Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently sits at more than three billion monthly active users. Meta Platforms owns four of the biggest social media platforms, all with more than one billion monthly active users each: Facebook (core platform), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. In the third quarter of 2023, Facebook reported around four billion monthly core Family product users. The United States and China account for the most high-profile social platforms Most top ranked social networks with more than 100 million users originated in the United States, but services like Chinese social networks WeChat, QQ or video sharing app Douyin have also garnered mainstream appeal in their respective regions due to local context and content. Douyin’s popularity has led to the platform releasing an international version of its network: a little app called TikTok. How many people use social media? The leading social networks are usually available in multiple languages and enable users to connect with friends or people across geographical, political, or economic borders. In 2025, social networking sites are estimated to reach 5.42 billion users and these figures are still expected to grow as mobile device usage and mobile social networks increasingly gain traction in previously underserved markets.

Facebook is the leading social network worldwide, and its accessibility through multiple mobile apps as well as its mobile website. In January 2021, over 98 percent of active user accounts worldwide accessed the social network via any kind of mobile phone.

Facebook in mobile-first markets India is thecountry with the largest Facebook audience by far, with 340 million users on the platform, followed the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil all of which have more than 100 million Facebook users each. With the exception of the United States, all of these are digital markets with mobile-first audiences. In many emerging markets, mobile is often the first online experience, providing online users with their first internet experience through inexpensive smartphones and mobile data contracts. In India and Indonesia, mobile by far surpasses desktop in terms of audiences and time spent.

Mobile Facebook access Due to the social network’s wide reach on mobile, it is unsurprising that Facebook consistently ranks as one of the most-downloaded app publishers worldwide. Some of the apps published by Facebook include the eponymous social networking app (and its low-bandwidth version, Facebook Lite), Facebook Messenger (also available as Messenger Lite), Facebook Pages Manager and Facebook Local. In the Google Play Store, Facebook Messenger, Messenger Lite and Facebook frequently rank among the top downloaded apps every month.

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.

Despite a tumultuous 2018, Facebook is still the top social network in the United States, with 169.76 million mobile users accessing the Facebook app in September 2019. The company’s other properties Instagram and Facebook Messenger ranked second and third with 121 and 106 million users respectively. Cambridge Analytica scandal 2018 The biggest social media company in the world had a difficult 2018. The platform has long been accused of enabling the spread of fake news during the 2016 election and beyond. One of the first and biggest negative Facebook stories of 2018 was the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which unfolded from March 2018. The Guardian, The Observer, and The New York Times simultaneously reported on political data firm Cambridge Analytica harvesting data of millions of Facebook users worldwide without their knowledge before the 2016 election, which led to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg having to testify before Congress in April 2018. Facebook usage behavior changes Due to the revelations about Facebook and the company’s treatment of private user data, many U.S. users are planning to use the social network much less and to be much more careful about what they post . During an April 2018 survey, only 20 percent of respondents stated that their Facebook usage has not changed, and they were planning on continuing to use the social platform as much as they always had in the past.

In April 2021, the most popular app site on Facebook among Spanish users was Fotos de portada en español, with nearly 609 thousand followers. Owned by the app publisher Social Sweethearts, the account provides family-oriented content for users to display on their own social media pages.

As of February 2025, two billion users were accessing the WhatsApp messenger on a monthly basis. The app’s reach in usage penetration is particularly strong in markets outside the United States, and it is one of the most popular mobile social apps worldwide. WeChat amassed over 1.38 billion users, and Facebook Messenger amassed around 947 million users worldwide. Instant messaging is a type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission via internet. Since the appearance of the smartphone and the subsequent explosion of mobile apps, low-cost or free chat and social messaging apps have proven themselves as a cheap alternative to operator-based text messaging via SMS. Many messenger apps offer features such as group chats, the exchange of graphics, video and even audio messages as well as stickers or emoticons.

As of February 2025, it was found that men between the ages of 25 and 34 years made up Facebook's largest audience, accounting for 18.5 percent of global users. Additionally, Facebook's second-largest audience base could be found with men aged 18 to 24 years. Facebook connects the world Founded in 2004 and going public in 2012, Facebook is one of the biggest internet companies in the world with influence that goes beyond social media. It is widely considered as one of the Big Four tech companies, along with Google, Apple, and Amazon (all together known under the acronym GAFA). Facebook is the most popular social network worldwide and the company also owns three other billion-user properties: mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, as well as photo-sharing app Instagram. Facebook usersThe vast majority of Facebook users connect to the social network via mobile devices. This is unsurprising, as Facebook has many users in mobile-first online markets. Currently, India ranks first in terms of Facebook audience size with 378 million users. The United States, Brazil, and Indonesia also all have more than 100 million Facebook users each.

In September 2022, TikTok was the most downloaded social media app for Android users worldwide, with almost ** million downloads in the examined month. Social and photo sharing app Instagram ranked second, generating over ** million downloads from global users, while social media giant Facebook ranked third with approximately ***** downloads on the Google Play Store.

In France, 59 percent of the respondents used Facebook for any purposes and 36 percent declared using Facebook for the purpose of getting news as of 2023. YouTube and Instagram came in second and third positions when it comes to news with 23 and 16 percent respectively that same year.

As of 2024, Facebook was the most daily used social media app among Finns age 75 years and older. Other daily used social media apps in the age group were WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. LinkedIn and Instagram Stories reached a share of three percent of daily users each.

In 2021, Facebook was the most popular social networking application for shopping in Colombia, used by nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of respondents. The messaging app WhatsApp and photo app Instagram followed, with over half of those surveyed using them for purchases.

Facebook has been the most popular mobile app in the Nordic countries over the past few years. However, new apps have emerged, such as TikTok, and apps like Instagram and Snapchat have also increased in popularity. As of 2019, 61 percent of the Nordic respondents had used Facebook.

According to the source's analysis based on more than ** thousand advertising account and more than *** thousand ad campaigns, app promotions were the most used Facebook ad objective with highest average budget globally amounting to ***** U.S. dollars in January and February 2024. Leads came second, with *** dollars in campaign budgeting.

In the third quarter of 2024, Facebook was the most used social media platform in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, having the most share of surveyed internet users in these countries using the platform. WhatsApp leads in Indonesia and Malaysia, with about ** percent of surveyed internet users in these countries stating that they used WhatsApp each month during this period.

According to a survey conducted among internet users in Vietnam by Decision Lab, as of the third quarter of 2024, around ** percent of respondents stated that they used Facebook, followed by Zalo, and YouTube. While Facebook and YouTube are known globally, Zalo is Vietnam’s premier chatting platform, which was first introduced to the population in 2012. Social media usage in Vietnam The number of social network users in Vietnam is forecasted to reach nearly ** million by 2028. While Facebook remains the most popular app to get news, Zalo was primarily used to connect with friends and family, according to a survey conducted among Vietnamese internet users in the third quarter of 2024. In addition to providing entertaining videos, YouTube also offers subscription services for celebrity channels. TikTok, the new rising app first launched in 2016, has become the leading social media app to watch short videos in Vietnam, especially among the Vietnamese Gen Z. Zalo in Vietnam Zalo was created by Vuong Quang Khai, the current executive vice president of the Vietnamese technology company VNG Corporation, and has reached over 100 million users worldwide. Zalo provides free instant messaging, voice messaging, and individual or in-group calls, allowing users to send high-quality media files as well as calendar functions in private groups. It also has a diary function for users to post emotions and upload photos. On average, people send over *********** messages, deliver around ** million pictures, and make ** million minutes of calls through Zalo every day globally.

In 2021, Instagram was the social media app that generated the most downloads in the United States. The photo and video-sharing app had 72 million downloads in the country. WhatsApp was the second most downloaded app, with 63 million downloads. Facebook Messenger ranked third, generating approximately 46 million downloads from users in the country during the examined period.

Social media usage in Romania continues to evolve, with Facebook maintaining its dominance while newer platforms gain traction. As of May 2024, ** percent of Romanian respondents reported using Facebook, solidifying its position as the most popular social media platform in the country. Instagram and TikTok followed, with ** and ** percent of users respectively, highlighting the growing diversity in social media preferences among Romanians. TikTok the new trendsetter in Romania TikTok's popularity in Romania has surged recently, as evidenced by its significant revenue growth. The platform's monthly revenue skyrocketed from approximately ** thousand U.S. dollars in October 2020 to an impressive *** million U.S. dollars by September 2024. This substantial increase reflects the platform's growing user base and engagement levels in the country. However, it's worth noting that TikTok's monthly downloads have fluctuated, peaking at over *** thousand in August 2022 before decreasing to *** thousand in September 2024. Social media usage increases steadily As of January 2024, Romania boasted **** million social media users, with over **** of respondents following friends, family, and acquaintances on these platforms. The primary reasons for social media use in Romania include staying connected with loved ones and filling spare time. This trend partially explains the rise in TikTok users, with the platform poised to potentially surpass Facebook in the near future. Looking ahead, the number of social media users in Romania is forecast to increase by ***** percent between 2024 and 2029, reaching an estimated ***** million users by 2029. This growth trajectory underscores the continued importance of social media in Romanian society.

As of 2024, WhatsApp was the most daily used social media app among Finns age 45 to 54 years. Other daily used social media apps in the age group were Facebook and Instagram. Internet forums reached a share of eight percent of daily users.

In February 2025, the YouTube's mobile app was the most popular smartphone app in the United States, with approximately 167 million unique monthly users in the country on iOS and Android combined. Gmail followed with approximately 148 million monthly active users, while Facebook was reported having 146.6 million active users in the examined month. In the United States, the mobile internet user penetration is set to reach 92.5 percent of the population in 2029. Some of the most popular app categories on the Apple App Store are dedicated to gaming, business, or education. In July 2021, casual mobile gaming app Black Blast! was the most popular game for iPhone users, with more than 1.66 million downloads. Mobile social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, are still among the most popular social apps for mobile users in the country. However, video apps YouTube and TikTok have quickly become users' favorite social media. In June 2021, the popular short-video app TikTok was counting more than 6.5 million downloads from iOS users in the United States during the last quarter of 2023.

In June 2024, Reddit, Facebook Messenger, and X saw a slight increase in engagement with their audience in the United States. Messenger users have engaged with the chat app for approximately *** minutes in June 2024, compared to June 2023 when U.S. users spent approximately *** minutes using the app. In comparison, Facebook users in the U.S. spent around *** minutes on the social media app, compared to *** minutes registered the year before.