As of September 2023, YouTube as the most popular social media platform for global users, with 97 percent of respondents reporting to use the popular video platform. YouTube was also the most popular social media among Gen Z users, with 96 percent of respondents in this age group reporting to have used the video platform as of the examined period. Facebook's usage kept steady among among the general digital population, with around eight in 10 reporting to have used the platform. In comparison, the social media's popularity was in free fall among gen Z users with only four in 10 among those surveyed reporting to engage with the Meta-powered platform.

According to a survey conducted in the United States between July 2023 and June 2024, 65 percent of Generation Z were using Meta's Instagram, and 63 percent were using YouTube. Moreover, 58 percent of Gen Z in the United States were on TikTok, and 56 percent were using Facebook.

According to a survey of social media users aged between 16 and 24 years in the United Kingdom, 71 percent of respondents used the Instagram mobile app daily as of October 2022. Approximately seven in 10 respondents reported using social video app TikTok and YouTube on a daily basis, respectively. New social app app BeReal, which prompts users to post content once per day, was used by less than three in 10 respondents aged between 16 and 24 years.

Introduction

Gen Z Statistics: Generation Z, also called "Gen Z," refers to people born between 1997 and 2012. The youngest of this group are still in school, while the oldest are finishing college and starting their careers. Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with the internet as a normal part of life. They have faced challenges like a global pandemic and rising living costs, which have influenced their values and attitudes.

These experiences make them a unique and important group to understand. This generation has grown up with the internet, social media, and new technology. Right now, about one-third of social media influencers are from Gen Z. In this article, we will look at important Gen Z Statistics, data, and trends about Gen Z in 2025.

As of September 2024 in the United Kingdom, 98 percent of Generation Z, those born between 1995 and 2012, were using social media. The same was true for 97 percent of millennials in the country. Overall, 92 percent of Gen X were on social networks, as were 86 percent of Baby boomers.

Curator's Choice

• The Behavioral Health Market size is expected to be worth around USD 227.5 Bn by 2032 from USD 140.1 Bn in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032.
• Generation Z comprises approximately 26% of the global population.
• The birth years for Generation Z typically range from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s. However, there is no universally agreed-upon definition for the exact birth year range.
• Generation Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in the United States, with 48% being non-white.
• Around 95% of Generation Z owns or has access to a smartphone, making them the first truly "digital native" generation.
• Generation Z is highly active on social media platforms, with 98% of individuals aged 18-24 using at least one social media platform regularly.
• In terms of education, 59% of Generation Z plans to pursue a college degree.
• Approximately 61% of Generation Z is concerned about the environment and believes that companies should take more action to address climate change.
• Mental health issues are a significant concern for Generation Z, with 91% reporting experiencing symptoms of stress and anxiety.

(Source: Pew Research Center, Statista, McKinsey & Company, American Psychological Association)

According to a survey conducted among Generation Z in Japan in November 2024, more than 86 percent of the respondents used YouTube. YouTube was the leading social media platform, ahead of Instagram, X, and TikTok.

Gen Z and Millennials are the biggest social media users of all age groups.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in July 2022, three-quarters of Gen Z adults had used YouTube in the past month at least once a day, and 19 percent had used the platform at least once a week. For TikTok, 59 percent of respondents said they had used the platform every day within the past month. Additionally, 72 percent of Gen Z adults said they had not used LinkedIn, and 86 percent reported the same for Clubhouse.

The results might surprise you when looking at internet users that are active on social media in each country.

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.

Gen Z women are more likely than Gen Z men to make purchases via social media in the United States and the United Kingdom. At least 43 percent of female respondents in that generation had experienced buying a product on social networks as of January 2022, while the male usage rate stood at 37 percent. Discovering new brands via social media or visiting brands' social media stores was also more popular among Gen Z women than their male counterparts.

According to a global survey, in 2023, more than half of global Gen Z respondents stated that they use social media for brand information, compared to 45 percent of them who used search engines. Social media proves to be the more preferred and used channel for brand discovery and information.

The results of which gender uses which platforms are in.

56.8% of the world’s total population is active on social media.

Today the average time spent on social media is 2 hours and 24 minutes today for people aged 16 to 64.

Introduction

Gen Z Spending And Buying Habits Statistics: Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is shaking up how we think about spending and shopping. This generation, making up 20% of the population, has distinct habits that set it apart from older groups. Stats on Gen Z spending and buying habits show they love a mix of online and in-store shopping, with 40% favoring online options. They care deeply about value, sustainability, and social responsibility, and over half use Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services.

Social media, especially YouTube, has become their go-to for purchasing decisions. As more Gen Z enters the workforce—expected to hit 31% by 2031—their economic influence is only growing. For businesses, understanding how this group thinks is key to staying ahead.

A 2023 survey conducted in Indonesia found that more than half of Generation Z respondents frequently used Instagram. Furthermore, about 36 percent of female respondents used TikTok frequently, compared to 29 percent of male respondents.

A survey conducted in 2024 shows the growing impact of social media on Gen Z consumers' shopping habits. In 2024, 69 percent of Gen Z discovered new products or brands through social media influencers, a significant increase from 45 percent in 2023. Additionally, 68 percent of Gen Z found new products on social media, up from 60 percent, while around 60 percent of them purchased a product they discovered this way, nearly doubling from the 32 the previous year.

WhatsApp was the most popular social media platform for Gen Z, or 15-to-19-year-olds, in the Netherlands in 2020, with nearly all respondents using the service. This according to domestic survey information. The messenger service already ranked as the Netherlands' overall most popular social medium in terms of users. YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat were also very popular, all reaching a penetration rate of over 70 percent. Karaoke app TikTok, on the other hand, was much less popular, as only 17 percent of them used the video application.

Why is TikTok low in this ranking?

Chinese video and sing-along application TikTok, formerly Musical.ly, made a global name as being one of the most popular smartphone apps for Generation Z. Here, it seemingly ranks low as the source used ages 15 and up. This age group might potentially fall outside TikTok’s user base. While there is no data for the Netherlands that investigates the age groups below 15, download numbers suggest the app grew in popularity in the Netherlands after Bytedance (TikTok’s owner) merged Musical.ly and TikTok in August 2018.

A clash of generations
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gen Z uses Instagram and Snapchat much more often than their Millennial counterparts (defined by the source as 20-to 39-year olds). Interestingly, Pinterest was also more popular among the younger generation. The picture gallery app does not rank among the most popular apps in the Netherlands, reaching less than five million people in 2019. Facebook, on the other hand, was more preferred by Millennials than it was by Generation Z.