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 2022, Social networking sites are estimated to reach 3.96 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.

How many people use social media? Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2024, over five billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over six billion in 2028.

Who uses social media? Social networking is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide and it is no surprise that social networking penetration across all regions is constantly increasing. As of January 2023, the global social media usage rate stood at 59 percent. This figure is anticipated to grow as lesser developed digital markets catch up with other regions when it comes to infrastructure development and the availability of cheap mobile devices. In fact, most of social media’s global growth is driven by the increasing usage of mobile devices. Mobile-first market Eastern Asia topped the global ranking of mobile social networking penetration, followed by established digital powerhouses such as the Americas and Northern Europe.

How much time do people spend on social media? Social media is an integral part of daily internet usage. On average, internet users spend 151 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of 40 minutes since 2015. On average, internet users in Latin America had the highest average time spent per day on social media.

What are the most popular social media platforms? Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently boasts approximately 2.9 billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social network worldwide. In June 2023, the top social media apps in the Apple App Store included mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram Messenger, as well as the ever-popular app version of Facebook.

The number of social media users in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 26 million users (+8.55 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 330.07 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2022, the number of global social media audiences increased by 7.81 percent compared to the previous year. Worldwide social network user growth is projected to slow down to 3.59 percent by 2027. There are currently over 4.5 billion social media users worldwide.

China was home to over one billion social media users in 2023, making it the country with the largest audience. It is expected that by 2029, the number of social media users in the country will exceed 1.2 billion. However, within the next few years, India is expected to become the largest social media audience, reaching 1.3 billion by 2029. Nigeria's online networking audience is expected to grow from 47 million in 2023 to 114 million by 2029, an increase of over 142 percent.

The number of social network users in Thailand was around 52.63 million in 2020. This figure is forecast to reach almost 60 million users by 2026. The figures indicated that the number of social network users has been gradually increasing over the years and would continue to rise in the following years.

Social media in Thailand

As of January 2021, China had the highest number of monthly active social media users worldwide, followed by India and Indonesia, with Thailand ranking seventh at 55 million users. By 2023, the penetration rate of social network users in Thailand is forecast to reach approximately 53 percent, making it the majority of the Thai population.

Social media user profile in Thailand

For social media, Facebook and Youtube were the leading platforms in Thailand in the third quarter of 2020, with around 94 percent as a share of users for both platforms among others such as Line, Instagram, and Twitter. In that same time period, internet users in Thailand spent around 8.44 hours per day on average using the internet, and two and a half hours to use their social media.

The share of internet users who visit social networks is expected to keep increasing in the upcoming years. As of 2019, 77.5 percent of internet users globally had visited a social network via any device at least once a month. The corresponding figure for 2024 is expected to reach 82.3 percent. Over 4.4 billion monthly active social media users are expected by 2025.

The number of social media users in Italy was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 14.7 million users (+39.93 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 51.48 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The number of social media users in Russia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 24.6 million users (+22.49 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 133.99 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The number of social media users in North America was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 70.3 million users (+16.55 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 495.12 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The number of social media users in Turkey was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 12 million users (+18.71 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 76.15 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

According to a survey conducted in the United States between July 2023 and June 2024, Millennials made up 37 percent of social media users in the country. Overall, Generation Z accounted for one quarter of the United States' social media audience, and Generation Z made up 28 percent. Additionally, Baby boomers accounted for just ten percent of users.

The number of social media users in Brazil was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 45.5 million users (+34.03 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 179.21 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The alternative social media scene behind the “Great Firewall” of China, whose doors have remained shut to international internet heavyweights, has been thriving. As of 2024, the Asian giant housed about 1.08 billion active social media users. A global view of social networking The number of social network users across the globe steadily rose to 5.17 billion people in 2024 and was expected to continue growing. Facebook topped the charts with 3.07 billion active social media users, with YouTube following behind. Meanwhile, instant messaging apps WeChat and QQ, short video pioneer Douyin, and blogging site Weibo have placed Chinese platforms on the radar as prominent social media players. Chinese fascination with microblogging Apart from instant messaging, the trend of microblogging has swept across the multitudes of netizens in China. Comparable to sites like X (formerly Twitter), China has its term for microblogging - "weibo", and such networks have been used extensively as a space for news discussions. In China, Sina Corporation’s Weibo has emerged as the leading platform, with its number of monthly active users ranging around 580 million.

The number of social media users in Japan was estimated at approximately 105.8 million in 2023. This figure was projected to increase to almost 113.6 million users by 2028.

Leading social networking services

The most commonly used social media in Japan are the messaging app LINE, YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok. LINE was developed by a Japanese subsidiary of the South Korean internet search engine provider Naver as a response to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. While the traditional telecommunication infrastructure was damaged, people were able to connect with loved ones via social media and could stay informed about the most recent news. These possibilities generated a boost for social media in Japan, not only for LINE, but for Twitter and Facebook as well.

Usage today

Social media plays an important role today in how people in Japan communicate with each other. The average time people spend on using social media per weekday has increased significantly in recent years. According to one survey, communication with already existing acquaintances is the most common reason for using social media in Japan. Due to their nearly ubiquitous presence in the daily lives of people, social media services are also an important information tool for government institutions or companies that want to get their messages across to citizens and customers.

As of 2022, 26 percent of worldwide social media users were located in Eastern Asia, followed by 18.44 percent of using being located in Southern Asia. Overall, Northern America accounted for almost 9.5 percent of all social media users, whilst Central Africa made up just 0.46 percent.

The number of social media users in Latvia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.2 million users (+14.18 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 1.62 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The reach by social network in the 'Total' segment of the digital advertising market in Malaysia was forecast to continuously increase between 2023 and 2028 by in total 2.5 million users (+8.55 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the indicator is estimated to reach 31.75 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the reach by social network of the 'Total' segment of the digital advertising market was continuously increasing over the past years.Find further information concerning Vietnam and Indonesia. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In a survey conducted in 2023, 32 percent of social media users followed therapists and mental health professionals for mental health content. One quarter of respondents said that they followed people on social media if they had the same condition as they did. Furthermore, 20 percent of social network users followed mental health advocates and brands for mental health content.

In 2022, there were around 1.02 billion social media users in China. Despite Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter being blocked in the country, local social networking sites such as WeChat and Weibo have been attracting millions of users, making China the world’s biggest social media market.

What is the role of social media in China? Around 74 percent of the Chinese population use internet. Social networking plays a huge role among netizens, especially the younger generation. Chinese social media, just like Western equivalents, not only serves as a way to communicate online, but also as one of the main sources of news and entertainment, e-payments, shopping advisors, and dating channels. In 2021, over 40 percent of surveyed social media users said they mostly appreciated that social networks help them to keep in touch with friends and family, but also share their life moments and thoughts.

What are the most popular social media platforms?

WeChat (Weixin in Chinese) is by far the most commonly seen social app in the country, used for anything from texting/calling to photo and video sharing, dating, financial services, game-playing, shopping, ride hailing, and so on. However, Chinese social media scene is quite diverse and dynamic, therefore, it is not just about WeChat. Instant messaging app Tencent QQ, microblogging site Weibo, video sharing app Youku Tudou, short-form video app Douyin (aka TikTok), photo editing and sharing app Meitu, restaurant recommendation and food ordering platform Meituan, Quora equivalent Zhihu, and dating app Momo are just a few among the most popular Chinese social media examples.