In 2024, Meta (formerly Facebook Inc) generated over 160 billion U.S. dollars in ad revenues. Advertising accounts for the vast majority of the social network's revenue. Facebook advertising revenue – additional information Facebook’s business model heavily relies on ads, as the majority of social network’s revenue comes from advertising. In 2020, about 97.9 percent of Facebook's global revenue was generated from advertising, whereas only around two percent was generated by payments and other fees revenue. Facebook ad revenue stood at close to 86 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, a new record for the company and a significant increase in comparison to the previous years. For instance, the social network generated almost seven billion U.S. dollars in ad revenue in 2013, about 10 billion less than the 2015 figure. Facebook's average revenue per user also significantly increased in the same time span, going from 6.81 U.S. dollars in 2013 to 32.03 U.S. dollars in 2020. The U.S. and Canada are important markets for Facebook, considering the average revenue per user (ARPU) in these two countries is far above the global average. Facebook’s ARPU in the U.S. and Canada was 41.41 U.S. dollars in the last quarter of 2019, while the global average was 8.52 U.S. dollars. In Europe, Facebook’s average revenue per user was 13.21 U.S. dollars during the same time period. In terms of segments, mobile is the most promising advertising form for the company. In 2018, Facebook’s mobile advertising revenue already accounted for 92 percent of the social network’s total advertising revenue. Facebook’s mobile advertising revenue grew from an estimate of 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 50.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2018.

In the third quarter of 2020, Facebook stated that 10 million active advertisers were using the social networking platform to promote their products and services, up from seven million advertisers in the first quarter of the previous year. Facebook advertising revenue Facebook generates the vast majority of its revenues through advertising. In 2020, the social network’s ad revenue amounted to over 84.2 billion U.S. dollars, compared to 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in other revenues.

Most of Facebook’s ad sales are generated via mobile, to the tune of 50.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. The company stated that mobile accounted for 92 percent of its total advertising revenue. This is hardly surprising when looking at the dominance of Facebook’s mobile presence which includes the namesake platform app but also Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and various other Facebook properties and products.

As of the second quarter of 2021, Facebook’s advertising revenue in the United States and Canada amounted to roughly 13.3 billion U.S. dollars. Other revenues came to 372 million U.S. dollars. During the same period, global Facebook ad revenues amounted to 28.5 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2022, Facebook generated nearly 114 billion U.S. dollars in advertising revenue. This figure is expected to further grow to exceed 127 billion U.S. dollars by 2027. The social platform is responsible for roughly 19 percent of the global ad revenue.

Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook Inc., continues to dominate the digital landscape with impressive financial growth. In 2024, the company's annual revenue reached a staggering 164.5 billion U.S. dollars, marking a significant increase from 134.9 billion U.S. dollars in the previous year. This upward trajectory reflects Meta's ability to monetize its vast user base across multiple platforms, solidifying its position as a tech giant. Advertising remains the primary revenue driver The bulk of Meta's revenue stems from its advertising operations, particularly within its Family of Apps segment. In 2024, this segment, which includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, generated 162 billion U.S. dollars. Despite a slight dip in 2022, Meta's advertising revenue has shown remarkable resilience and growth potential. User engagement and global reach The company's global influence is further illustrated by the fact that every minute, 138.9 million Reels are played on Facebook and Instagram, showcasing the ongoing evolution of user engagement within the Meta ecosystem.

The statistic illustrates Facebook's quarterly revenue in Europe as of the third quarter of 2021, sorted by segment. In most recently reported period, Facebook's advertising revenue across the European markets amounted to over 6.8 billion U.S. dollars.

In the third quarter of 2021, Facebook's total advertising revenue amounted to roughly 28.3 billion U.S. dollars. Other revenue streams generated 734 million U.S. dollars in revenues. At the end of 2021, Facebook renamed and rebranded as Meta Platforms. In the first quarter of 2022, Meta's total Family of Apps segment revenue amounted to roughly 27.21 billion U.S. dollars, of which advertising still generated the majority of revenues.

Facebook’s efforts to monetize its users have vastly differing results across global regions. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Facebook's average revenue per user (ARPU) in the Asia Pacific region was 5.52 U.S. dollars. This result pales in comparison to the combined U.S. and Canada market, where Facebook’s APRU amounted to 68.44 U.S. dollars.

Facebook revenue Facebook accumulated an impressive 69.66 billion U.S. dollars in annual ad revenues in 2019. The social network generates the majority of its revenues via social media marketing and advertising. Almost all of Facebook's ad revenue is generated via mobile – a staggering 92 percent in 2018.

Facebook is the biggest social media platform worldwide and the platform’s annual revenue in 2019 amounted to 70.7 billion U.S. dollars. Despite Facebook’s impressive growth, the company still lags behind other online companies in terms of total revenue. The company stated in its 2018 10K filing that it was dependent on the retention and engagement of its users, which has become increasingly difficult in the North American market.

Facebook usage concerns in North America With various user data controversies such as the Cambridge Analytics scandal in early spring, Facebook had a tumultuous 2018. A significant portion of U.S. Facebook users have come to rethink their Facebook usage. An April 2018 survey of adults in the United States that almost a third of respondents planned on using Facebook much less in the future. It is estimated that the average daily time spent on Facebook will stagnate at around 38 to 37 minutes per day. In comparison, Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram is projected to increase daily user engagement to 29 daily minutes in 2021.

In 2022, TikTok generated four billion U.S. dollars in advertising revenue. This figure is expected to double by 2024 and more nearly quadruple by 2026.

TikTok marketers are digging into their pockets

TikTok was the most downloaded mobile app worldwide in 2021, and the massive appeal of the short-form video platform has not gone unnoticed by advertisers. Over the last few years, more brands have started leveraging TikTok’s impressive reach and engagement figures to boost brand awareness and foster relationships with young, mostly Gen Z, customers. And even though the new kid on the block cannot yet match Facebook’s advertising revenues, it is becoming more appealing each year. As of 2021, TikTok’s revenue in the U.S. amounted to 2.1 billion U.S. dollars, which translated to roughly one percent of total digital ad spending in the country. This share is expected to increase steadily over the next few years.

Brands on TikTok

Advertising on TikTok can open many doors for companies, especially those wanting to reach young (and previously hard to target) audiences. Videos posted on the app can go viral overnight and reach millions of online users, which is something that other social media apps are unable to deliver. In 2021, Netflix was the most talked about brand on TikTok, with more than 4.5 thousand influencers mentioning it. In addition to posting videos and teasers for their upcoming releases, the streaming giant frequently partners with creators and launches challenges on the app.

In 2020, Google dominated the digital advertising market in Canada with a share of 50 percent, compared to Facebook's market share of 33 percent. Total digital ad spend in Canada stood at over 9.6 billion Canadian dollars that year.

In 2024, Meta Platforms generated a revenue of over 164 billion U.S. dollars, up from 134 billion USD in 2023. The majority of Meta’s profits come from its advertising revenue.Meta’s total Family of Apps revenue for 2022 amounted to 114 billion U.S. dollars. Additionally, Meta’s Reality Labs, the company’s VR division, generated around 2.1 billion dollars. Meta’s marketing expenditure for 2022 amounted to just over 15 billion U.S. dollars, up from 14 billion U.S. dollars in the previous year. Increasing audience base despite privacy misgivings Meta’s user numbers have continued to grow steadily throughout past years. In the fourth quarter of 2022, there was a total of 3.74 billion worldwide users across all of Meta’s platforms. For this same time frame, the company recorded 407 million monthly active users across Europe. Downloads of Meta’s app Oculus, for which virtual reality headsets are required, increased greatly from 2020 to 2021, reaching a total of 10.62 million downloads by the end of last year. Up until 2021, downloads had grown in a steady manner but from 2020 to 2021, they more than doubled.User numbers have increased despite data security issues and past controversy such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018. There remains skepticism surrounding the idea of the metaverse in which Meta aims to immerse itself. Of surveyed adults in the United States, the majority said that they were concerned about their privacy if Meta were to succeed in creating the metaverse.

In 2024, Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc., incurred advertising expenses of over 2.06 U.S. dollars. For the year 2023, Meta's advertising expenses totaled 2.02 billion and for 2022, this figure was 2.65 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2023, Google accounted for an estimated 26.8 percent of the total digital advertising revenue generated in the United States and was the largest digital ad publisher in the country. Facebook and Amazon followed, with 21.1 and 12.5 percent, respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Meta's net income amounted to 20.8 billion U.S. dollars, up from 15.7 billion when compared to the previous quarter.Facebook company informationFacebook is the biggest social network worldwide. The platform generates the vast majority of its revenues through advertising – as of March 2020, 98 percent of Facebook’s revenues were derived from ad sales, making the company highly dependent on market regulations regarding digital ad sales. In 2019, Facebook was second only to Google in terms of digital advertising revenues. The company’s ad revenue during this period amounted to 69.7 billion U.S. dollars. Facebook is still among the fastest-growing tech companies in the world. In 2020, the company increased its revenue by 21.6 percent compared to the previous year. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also ranks among the richest internet billionaires with a personal net worth of roughly 97 billion U.S. dollars.

Meta Platforms continues to dominate the digital landscape, with its Family of Apps segment generating a remarkable 162.4 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for 2024. This figure underscores the company's ability to monetize its vast user base across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, despite facing challenges in recent years. Advertising fuels growth amid market fluctuations Despite experiencing its first-ever year-on-year decline in 2022, Meta rebounded strongly in 2024, with total annual revenue reaching 164.5 billion U.S. dollars. This resilience showcases Meta's adaptability in the face of market changes and its continued appeal to advertisers seeking to reach a global audience. Expanding reach and engagement Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently sits at more than three billion monthly active users. Additionally, 2024 saw an astounding 138.9 million Reels played on Facebook and Instagram every 60 seconds.

In 2023, Google's ad revenue amounted to 264.59 billion U.S. dollars. The company generates advertising revenue through its Google Ads platform, which enables advertisers to display ads, product listings and service offerings across Google’s extensive ad network (properties, partner sites, and apps) to web users. Google advertising Advertising accounts for the majority of Google’s revenue, which amounted to a total of 305.63 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The majority of Google's advertising revenue comes from search advertising. Google market share These revenue figures come as no surprise, as Google accounts for the majority of the online and mobile search market worldwide. As of September 2023, Google was responsible for more than 84 percent of global desktop search traffic. The company holds a market share of more than 80 percent in a wide range of digital markets, having little to no domestic competition in many of them. China, Russia, and to a certain extent, Japan, are some of the few notable exceptions, where local products are more preferred.

In 2023, Google's share of digital advertising revenues worldwide was projected to amount to 39 percent. Facebook followed with a projected digital ad revenue share of 18 percent, while Amazon came in third with an expected seven percent. The player from Asia with the highest share is TikTok, with three percent, followed by Baidu, JD.com, as well as Tencent, all three with two percent.

In 2023, Instagram was projected to generate an estimated 23 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in the United States. The photo sharing app’s revenue is set increase to 29 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. Instagram as Facebook revenue driver Initially released in 2010 and quickly acquired by Facebook in 2012 for one billion U.S. dollars, Instagram has been in the public eye since its early days. Instagram’s monthly active users grew from a mere 90 million in January 2013 to over two billion MAU in December 2021 and the platform not showing any signs of slowing down. Apart from ongoing user growth, Instagram is also one of the most popular social media platforms used by marketers worldwide, second only to Facebook. Despite the rapid growth of Instagram under Facebook’s ownership and cross-platform promotion, not everything has been smooth sailing under the blue flag. In September 2018, founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced their resignation amidst reports of culture and product clashes between Instagram and its parent company. Facebook was quick to appoint a new CEO, and under former Facebook News Feed product manager Adam Mosseri the social network has been trying to make the most of Instagram’s ad potential. In late June 2019, Instagram launched ads in its Explore section. The platform already allowed ads in the regular feed and Stories.

The annual advertising revenue of Instagram is steadily increasing. In 2020, Instagram accumulated 17.4 billion U.S. dollars in ad revenues in the United States. The social media platform, owned by Facebook, is projected to reach roughly 40 billion U.S. dollars in annual ad sales in 2023.

The ad spending in the 'Digital Out-of-Home Advertising' segment of the advertising market in Israel was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2030 by in total 33.8 million U.S. dollars (+69.91 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the ad spending is estimated to reach 82.12 million U.S. dollars and therefore a new peak in 2030. Notably, the ad spending of the 'Digital Out-of-Home Advertising' segment of the advertising market was continuously increasing over the past years.Find more in-depth information regarding the number of users concerning social media advertising on facebook in Israel and the revenue concerning the advertising market in Israel. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

Every year billions of dollars are spent on advertising on social media in the United States. In 2022, the amount reached 66 billion U.S. dollars, and included paid advertising on social networks as well as games and applications on social media. By 2025, advertisers are expected to spend over 82 billion dollars on promoting their products on social networks. Facebook commands the lion’s share of these expenditures (more than 80 percent), followed by LinkedIn and Pinterest with four and two percent respectively. Social network advertising – a closer look   Studies show that a little over 90 percent of U.S. companies are and will be using social media for marketing purposes. In 2017, social messaging and video were thought to be the trends of the future in relation to social media advertising and believed to have the biggest effect on marketing strategies. Lo and behold, advertising spending on social video has been growing ever since, and is expected to amount to nearly 15 billion U.S dollars in 2021. Even in this respect, Facebook has the lead, especially when it comes to influencer marketing. In fact, all tiers of influencers - from microinfluencers to celebrities - post the majority of their videos on Facebook. The second choice of platform to share their videos is YouTube, which despite being 'the' video sharing platform is not as popular yet among influencers most probably due to smaller user reach.