On Twitter, for example, a total average of 500 million Tweets go out daily. This is from the +370.9 million users on the platform. Depending on the time of day, there can be more than 9,000 tweets sent every second. The number of social media users generating this content is likewise staggering; on Facebook, for instance, there were 2.73 billion active users in February 2021.

This article explores the social media landscape primarily in terms of social media users and will delve into the main categories below:

How Many Social Media Users in the Next Five Years?

How many of the world’s population would be active in social media in the next five years to 2024?

Given the United Nation’s population growth estimates and predicting internet penetration rates based on historical trends, the total global social media users could potentially reach over 4.75 billion half a decade from now. That means nearly 6 out of every 10 people on the planet will have a social network account. That is at a CAGR of 11.18% since 2010.

That said, this forecast is limited, and does not take into account the already saturated internet penetration rates of advanced nations. Internet penetration rates continue to skyrocket in developing countries, and it is largely these new users coming online that will fuel the growth of social media use in the future. However, the pace of social media uptake among these populations will depend on other variables, such as gender disparity, perceived value, and access to technology.

Social Media Users by Demographics

What age uses social media the most? How much time did we spend on social media in 2020?

Chances are, you’re a young adult from America with several social media accounts primarily viewing videos on Youtube, sharing them on Facebook, and exchanging stories on Instagram. Social media users are typically 18- to 34-year-olds, spending an average of 2 hours and 41 minutes daily on an average of 8.4 social network profiles, with Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram being the go-to online destinations.

As of January 2021, the global social network penetration rate is at 53.6%. Western and Northern Europe leads the pack among regions with a 79% penetration rate. This is trailed by North America with 74% and closely followed by Southern America and Southern Europe at 72%. The Middle Africa region has the lowest penetration rate only at a meager 8%.

While these figures (and the ones before) may seem astronomical, they’ve actually slowed down from previous record highs. Data Reportal reported that the growth of social media users has declined considerably from 2016 and 2017 at peaks of 21% and 14% YoY growth. However, if the growth rate is steady, the world is poised to reach more or less about 4.5 billion users by 2022.

Number of Social Media Users by Country

Mainland China leads the world in terms of the number of social media users with 926.84 million in 2020. India registered at a far second with 349.97 million in the same year. In 2025, experts project that the total social media users in China will reach 1.13 billion and those in India will reach 490.3 million.

Top 5 Countries with the Most Social Media Users in 2020

1. 926.84 million -China
2. 349.97 million – India
3. 198.96 million – Indonesia
4. 223.03 million – United States
5. 141.45 million – Brazil

In terms of penetration rates by country, the UAE has a staggering 99% social media user penetration rate—nearly everyone in the population has a social media account! In fact, the majority of countries with the most impressive social media penetration rates listed below are above the global average (~45%).

A caveat, however, is that these figures are based on the total population per country, and not just the eligible (13-years and above) population. Accounting for data from different news and analyses, the social platforms themselves, and investor earnings announcements, a number of countries max out the social media penetration cap aside from the UAE, including Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

Alright, so what do we use social media for?

Different geographies have different prevailing uses for social media, according to social media statistics collected by FinancesOnline. Globally, however, 36.5% of people use social media as a major source of news and current events. Of course, for others, it is largely sharing their own experiences with friends.

Number of Social Media Users by Age and Generation

A breakdown of age and gender demographics gives an interesting peek at social media user trends. For example, what age uses social media the most?

Starting from a general age of eligibility for opening a social media profile at 13 years old, and looking at profile demographics from some of the platforms of Facebook, the top social network in the world, it’s clear that 25- to 34 year-olds are the dominant age group, followed closely by the 18- to 24-year-olds. There’s a slight skew towards male users.

Social media statistics by FinancesOnline show that Millennials unsurprisingly are the most digitally connected, with 90.4% of the Millennial population in the US being active social media users, followed by 77.5% of Gen X-ers, and 48.2% of Baby Boomers.

Social Media Users in the US by Age and Gender in 2021

How about how many teens used social media in 2021? Teenagers make up around 6.7% of the total social media population, but depending on the country, as much as 9 out of 10 teens may have been on social media.

Additionally, in the US, 35% of people aged 65 and older use social media, reflecting a 22% CAGR from 2005’s meager 2% penetration rate among seniors. As internet and social media use rise in the other geographic regions, it is likely they will undergo the same trend regarding social media use in this advanced age range.

Add to that the fact that today’s young adults who were raised on digital networks will be tomorrow’s elderly, then future generations will likely easily get ahold of that picture of that one-time granny got wasted on a party and it became a viral meme on Reddit.

Number of Social Media Users by Gender

Now, what about gender disparity? Who uses social media more: male or female?

Some geographies lean a lot more towards specific sexes, like Ukraine and Yemen having the highest female and male user ratios the world over. Ukraine has 9.4 million female social media users—around 57% of the total eligible population in the country. Meanwhile, Yemen has 2 million male social media users, which means 3 out of every 4 Yemeni males of eligible age have social media accounts.

For Facebook, female users also outnumber males.

Social Media Users by Platform

It’s all about Facebook, regardless if you’re looking at social networks or social messenger apps. Facebook and its properties Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger are undoubtedly leaders in their fields, and Google—despite years of effort on platforms like Google Plus—still can’t break into the market except for its video platform Youtube, which has 1.9 billion users.

What is the #1 social media site?

Facebook is the undisputed social media leader, both in terms of social networks and messengers. Facebook and Instagram lead the social network pack, though Youtube, arguably a social network and video platform hybrid, outstrips Instagram by around 900 million users.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp and FB Messenger dominate the social messenger app landscape with 2 billion and 1.3 billion users respectively. China’s major messengers, WeChat and QQ, however, are enjoying the wealth of users the Chinese mainland has to offer, easily beating Microsoft’s Skype and even other East Asian entries like Viber and Line.

The change in user demographics among these platforms also paints an interesting picture.

Youtube is definitely a pastime that has taken a chunk out of TV viewing, for instance, as 80% of 18-49 year-olds worldwide watch videos on the platform several times a month. Over at Twitter, 80% of active users are rich Millennials, hinting how active social media use sometimes reflects privilege.

Meanwhile, on Facebook, usage among teens is in decline, down from a high of 71% in 2015 to 51% in 2018. Does this simply reflect the current user base becoming more mature, either by way of straightforward teen users aging along with the passing years, or by the platform attracting new users who are older?

Or maybe the teenage taste has simply changed: in 2018, teenagers preferred to use Snapchat (41%) over Instagram (22%) or Facebook (15%). In the US alone, a lot of young adults, including age-appropriate teens (18-24 years old), are Snapchat users (78%).

How Much Time Did We Spend on Social Media in 2020?

How long does the average person spend on social media?

Time spent on social media is mostly culturally driven, and the worldwide average of 2 hours and 25 minutes of time spent on social media spans the lowest of 51 minutes a day on average in Japan, and the highest of 4 hours and 15 minutes a day on average in the Philippines.

Aside from cultural differences, the social platform involved also marks some socio-economic distinctions. For instance, 45% of people who earn over $75,000 annually are LinkedIn users.

How Much Revenue is Generated from Social Media?

Social media platforms and networks have varied ways of making money. LinkedIn, for example, offers a premium membership business model that fits snugly into its value proposition as a professional social networking site for job seekers and employers.

There is also a segment of the SaaS industry called social media management software that manages social media brand mentions, marketing campaigns, and other metrics that pertain to a company’s social media presence.

Most Popular Social Media Management Software

1. HubSpot Marketing – A centralized marketing system that aims to grow traffic and increase conversion all from a unified dashboard. Our review of the software further delves into details HubSpot Marketing pricing and features.
2. Monday.com – A top productivity and project management app, social media marketing management is Monday.com’s most suitable uses. Read our review for monday.com pricing and details.
3. Zoho Social – The social media management tool of the Zoho brand, Zoho Social focuses on not only tracking social media metrics but also managing post scheduling and integrations. Full features and Zoho Social pricing are available in our review.
4. SEMRush – Primarily developed for search engine marketing, SEMRush has since evolved into a full suite with various online marketing capabilities, including social media marketing management. Learn more about SEMRush pricing and features in our review.
5. Facebook Pages Manager – A mobile app specifically geared towards Facebook Page users, Facebook Pages Manager is obviously limited in scope, but it covers the top social network in the world with billions of users. Read more about it in our review and see how Facebook Pages Manager pricing, features, and other details compare to the rest.

Now, while this SaaS segment is its own ecosystem, a large chunk of revenue within social media as an industry is gained via advertising.

Social Media’s Advertising Audiences

Ad revenue is taken from a portion of a social platform’s total active user base that serves as an addressable market. In the case of some of the most popular social networks below, nearly all of their monthly active users (MAU) are also advertising audiences.

Facebook, for instance, has an addressable market of 2.121 billion MAU, just a few tens of millions of users short of its total MAU of 2.271 billion. It’s no wonder that there are over 65 million local business pages on Facebook in the US alone.

Interestingly, the predominantly male demographic skew on social media is broken by Instagram, where influencer-slash-models are the norm, and SnapChat, which initially thrived on a privacy-based value proposition where message histories become inaccessible after a short time.

Social Media’s Advertising Revenues

Despite Facebook having a few more income streams, advertising does comprise a large chunk of its total revenue. And since a social network’s advertising audience is nearly all of its MAU, Facebook naturally has a gargantuan lead over its competitors in terms of advertising revenues.

Advertising Revenues of Some of the Top Platforms in 2019

Social Media Security and Privacy

Social media platforms present security and privacy concerns, impacting personal users and businesses. These concerns stem primarily from data collection practices, the risk of data breaches, and issues related to identity theft and misinformation.

• Data Collection and Privacy: Social media companies collect vast user data, often for targeted advertising. While this can create personalized experiences, it raises privacy concerns, as users may not fully understand the extent of data being collected or its use.
• Data Breaches: Social media platforms are prime targets for cyberattacks. If platforms link to payment methods, breaches can expose sensitive user information, including login credentials, personal data, and financial details. Major platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have experienced breaches affecting millions of users.
• Identity Theft and Phishing: Hackers use social media to gather personal information that can lead to identity theft. Fake profiles and phishing scams are prevalent, with attackers impersonating friends or brands to steal information or spread malware.
• Misinformation and Manipulation: Social media’s openness also makes it a breeding ground for misinformation and malicious content. Automated bots and fake accounts can spread false information, influencing public opinion and eroding trust in information shared on these platforms.

For safe social media use, users should be vigilant about privacy settings, avoid sharing sensitive information, and report suspicious profiles or messages. Businesses should invest in security measures and staff training to protect their brand and customer data online.

Social Media Trends that Will Carry into the Near Future

So do these social media statistics and numbers show us anything meaningful when it comes to the near future? FinancesOnline recently looked into social media trends and a few stand out as movements that appear to have much staying power.

Social selling and social shopping—essentially social media-based demand and supply—won’t be going away any time soon. So much so that platform-specific buy-and-sell hubs, such as Facebook Marketplace, are thriving. In fact, social selling tools do far more than just sell. Social selling tools are often used for lead development (68.9%), account research (64.9%), and call preparation (60.3%), and some reps also leverage social selling tools for activities like stakeholder research and awareness building, among others.

Yet another trend that everyone can expect to continue is mobile-optimized social media experiences. In 2018, social media visits via mobile increased by 21% in the US, while desktop visits, in turn, declined by roughly the same amount. Indeed, when 91% of active social media users access their favorite platforms via their smartphones, it’s clear that the mobile revolution has yet to plateau.

With global social media user growth yet to reach a saturation point, the trends currently driving social media interactions between brands and people are expected to continue. These include influencer marketing, social advertising, and user-generated content. With over three billion social media users the world over (and counting) as a potential addressable market, even more trends and buzzwords will surely arise in the years to come.

Key Insights

• Global Reach: Social media users reached 4.14 billion in 2020, representing 86.9% of internet users worldwide.
• Growth Trend: The number of social media users is forecasted to surpass 4.75 billion by 2024, driven mainly by increasing internet penetration in developing countries.
• Demographics: Social media usage is highest among 18- to 34-year-olds, with significant daily engagement across multiple platforms.
• Regional Penetration: Western and Northern Europe have the highest social media penetration rates at 79%, followed by North America at 74%.
• Top Countries: China leads with 926.84 million users in 2020, followed by India with 349.97 million.
• Platform Dominance: Facebook remains the top social network, while WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger lead the messaging app sector.
• Time Spent: The average time spent on social media varies widely, with the global average being 2 hours and 25 minutes per day.
• Revenue: Social media platforms primarily generate revenue through advertising, with Facebook leading at $29.92 billion in 2019.
• Emerging Trends: Social selling and mobile-optimized experiences are expected to continue growing, driven by increased social media engagement and usage on mobile devices.

FAQ

1. How many social media users are there in the world? In 2020, there were 4.14 billion social media users globally. The number continues to grow, with estimates predicting over 4.2 billion users by the end of 2021.
2. What was the number of social media users in 2020? We Are Social and Hootsuite estimated 4.14 billion social media users worldwide in 2020, accounting for approximately 86.9% of the total 4.83 billion internet users.
3. How many social media users are expected in the next five years? By 2024, the number of global social media users is expected to exceed 4.75 billion, potentially meaning nearly 60% of the world’s population will be active on social media.
4. Which age group uses social media the most? Young adults aged 18 to 34 are the most active social media users, typically spending an average of 2 hours and 41 minutes daily across various platforms.
5. Which regions have the highest social media penetration rates? Western and Northern Europe lead with a 79% penetration rate, followed by North America at 74%, and Southern America and Southern Europe at 72%.
6. Which country has the most social media users? China has the highest number of social media users, with 926.84 million in 2020, followed by India with 349.97 million.
7. What is the leading social media platform? Facebook is the leading social media platform globally, with a significant user base and high engagement rates across its various services, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
8. How much time do people spend on social media daily? Globally, the average time spent on social media is 2 hours and 25 minutes per day, with considerable variation across different countries.
9. How do social media platforms generate revenue? Most social media platforms generate revenue primarily through advertising, leveraging their vast user bases to attract businesses seeking to reach targeted audiences.
10. What are the key trends shaping the future of social media? Key trends include the rise of social selling, increased mobile optimization, influencer marketing, social advertising, and user-generated content, all driven by continuous growth in social media user engagement.

By Sebastian Lambert

CEO of FinancesOnline and our company’s guru on SaaS growth hacking and lead generation strategies.