According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, Instagram was one of the most popular social media platforms in South Korea, with around **** percent of survey respondents in that year stating that they used it the most frequently out of all the other social media services provided in the country. The former leader was Facebook, which, together with Instagram and WhatsApp belongs to Meta. Social media in South Korea The number of Instagram users have continuously increased, while Facebook's user numbers had declined. Instagram seems to be widely used by Koreans aged under ** years old, with the share of active users dropping significantly after this age. Facebook, a social media giant, which had a largely increased usage penetration in 2020, had recently come under scrutiny for its user privacy policies. User penetration has declined since then.On-the-go media Social media networks are becoming more and more mobile. Globally, mobile social media users have been increasing, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. South Korea is not excluded from this trend - the country leads the world in terms of mobile phone penetration. With South Korea’s smartphone ownership rate at ** percent, the success of social media services in the country looks likely to be determined by how well received they are in the mobile app market.

** percent of South Korean respondents answer our survey on "Most used social media platforms by type" with "Instant messengers (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat)". The survey was conducted in 2023, among ****** consumers.Find this and more survey data on most used social media platforms by type in our Consumer Insights tool. Filter by countless demographics, drill down to your own, hand-tailored target audience, and compare results across countries worldwide.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, Instagram was one of the most popular social media platforms in South Korea, with around 45.8 percent of survey respondents in that year stating that they used it the most frequently out of all the other social media services provided in the country. The former leader was Facebook, which, together with Instagram and WhatsApp belongs to Meta. Social media in South Korea The number of Instagram users have continuously increased, while Facebook's user numbers had declined. Instagram seems to be widely used by Koreans aged under 35 years old, with the share of active users dropping significantly after this age. Facebook, a social media giant, which had a largely increased usage penetration in 2020, had recently come under scrutiny for its user privacy policies. User penetration has declined since then.On-the-go media Social media networks are becoming more and more mobile. Globally, mobile social media users have been increasing, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. South Korea is not excluded from this trend - the country leads the world in terms of mobile phone penetration. With South Korea’s smartphone ownership rate at 96 percent, the success of social media services in the country looks likely to be determined by how well received they are in the mobile app market.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in South Korea in 2025 on social commerce, approximately **** percent of respondents aged 16 to 24 years old stated they used Instagram for purchasing something during the last 12 months. Instagram was the most commonly used platform among respondents between 16 and 44 years old, while KakaoTalk and YouTube were most commonly used for social commerce for those 45 years and older.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around 96 percent of respondents aged between 18 and 24 years old stated that they were using social media. The share of social media users increased across most age groups compared to the previous year. Facebook and Instagram While domestic social media networks like Kakao Story or Naver Band enjoy wide popularity in South Korea, Instagram was the most frequently used social media in South Korea, overtaking Facebook. As of March 2024, Instagram had around 23.9 million users, while Facebook had about 27.4 million users in South Korea alone. Nevertheless, the popularity of Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is undeniable, especially among younger generations. While the number of Facebook users is decreasing, the number of Instagram users is increasing. Social media usageThe majority of users were using social media for its original purpose: socializing. It was also popular to check posts or contents created by other users of the same social media platform. A 2024 survey found that 55 percent of respondents aged 25 to 34 years stated that they used social media to read news. While the platform of choice differed, YouTube was the most common social media platform used for news.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in South Korea in 2025 on social commerce, over half of the female respondents answered they purchased something via Instagram during the last twelve months. At the same time, ** percent of male respondents in the same survey stated they used YouTube for purchases.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in early 2025, around 23 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 years stated that they used Instagram as a source for news, making them the age group with the highest share of people to do so. Instagram was the third-most used social media or messaging platform used for accessing news in the country, after YouTube and KakaoTalk.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around ** percent of Gen Z respondents stated that they used Instagram. This was the most commonly used social media platform across all generations except for baby boomers, who most preferred Naver Band. This platform, alongside Facebook and Kakao Story tended to be more popular among older generations.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, around 17 percent of social media users stated that Facebook was their most accessed social media platform. This represents an increase from the previous year. Facebook as the most preferred social media platform peaked in 2017 at 35.8 percent.

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Social Networking Market Size 2025-2029

The social networking market size is forecast to increase by USD 312.3 billion, at a CAGR of 21.6% between 2024 and 2029.

Major Market Trends & Insights

North America dominated the market and accounted for a 41% growth during the forecast period.
By the Type - Advertising segment was valued at USD 80.70 billion in 2023
By the Distribution Channel - Google segment accounted for the largest market revenue share in 2023

Market Size & Forecast

Market Opportunities: USD 318.56 billion
Market Future Opportunities: USD 312.30 billion 
CAGR : 21.6%
North America: Largest market in 2023

Market Summary

The market continues to expand its reach and influence across various industries, with businesses recognizing its potential for customer engagement and brand awareness. According to recent studies, there are approximately 4.66 billion active social media users worldwide, representing a 13% increase from 2020. This growth is driven by the increased internet penetration and the popularity of social media platforms for personal and professional use. Social media advertisements have become a significant revenue source, with businesses investing heavily in targeted campaigns to reach their audiences.
However, privacy concerns remain a challenge, with users increasingly cautious about sharing personal information online. Despite this, the market's continuous evolution and the emergence of new trends, such as live streaming and virtual events, ensure its ongoing relevance and importance for businesses.

What will be the Size of the Social Networking Market during the forecast period?

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The market exhibits consistent growth, with current usage accounting for approximately 3.6 billion users worldwide, representing a significant 4.5% increase year-over-year. Looking ahead, industry experts anticipate a continued expansion, with projections indicating a 5.2% annual growth rate. Notably, mobile devices account for over 90% of social media usage, underscoring the importance of optimizing platforms for this medium. Furthermore, businesses increasingly leverage social networking for marketing purposes, with advertising revenue reaching an estimated USD 84.3 billion in 2021. In comparison, the time spent on social media platforms per day has risen by 45 minutes since 2019, highlighting the growing influence of these channels on consumer behavior.
This trend is further accentuated by the integration of advanced features, such as live streaming, video content, and AI-driven recommendations, which enhance user engagement and monetization opportunities.

How is this Social Networking Industry segmented?

The social networking industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Type

  Advertising
  In-app purchase
  Paid apps


Distribution Channel

  Google
  Apple
  App Store Distribution


Service

  Communication
  Entertainment
  Socialization
  Marketing
  Customer service


Platform

  Website-based
  Mobile apps
  Hybrid platforms


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    Italy
    Spain
    UK


  Middle East and Africa

    UAE


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Type Insights

The advertising segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

In the dynamic and evolving landscape of digital communication, the market continues to expand, driven by innovative technologies and user engagement. According to recent data, social networking platforms accounted for approximately 30% of the total time spent online in 2021, reflecting a significant 15% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, industry experts anticipate that social media usage will continue to grow, with an estimated 25% of the global population expected to use social media by 2025. Content moderation systems play a crucial role in ensuring a safe and inclusive online environment. These systems employ advanced techniques, such as natural language processing, conversational AI, and machine learning models, to filter out inappropriate content and maintain platform governance.

User engagement metrics, including time spent on platforms, user-generated content, and social interaction dynamics, are closely monitored to optimize user experience and foster community building strategies. Platform scalability and network security protocols are essential for accommodating the increasing user base and data privacy regulations. Spam filtering techniques and link pred

Snapshot img

Social Media Analytics Market Size 2025-2029

The social media analytics market size is forecast to increase by USD 21.2 billion, at a CAGR of 35.2% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the expanding availability and complexity of social media data. Businesses increasingly recognize the value of social media insights to inform marketing strategies, enhance customer engagement, and gauge brand reputation. In response, social media platforms continue to roll out advanced targeting options, enabling more precise audience segmentation and personalized messaging. However, the surging use of social media data also presents challenges. Interpreting unstructured data from various sources remains a formidable task, requiring sophisticated analytics tools and expertise.
Companies must navigate these complexities to effectively harness the power of social media analytics and stay competitive in today's digital landscape. To succeed, organizations need to invest in advanced analytics solutions, cultivate data literacy skills, and establish clear data governance policies. By addressing these challenges, businesses can unlock valuable insights from social media data and capitalize on emerging opportunities in this dynamic market.

What will be the Size of the Social Media Analytics Market during the forecast period?

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The market continues to evolve, offering valuable insights for businesses across various sectors. Hashtag tracking and sentiment classification help organizations understand public perception and engagement with their brand. Engagement metrics, share of voice, and trend analysis algorithms provide valuable data for brand reputation management and customer journey mapping. Social media ROI, influencer marketing metrics, and sentiment scoring offer insights into the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. User behavior patterns, predictive modeling, and anomaly detection enable businesses to anticipate trends and respond to crises in real-time. Social media listening, lead generation attribution, influencer identification, and customer satisfaction scores provide actionable insights for community management and crisis communication management.

Data visualization dashboards and social listening tools facilitate effective audience segmentation and conversational AI. Reach forecasting, content performance, keyword analysis, and campaign effectiveness metrics offer valuable insights for optimizing social media strategies. Platform-specific insights enable businesses to tailor their approach to each social media channel. According to recent market research, the market is expected to grow by over 15% annually, reflecting the increasing importance of social media data for businesses. For instance, a retail company used social media listening tools to monitor customer conversations and identified a trend in customer complaints about product packaging. The company responded by redesigning the packaging, resulting in a 12% increase in sales.

This example highlights the potential impact of social media analytics on business performance.

How is this Social Media Analytics Industry segmented?

The social media analytics industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

End-user

  Retail
  Government
  Media and entertainment
  Travel
  Others


Application

  Sales and marketing management
  Customer experience management
  Competitive intelligence
  Risk management
  Public safety and law enforcement


Deployment

  On-premises
  Cloud


Type

  Predictive analytics
  Prescriptive analytics
  Descriptive analytics
  Diagnostics analytics


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    Italy
    UK


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  Rest of World (ROW)

By End-user Insights

The retail segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

Social media analytics plays a pivotal role in retail marketing, enabling businesses to track and analyze customer engagement, sentiment, and trends in real-time. Tools such as hashtag tracking, sentiment classification, and engagement metrics help retailers understand their audience's preferences and behavior patterns. Share of voice and trend analysis algorithms provide insights into market dynamics and brand reputation management. Customer journey mapping and social media ROI measurement allow businesses to optimize their marketing strategies and improve sales. Influencer marketing metrics, sentiment scoring, and advertising campai

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around ** percent of respondents aged between 18 and 24 years old stated that they were using social media. The share of social media users increased across most age groups compared to the previous year. Facebook and Instagram While domestic social media networks like Kakao Story or Naver Band enjoy wide popularity in South Korea, Instagram was the most frequently used social media in South Korea, overtaking Facebook. As of March 2024, Instagram had around **** million users, while Facebook had about **** million users in South Korea alone. Nevertheless, the popularity of Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is undeniable, especially among younger generations. While the number of Facebook users is decreasing, the number of Instagram users is increasing. Social media usageThe majority of users were using social media for its original purpose: socializing. It was also popular to check posts or contents created by other users of the same social media platform. A 2024 survey found that ** percent of respondents aged 25 to 34 years stated that they used social media to read news. While the platform of choice differed, YouTube was the most common social media platform used for news.

According to a survey conducted in the second and third quarter of 2024, 83 percent of South Koreans reported to use KakaoTalk. KakaoTalk is a messaging app developed in South Korea and owned by Kakao Corporation. Kakao TalkKakaoTalk, often referred to as KaTalk, is a free mobile messenger for smartphones. Since its launch in 2010, it has grown to have around 48.9 million monthly active users in the fourth quarter of 2024. While the application is free to use, the company sells so-called emoticons in their app-shop and operates a gift system. Emoticons are stickers, most often depicting popular characters, that the users can send to their contacts in the chatrooms. Kakao’s own characters, “Kakao Friends” became fashionable enough to be sold in KakaoTalk merchandise stores all over the country. As of 2017, it was reported that the company was selling around 5,500 sticker packs in their mobile store. Social media usageSouth Korea has the one of the fastest internet worldwide as well as an internet penetration rate of over 97 percent. Naturally, the majority of citizens use social media on a daily basis. While older generations prefer domestic platforms, like Naver BAND, international platforms, like Facebook or Instagram, were more popular among younger social media users. Nevertheless, YouTube is widely popular among South Koreans of all ages. In a survey among 19 to 59-year-old consumers, only 0.8 percent of respondents stated that they have never heard of the streaming platform. According to Reuters, around 47 percent of respondents aged 55 years or older used YouTube as a news source.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, around 3.8 percent of social media users stated that Twitter was their most frequently used social media platform. This represents a decrease from the previous year, in line with the general trend over the past decade.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, around **** percent of respondents stated that communication applications are among their top three most used smartphone apps. Photo and video applications followed at a **** respondent share. Other multimedia services were often accessed via mobile devices, like reading, music, or video streaming. Meanwhile, the most popular instant messaging application in South Korea that year was KakaoTalk. What is KakaoTalk? KakaoTalk, often shortened to KaTalk, had accumulated around **** million domestic users by 2023, equaling over ** percent of the South Korean population. The service is operated by the Korean company Kakao Corporation. Besides a chatting and call function, the app also offers public chatting rooms, shopping, and gift exchanges. Users can purchase emoticons resembling comic GIFs using the company's own characters as motives or independent artists' designs. Merchandise with these company-owned characters, Kakao friends, are sold in dedicated stores in big cities. Social media in South Korea Other popular communication media included other commonly known social media platforms, like Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. With South Korea being one of the most well-connected countries to the internet with broad access and high speed, social media usage in the country is among the highest worldwide.Despite the high access to both internet and smartphones across all groups, those aged between 18 and 34 years old were the most likely to use social media services as opposed to only one out of four for those aged 55 years and older.

Snapshot img

Social Media Listening Market Size 2025-2029

The social media listening market size is forecast to increase by USD 4.87 billion at a CAGR of 8.9% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth, driven primarily by the increasing usage of social media platforms worldwide. With over 4.3 billion users as of 2021, social media has become a powerful tool for businesses to engage with their customers and gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences. A key trend in this market is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies in social media listening solutions, enabling more accurate and efficient data analysis. However, this market is not without challenges. Data privacy and regulatory compliance are becoming increasingly important, with stricter regulations being implemented to protect user data.
Companies must ensure they have strong data security measures in place to comply with these regulations and maintain consumer trust. Additionally, the vast amount of data generated on social media requires sophisticated analytics tools to extract meaningful insights. As such, businesses seeking to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the market must invest in advanced analytics solutions and prioritize data security and privacy. By doing so, they can effectively navigate the challenges and stay ahead of the competition.

What will be the Size of the Social Media Listening Market during the forecast period?

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Social media listening has emerged as a crucial business tool, enabling organizations to gain valuable insights from the vast amount of data generated through social media activity. This data is analyzed using techniques such as topic modeling and sentiment scoring to understand consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. Social media geographics and demographics provide essential context, while social media reach and volume measure the scope and impact of conversations. Social media pulse and sentiment reflect the current sentiment and buzz surrounding specific topics, offering real-time insights into market dynamics and trends.
Social media listening software is a vital component of the global market for social media analytics. Social media influence is assessed through the size and engagement of an audience, providing valuable information for marketing and brand management strategies. The social media landscape and heatmap offer a comprehensive view of the social media ecosystem, helping businesses stay informed and adapt to evolving patterns.

How is this Social Media Listening Industry segmented?

The social media listening industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Type

  Software
  Services


End-user

  Retail and e-commerce
  IT and telecom
  BFSI
  Media and entertainment
  Others


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    UK


  Middle East and Africa



  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Type Insights

The software segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. This segment encompasses platforms and tools that offer real-time, automated, and scalable capabilities to monitor and analyze social media conversations across various channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit. Real-time monitoring is a key feature of these solutions, empowering brands to identify mentions, trends, and sentiment as they emerge. By staying abreast of evolving topics, businesses can respond promptly to customer concerns, capitalize on viral events, and maintain a strong online presence. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are integral to social media listening software, enabling advanced topic identification, sentiment analysis, and trend recognition.

These technologies enable businesses to gain valuable customer insights, inform product development, and enhance customer experience. Social media listening platforms also offer data visualization and reporting features, allowing businesses to analyze and present their findings in a clear and actionable manner. Additionally, they provide social media dashboards, alerts, and governance tools to ensure compliance with social media policies and ethical standards. In summary, social media listening software plays a pivotal role in the global market for social media analytics, offering real-time insights and advanced capabilities to help businesses navigate the complex social media landscape and engage effectively with their audience.

Get a glance at the market report of share of v

As of early 2025, Saudi Arabia had the highest social media penetration rate globally out of selected countries and territories, with a whopping 102 percent. UAE and South Korea followed, with 96 percent and 94 percent of active usage reach, respectively. Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria had some of the lowest social network penetration rates in the world, with less than 26 percent of the population accessing social media in each country. How many people use social media? Although the top three countries with the highest social media penetration rates globally were in Eastern and Southwestern Asia in 2023, the region with the greatest social media reach was Northern Europe with 83.6 percent, followed by Western Europe with 83.3 percent and Southern Europe with 76.7 percent. In 2022, more than 4.59 billion people reported using social media, and this number is projected to reach almost six billion by 2027. Facebook: the most popular social network Meta’s Facebook, the social media giant and the first platform to reach this kind of scale, was the leading social network as of October 2023 with more than three billion global monthly active users (MAU). Additionally, Meta owns four of the biggest social media platforms, all with more than one billion MAU each: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. As of January 2023, India was home to Facebook’s largest audience with more than 300 million MAU, followed by the United States with 175 million MAU.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in early 2025, around ** percent of respondents aged 55 years and older stated that they used social media platforms as a source for news, making them the age group with the highest share of people to do so. The overall use of social media as a news source fell slightly to 42 percent that year, with YouTube being the most popular platform for news.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, almost 18 percent of social media users stated that Naver Band was their most frequently accessed social media platform. This represents a slight increase compared to the previous year.

During the first quarter of 2023, internet users in Brazil spent an average of three hours and 49 minutes per day on social media. Nigeria and the Philippines also reported high usage levels. By comparison, internet users in Japan spent less than 50 minutes per day on social media. Low levels of daily usage were also recorded in South Korea and the Belgium.

As of January 2023 social network Facebook was ranked first worldwide in terms of active users with almost three billion MAU. Other popular social media include mobile messaging platforms YouTube and WhatsApp, as well as social content sharing networks such as Instagram and social video platform TikTok.

Most social networks are accessible through multiple platforms, but many popular social media started out as mobile apps, demonstrating the growing trend of mobile first development. Examples include Instagram, which initially was launched as an iOS photo editing and discovery app as well as mobile social messenger, as well as TikTok, which recorded 23.7 million downloads worldwide via the Google Play Store alone in June 2023.

Social networking does not only enable users to connect with other people but also with brands and celebrities. Social media has also become a growing source of news for internet users in many countries.