Launched in 2016, TikTok rose to be one of the most popular social app and video platform for global users. In 2021, TikTok had approximately 656 million global users. This figure was projected to increase by around 15 percent year-over-year, reaching 755 million users in 2022. TikTok global installs peaked at the end of 2019, with the app amassing over 318 million downloads. During 2020 and 2021, TikTok download trends experienced a slower growth, amassing 173 million downloads from users worldwide during the last quarter of 2021.

In 2023, TikTok was projected to generate an estimated *********** U.S. dollars in revenue in the United States. The video platform’s revenue is set to increase to ** billion U.S. dollars in 2025. In addition to advertising, TikTok is also expecting to generate money from TikTok Shop e-commerce.

In 2020, TikTok brought in $33.4 billion in revenue.

These TikTok user statistics tell the whole story of the new social media giant and give you some insights into the app's future.

In 2021, messaging and video sharing platform Snapchat was more popular than TikTok among Gen Z users in the United States. TikTok counted around 37 million users who were born between 1997 and 2012, while Instagram reported around 33 million users in the same period. Snapchat, which counted 42 million Gen Z users, is projected to reach 49.5 million users in the examined demographic by 2025. Overall, platforms such as Pinterest, Twitter and Reddit had significantly less users amongst this age group.

TikTok has a significantly larger female user base globally.

In 2021, TikTok increased its U.S. user base by over 29 percent compared to the previous year. Audience growth of the social video platform is projected to remain in double digits until 2021, before slowing down to a 8.1 percent annual user growth rate in 2022. In 2021, TikTok had 86.9 million users in the United States.

Latin America has become the fastest-growing region for TikTok worlwide, especially in 2020, when it overtook Twitter and Snapchat and became the third-largest social network in the region. In 2021, there were an estimated 120.7 million TikTok users in Latin America and the social video app is projected to increase its audience size from 2019 by six times in 2023.

Teenagers make up the largest group of active users on TikTok.

Globally the average user spends 52 minutes on TikTok every day. About 90% of their worldwide users access TikTok on a daily basis.

The average adult TikTok user in America spends 33 minutes per day on the app.

Regional TikTok user statistics differentiate significantly. Each major region has also experienced growth a different times.

As of February 2025, there were **** million TikTok users in the Philippines that marketers can reach with ads, indicating an increase from the previous reporting period. TikTok is one of the most used social media platforms among Filipino internet users.

There are currently over 1.5 billion active users on TikTok worldwide.

TikTok has risen through the ranks to become the 5th most popular social media network worldwide.

TikTok has 136 million monthly active users in the US alone.

Based on forecasts released in May 2021, the number of TikTok users in the United Kingdom is expected to reach almost ** million users in 2025. The app's growth is expected to keep increasing, reaching **** million users in 2024. TikTok penetration in the UK As of December 2019, 8.7 percent of the UK's smartphone population was using TikTok, an increase of *** percentage points compared to September 2017 when the video-sharing social media app first launched. At just over a quarter, smartphone users aged between ********* years old made up the largest share of TikTok users in December 2019. Additionally, TikTok was slightly more popular within the female demographic compared to male smartphone users, with respective shares of ** and *** percent.   Gender differences in social media usage in the UK According to a survey conducted in the third quarter of 2020, it was found that Facebook was the most used social media among both men and women . WhatsApp ranked second among men and women, followed by YouTube.

ByteDance’s triumphant TikTok/ Douyin is one of the most successful Chinese brands that have made its name beyond borders. The short video brand enjoyed immense popularity around the world, surpassing Instagram and WhatsApp to be the most downloaded mobile app. In 2025, the brand value of TikTok/Douyin amounted to *** billion U.S. dollars. It was the second most valuable unicorn worldwide as of 2024 with a market cap of *** billion U.S. dollars. TikTok versus Douyin: the major differences After Douyin’s success in China, ByteDance launched TikTok in 2017— a separate, international version of Douyin. The video-sharing platforms, though quite similar in interface and functions, are two independent entities. Douyin and TikTok differ in accessibility (mainland China versus rest of the world), content results (China-based content versus international content), positioning (skills and lifestyle-tips-based versus more art-based), and functions (Douyin has more advanced live streaming and in-app purchase features). Who is using TikTok and Douyin? The duo possessed a large user base. In 2025, TikTok was estimated to have over *** million users while that of Douyin would exceed *** million in China. American and Southeast Asian countries were TikTok’s major markets. On average, the international version had a relatively older user composition than its Chinese sister app – a ***** of users aged below 34 years registered on TikTok versus **** of Douyin users were under 31 years. In some countries like the United States, TikTok has achieved a high penetration rate among young adults.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global short form video market size will be USD 1628.2 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.60% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 651.28 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 488.46 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 374.49 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 81.41 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 32.56 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2024 to 2031.
The social media platforms category is the fastest growing segment of the short form video industry

Market Dynamics of Short Form Video Market

Key Drivers for Short Form Video Market

Technological Advancements in Video Editing Tools to Boost Market Growth

Technological advancements in video editing tools have significantly boosted the short form video market. AI-driven features like automated editing, motion tracking, and real-time effects simplify content creation, allowing users to produce high-quality videos quickly. Cloud-based platforms enable seamless collaboration and accessibility, while mobile apps offer drag-and-drop interfaces and one-tap effects for non-professional users. These innovations empower creators to focus on storytelling, boosting content production speed and quality. As editing tools become more accessible and intuitive, they drive the rapid expansion of short-form video content globally. For instance, in December 2020, Google LLC invested in two Indian short-video platforms, Roposo, owned by Glance, and Josh, owned by Dailyhunt. With this investment, Google LLC seeks to improve its AI expertise across Josh and Roposo, expand its technology staff, and provide services on the platforms.

Growth of Social Media Platforms to Drive Market Growth

The growth of social media platforms has fueled the rapid expansion of the short form video market. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have made brief, engaging videos a popular content format, appealing to users' limited attention spans. This surge is driven by high smartphone penetration, faster internet, and users' preference for bite-sized, easily consumable content. The market benefits from strong engagement, viral trends, and creator-driven content. As social media platforms continue to innovate, short form videos are becoming essential for both personal expression and digital marketing.

Restraint Factor for the Short Form Video Market

Legal Challenges Related to the Use of Copyrighted Material Will Limit Market Growth

In the short-form video market, legal challenges surrounding the use of copyrighted material pose significant hurdles. Creators often use music, video clips, and images without proper licensing, leading to copyright infringement claims. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels face constant pressure to enforce stringent copyright laws, which can result in content takedowns, restricted usage, or demonetization. This impacts both creators and platforms, as balancing creativity with legal compliance becomes crucial. To navigate this, some platforms have secured music licensing deals, but challenges persist with other types of copyrighted content.

Content Moderation and Platform Safety Issues

The rapid expansion of short-form video platforms has resulted in difficulties in managing inappropriate or harmful content. The swift uploading of videos, live streaming capabilities, and a worldwide audience heighten the risk of disseminating misinformation, hate speech, or offensive content. There is an increasing level of regulatory scrutiny and public concern, as governments across the globe urge platforms to enhance their moderation practices. Neglecting to tackle these challenges may result ...

In 2021, there were 1.21 billion monthly active users of Meta's Instagram, making up over 28 percent of the world's internet users. By 2025, it has been forecast that there will be 1.44 billion monthly active users of the social media platform, which would account for 31.2 percent of global internet users.

How popular is Instagram?

Instagram, as of January 2022, was the fourth most popular social media platform in the world in terms of user numbers. YouTube and WhatsApp ranked in second and third place, respectively, whilst Facebook remained the most popular, with almost three billion monthly active users worldwide.

India had the largest number of Instagram users as of January 2022, with a total of over 230 million users in the country. The second-largest Instagram audience could be found in the United States, with almost 160 million people subscribing to the photo and video sharing app.

Gen Z and Instagram

As of September 2021, Gen Z users in the United States spent an average of five hours per week on Instagram. Although Instagram ranked third in terms of hours per week spent on the platform, Gen Z users spent considerably more time on TikTok, amounting to a weekly average of over 10 hours being spent on the mobile-first video app.

Most followed accounts on Instagram

As of May 2022, Instagram’s own account had 504.37 million followers. In terms of celebrities, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (@chistiano) had over 440.41 million followers on the social network. Moreover, the average media value of an Instagram post by Ronaldo was over 985,000 U.S. dollars.

The most liked post on Instagram as of May 2022 was Photo of an Egg, which was posted in 2019 by the account @world_record_egg. Photo of an Egg has not only exceeded 55 million likes on the platform, but it also has nearly 3.5 million comments, and the account itself has over 4.5 million Instagram followers. After mysterious posts published by the account, World Record Egg revealed itself as part of a mental health campaign aimed at the difficulties and demands of using social media.