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.

Historical ltm Revenue growth metric data for Meta Platforms, Inc. (META).

Facebook probably needs no introduction; nonetheless, here is a quick history of the company. The world’s biggest and most-famous social network was launched by Mark Zuckerberg while he was a...

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.

The ad spending in the 'Digital Video Advertising' segment of the advertising market in South Korea was modeled to amount to *********** U.S. dollars in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the ad spending has risen by ************ U.S. dollars since 2017. Between 2024 and 2030, the ad spending will rise by ************ U.S. dollars, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.Further information about the methodology, more market segments, and metrics can be found on the dedicated Market Insights page on Digital Video Advertising.

In 2024, the market size in the metaverse market in Brazil was modeled to amount to ************ U.S. dollars. Between 2022 and 2024, the market size rose by ************** U.S. dollars. The market size will steadily rise by ************ U.S. dollars over the period from 2024 to 2030, reflecting a clear upward trend.Further information about the methodology, more market segments, and metrics can be found on the dedicated Market Insights page on Metaverse.

In 2023, Meta Platforms had a total annual revenue of over 134 billion U.S. dollars, up from 116 billion in 2022. LinkedIn reported its highest annual revenue to date, generating over 15 billion USD, whilst Snapchat reported an annual revenue of 4.6 billion USD.

In 2024, Facebook was the leading social media platform in most of the Southeast Asian countries in terms of traffic generation to other websites, with the highest share in Timor-Leste at around 97 percent. YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram, and Pinterest were other platforms that had significant social media traffic shares in Southeast Asian markets that year. Social media advertising and web traffic referrals Traffic referrals from social media are crucial in social media advertising. Links shared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter help direct potential customers to a brand’s website or landing page. This increases exposure, website visits, and conversions, such as sales or leads, which are key benefits of social media marketing according to marketers. Traffic referrals also serve as an important tool for advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Furthermore, by analyzing which platforms and content generate the most traffic, businesses can refine their strategies to focus on the highest-performing channels. Social media advertising – a multibillion-dollar business Revenue from social media advertising has continued to rise rapidly. This growth was driven by the ability to track user behavior, refine ad targeting, and deliver highly personalized content. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok generate billions of dollars of ad revenue annually. The owner of Facebook and Instagram, Meta Platforms’s annual advertising revenue exceeded 160 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Countries such as China, Japan, and Australia are among the largest social media advertising markets in the Asia-Pacific region, with China’s projected social media ad spend reaching nearly 97 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.

Newspaper publishers in Australia continue to adapt to a media landscape dominated by scrolling rather than page-turning. Print circulation faces ongoing structural decline, reducing the attractiveness of traditional advertising for media agencies and businesses. While most publishers maintain an online presence, digital advertising yields lower returns than print and revenue is constrained as advertisers’ spending shifts towards video and social media channels. Overall, industry revenue is set to contract at an annualised 5.2% over the five years through to 2025-26 to $2.8 billion, including a 6.8% slump in the current year. The industry remains highly consolidated, with major players like News Corp and Nine Entertainment holding significant market power. These publishers have relied on cost-cutting, workforce reductions and technology adoption to boost profit margins in a declining revenue environment. At the same time, industry revenue continues to depend on external support. Government initiatives, like the News Media Bargaining Code and the proposed News Bargaining Incentive, play a critical role in stabilising publisher income. This reliance has been thrown into sharper focus since Meta’s decision in March 2024 not to renew payment agreements with Australian publishers, removing a key revenue stream and highlighting the vulnerability of the industry’s current funding model. Despite these pressures, Australian readership patterns provide a degree of resilience. Households in Australia demonstrate higher trust in established news brands than in social media and are more willing to pay for quality journalism. This trust offers publishers a foundation to expand subscription models and diversify revenue, even as the advertising market softens. Looking forwards, success will depend on publishers’ ability to compete within algorithm-driven platforms while retaining credibility. Negotiating commercial agreements with tech giants, like Meta, Google, TikTok and AI content providers, will be essential to safeguard revenue streams and protect intellectual property. Consolidation will likely continue and workforce pressures may necessitate government-supported upskilling programs to sustain journalism quality. For publishers able to navigate this complex environment, the challenge will be capturing attention in a saturated digital ecosystem while leveraging trust, credibility and local relevance to maintain profit margins. Industry revenue is forecast to sink at a slower rate over the five years to 2030-31, falling at an annualised 2.0% to $2.5 billion, reflecting ongoing adaptation to digital consumption patterns.

Meta stock price, live market quote, shares value, historical data, intraday chart, earnings per share and news.

Node Meta-information Assessment.

Social media companies are starting to offer users the option to subscribe to their platforms in exchange for monthly fees. Until recently, social media has been predominantly free to use, with tech companies relying on advertising as their main revenue generator. However, advertising revenues have been dropping following the COVID-induced boom. As of July 2023, Meta Verified is the most costly of the subscription services, setting users back almost 15 U.S. dollars per month on iOS or Android. Twitter Blue costs between eight and 11 U.S. dollars per month and ensures users will receive the blue check mark, and have the ability to edit tweets and have NFT profile pictures. Snapchat+, drawing in four million users as of the second quarter of 2023, boasts a Story re-watch function, custom app icons, and a Snapchat+ badge.

In 2008, Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft held 30.8 percent of digital advertising revenues in the United States. In 2024, the market share more than doubled to 65.6 percent.

During the fourth quarter of 2023, the number of daily active users on Facebook reached 2.1 billion, a minor increase on the previous quarter. When compared with the number of daily active users in the final quarter of 2022, the platform has gained around 100 million users. Facebook’s penetration rate for the United States in 2023 was 72.13 percent, up from 71.43 percent in 2022. The social network’s audience reach is projected to stand at 75.79 percent by 2027.

Most popular social media websites

As of May 2021, Facebook was the most used social media site in the United States, accounting for 71.8 percent of all social media visits. Ranking in second place was Pinterest with 12.4 percent, followed by Twitter and Instagram, with 9.15 percent and 3.82 percent, respectively. Although other sites remain popular, Facebook’s number of visits made it undoubtably the leading social media platform in terms of social media site visits.

For Generation Z and Millennials in the United States, Facebook was one of the least popular platforms used to connect with others. Gen Z and Millennials preferred video sharing platforms, specifically Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

Meta’s revenue

Facebook Inc was renamed as Meta in 2021, in a strategic step toward the metaverse. Meta Platforms is now the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp amongst others, together being known as Meta’s Family of Apps.

Meta’s annual revenue for 2021 was 117.92 billion U.S. dollars, up from 85.97 billion in 2020. Within a decade, the company has increased its annual revenue by approximately 114 billion U.S. dollars. In the most recent fiscal year, Meta’s Family of Apps were responsible for over 115 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of Meta’s revenue.

Which county has the most Facebook users?

              There are more than 378 million Facebook users in India alone, making it the leading country in terms of Facebook audience size. To put this into context, if India’s Facebook audience were a country then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. Apart from India, there are several other markets with more than 100 million Facebook users each: The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil with 193.8 million, 119.05 million, and 112.55 million Facebook users respectively.

              Facebook – the most used social media

              Meta, the company that was previously called Facebook, owns four of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. As of the third quarter of 2021, there were around 3,5 billion cumulative monthly users of the company’s products worldwide. With around 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media worldwide. With an audience of this scale, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Facebook’s revenue is generated through advertising.

              Facebook usage by device
              As of July 2021, it was found that 98.5 percent of active users accessed their Facebook account from mobile devices. In fact, almost 81.8 percent of Facebook audiences worldwide access the platform only via mobile phone. Facebook is not only available through mobile browser as the company has published several mobile apps for users to access their products and services. As of the third quarter 2021, the four core Meta products were leading the ranking of most downloaded mobile apps worldwide, with WhatsApp amassing approximately six billion downloads.

During a 2024 survey among marketers worldwide, around 86 percent reported using Facebook for marketing purposes. Instagram and LinkedIn followed, respectively mentioned by 79 and 65 percent of the respondents.

              The global social media marketing segment

              According to the same study, 59 percent of responding marketers intended to increase their organic use of YouTube for marketing purposes throughout that year. LinkedIn and Instagram followed with similar shares, rounding up the top three social media platforms attracting a planned growth in organic use among global marketers in 2024. Their main driver is increasing brand exposure and traffic, which led the ranking of benefits of social media marketing worldwide.

              Social media for B2B marketing

              Social media platform adoption rates among business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) marketers vary according to each subsegment's focus. While B2C professionals prioritize Facebook and Instagram – both run by Meta, Inc. – due to their popularity among online audiences, B2B marketers concentrate their endeavors on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn due to its goal to connect people and companies in a corporate context.

Which county has the most Facebook users? There are more than 383 million Facebook users in India alone, making it the leading country in terms of Facebook audience size. To put this into context, if India’s Facebook audience were a country, then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. Apart from India, there are several other markets with more than 100 million Facebook users each: The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil with 196.9 million, 122.3 million, and 111.65 million Facebook users respectively. Facebook – the most used social media Meta, the company that was previously called Facebook, owns four of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. As of the third quarter of 2021, there were around 3.5 billion cumulative monthly users of the company’s products worldwide. With around 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media worldwide. With an audience of this scale, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Facebook’s revenue is generated through advertising. Facebook usage by device As of July 2021, it was found that 98.5 percent of active users accessed their Facebook account from mobile devices. In fact, almost 81.8 percent of Facebook audiences worldwide access the platform only via mobile phone. Facebook is not only available through mobile browser as the company has published several mobile apps for users to access their products and services. As of the third quarter 2021, the four core Meta products were leading the ranking of most downloaded mobile apps worldwide, with WhatsApp amassing approximately six billion downloads.

Facebook remained the largest market share among social media platforms across India, at roughly ** percent as of August 2025. The Meta-owned social network site has consistently led the country's social media market since 2019. However, Instagram, the second leading social media platform has been increasingly gaining market share and closing the gap with its sister company. Commercial social media usage in India Apart from creating user-generated content, Indians have leveraged social media to grow their businesses. As consumption via online channels increased, social media began playing an important role in stimulating the Indian economy. Among the most popularly used social media platforms in India, Facebook was increasingly used for digital marketing. On the other hand, Instagram emerged as the country’s leading platform for influencer collaboration. Meta Platforms Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has quickly gone on to become the social media giant it is today. Having acquired leading social media platforms Instagram and WhatsApp, the company rebranded itself as Meta Platforms Inc. in 2021. The following year, Meta generated a revenue of nearly *** billion U.S. dollars. The company has further set its sights on bringing the metaverse to life to enhance the online experience of over ***** billion Facebook users across the world.

With roughly three billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2023, Facebook is the most used online social network worldwide. The platform surpassed two billion active users in the second quarter of 2017, taking just over 13 years to reach this milestone. In comparison, Meta-owned Instagram took 11.2 years, and Google’s YouTube took just over 14 years to achieve this landmark. As of January 2022, Facebook’s leading audience base was in India, with almost 330 million users whilst the United States ranked second with an approximate total of 179 million users. The platform also finds remarkable popularity in Indonesia and Brazil. Social Media usage in the United States In January 2021, Facebook was the platform on which users in the United States spent the most time per day. The average time spent on Facebook was 33 minutes, followed by TikTok with 32 minutes and Twitter with 31 daily minutes. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, all major social media platforms saw an increase in daily usage, which then either plateaued or decreased in 2021. At the end of 2021, over a quarter of all Facebook users in the United States belonged to the 25 to 34 year age group and 18.2 percent of users were in the 35 to 44 year age group. In general, Facebook users were more likely to be female. Meta Platforms Meta is Facebook’s recently renamed parent company and had a grand total of 3.59 billion core product users by the final quarter of 2021. Other Meta products include Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Oculus – Meta’s virtual reality subsidiary which produces VR headsets. In 2021, Meta's revenue amounted to 117 billion US dollars, up from around 86 billion U.S. dollars in the previous financial year.

According to a global online survey conducted in 2022, 50 percent of weekly Instagram users said that they wanted to see funny content on the social media platform. Additionally, 46 percent of all respondents said that they wanted to see creative content, whilst 41 percent said they wanted to see informative content on Instagram. Over a third of users wanted to see engaging content on the photo and video sharing app.

Instagram’s global popularity
Meta-owned image and video sharing app Instagram enjoys an impressive reach among digital audiences. As of January 2023, Brunei and Kazakhstan were the countries with the highest audience reach, while Brazil presented an Instagram reach of over 63.6 percent for the examined period. Instagram's audience is forecasted to reach 1.4 billion global users in 2024, an increase of 73 percent compared to the 805 million users registered in 2018.

Instagram usage on mobile Instagram's popularity is not only evident in its reach but also in its download numbers. Between January 2020 and April 2023, the Meta-powered