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.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2025, around ** percent of respondents stated that they use YouTube as a news source. This was followed by the South Korean messenger app KakaoTalk at ** percent. Relative low trust in news The usage rate of YouTube as a news source was especially high for South Koreans aged between 55 years and older. Meanwhile, around one in five South Koreans stated that they trusted news on social media. All in all, South Koreans were found to be rather skeptic of news in their country. A survey by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that the share of South Koreans who trust the news was relatively low. News consumption  According to the South Korean government, the share of news readers in South Korea fell from around **** percent in 2011 to around **** percent in 2021. The share was especially low for South Korean aged 60 years and above, and especially high for South Koreans in their thirties. Meanwhile, the share of online newspaper readers among news readers increased up to **** percent in 2021.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2025, around 50 percent of respondents stated that they use YouTube as a news source. This was followed by the South Korean messenger app KakaoTalk at 15 percent. Relative low trust in news The usage rate of YouTube as a news source was especially high for South Koreans aged between 55 years and older. Meanwhile, around one in five South Koreans stated that they trusted news on social media. All in all, South Koreans were found to be rather skeptic of news in their country. A survey by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that the share of South Koreans who trust the news was relatively low. News consumption  According to the South Korean government, the share of news readers in South Korea fell from around 75.6 percent in 2011 to around 66.3 percent in 2021. The share was especially low for South Korean aged 60 years and above, and especially high for South Koreans in their thirties. Meanwhile, the share of online newspaper readers among news readers increased up to 92.7 percent in 2021.

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 in South Korea in the third quarter of 2023, around 35 percent of respondents answered that they mostly followed social media accounts of friends, family, or other people they knew. This coincides with the fact that most people mainly use social media for socializing. Other than for socializing, social media are also commonly used to follow influencer accounts. Popular social media accounts Naturally, celebrities and, as the name suggests, influencers have large followings. Among those, K-pop artists specifically were most followed as certain artists and groups have very dedicated fans. This has culminated in all leading positions in terms of followers on Instagram being taken up by members of either girl group BLACKPINK or boy group BTS. Social media usage in South Korea In South Korea, a country known for its high internet speed and coverage, the usage rate of social media is similarly high. Around 90 percent of the population used such services in 2023, and this is only estimated to increase further. Social media were also used by a variety of age groups, with only those under 18 and over 55 years old showing a significantly lower usage level. The most used social networking service in South Korea remains the mobile messenger KakaoTalk.

This statistic presents a ranking of the most popular social networks in South Korea according to social media users. As of December 2015, 59.8 percent of survey respondents named Facebook as their most-used social networking service.

In 2024, around 24.65 million people used Facebook in South Korea. The number of Facebook users is expected to increase to around 25.47 million users in 2029, according to the forecast. Facebook is among the five leading social media services in South Korea, with more than half of the population using it. Who uses Facebook in South Korea? According to data collected on the age and gender distribution of Facebook users, 16.5 percent of all South Korean Facebook users were women between 25 and 34 years old. With male users that age making up another 15.3 percent of users, this age group had the overall highest Facebook user share. The same was also true for Facebook Messenger. However, while men of that age group had the highest user share of Facebook Messenger, many female users were 18 to 24 years old. Social media usage behavior Socializing with others was the most common reason for using social networks among South Koreans, followed by checking out posts or content created by others. According to a survey conducted in 2020, the weekly average usage time of social media amounted to 65.8 minutes, while more than 18 percent spent over two hours per week on social media. Many people, especially teenagers, use social media mostly via smartphone. This has possibly contributed to the growing risk of smartphone overdependence in South Korea.

Korean Companies’ SNS Analytics Data provides important information to analyze consumer opinions and trends on social media. This data includes social media posts, comments, and likes. Collected from platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it helps investors analyze consumer sentiment, evaluate brand awareness, and optimize marketing strategies, helping in the valuation of Korean companies based on their social media presence and consumer engagement.

This statistic shows the results of a survey about social media usage and awareness in South Korea in June 2018. According to this survey, almost ** percent of participants stated they primarily consumed funny texts and videos and current hot issues or trends on social media.

According to data provided by NapoleonCat, South Korean women aged between 25 and 34 years old were most likely to use Instagram as of April 2025. They accounted for around 18.6 percent of users, so roughly 4.5 million users.Instagram users and followingAs of April 2025, around 24.22 million Instagram users were South Korean. Instagram’s popularity is growing, while the popularity of Facebook is declining, especially among younger users. The most popular South Korean Instagram profiles are those of celebrities. The most followed ones were all of K-Pop artists. Social media usageSocial media is increasingly important for South Koreans and almost every South Korean aged between 18 and 34 years old is using social media. A different survey found that the most people followed accounts of people they know, even before celebrities. Accordingly, most respondents were using social media for its original purpose: socializing.

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, 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 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?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
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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

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.

As of March 2025, Jennie of Blackpink was the most followed South Korean celebrity on Instagram with approximately 86.3 million followers. The most followed individual male celebrity was V of boy group BTS. The group account of Blackpink, BTS and both groups' individual member accounts made up all the leading Instagram accounts, highlighting the overall popularity of the two Kpop idol groups. More than just Instagram followers The popularity of Kpop stars were not limited to just Instagram posts. For example, EXO was one of SM Entertainment company’s leading idol groups with a prominent presence on SM Entertainment’s Youtube channel. The meteoric rise and popularity of Bangtan boys (BTS) also translated into strong album sales and revenue growth for Big Hit Entertainment, which was the company that managed BTS. Kpop fans did much more than following their favorite stars’ Instagram accounts. The global appeal of Kpop Kpop grew from a niche genre of music to a market with worldwide appeal and popularity. There were various reasons behind Kpop’s power to draw in fans; the overall package that was presented by Kpop artists offered something both new and impressive to behold for consumers. The various mediums of media through which Korean celebrities could be accessed also provided a strong connection between stars and their fans.

As of February 2025, South Korea had the highest social media penetration rate in the Asia-Pacific region, at around 95 percent. This was followed closely by Singapore with about 88 percent. In comparison, Afghanistan had a social media penetration rate of around 9.4 percent that year. Social media in APAC While Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia have relatively high social media penetration rates, the number of active social media users in the Asia-Pacific region paints a very different picture. China dominates the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in terms of the number of active social media users, surpassing the one-billion mark. This far exceeds the number of users in second-placed India. In comparison, during the same period, South Korea had about 48.9 million social media users, while Singapore had only around 5.2 million.  What are the most popular social networks? Facebook boasted an enormous number of monthly active users in the Asia-Pacific region, cementing itself as a firm favorite among Asia-Pacific social media users. While global platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube enjoy widespread popularity across the region, many markets have their own preferences for local social media platforms due to cultural relevance, government censorship, and tailored features. For instance, in China, WeChat dominates as an all-in-one app for messaging, payments, and social networking, while Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has the highest monthly active users among short-form video apps in China. In South Korea, KakaoTalk is widely used for messaging, as well as integrated services like mobile payments, gaming, and even ride-hailing. KakaoTalk’s monthly active users in South Korea has consistently increased in the past years.

Social media usage in the Asia-Pacific region varies significantly across countries, with the Philippines leading in daily time spent at ***** hours and ** minutes in the third quarter of 2024. This was a stark contrast to Japan's ** minutes per day. Penetration rates and user bases Among Asia Pacific countries, South Korea boasts the highest social media penetration at **** percent, followed closely by Hong Kong at **** percent. However, populous countries like Indonesia, China, and India show lower penetration rates, indicating significant growth potential. Despite this, China leads in absolute numbers with more than *********** active social media users, while India and Indonesia rank second and third in this category. These figures suggest that despite lower penetration rates in some countries, the sheer population size translates to massive user numbers. Platform preferences Facebook remains the dominant social media platform across Asia; however, competitors have gained ground in some markets. For example, Chinese network WeChat is the most popular platform in China, offering integrated services beyond social media. In Thailand and Laos, X (formerly Twitter) accounts for more than ** percent of social media traffic.

As of February 2025, South Korea had the highest social media penetration rate in the Asia-Pacific region, at around 95 percent. This was followed closely by Singapore with about 88 percent. In comparison, Afghanistan had a social media penetration rate of around 9.4 percent that year. Social media in APAC While Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia have relatively high social media penetration rates, the number of active social media users in the Asia-Pacific region paints a very different picture. China dominates the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in terms of the number of active social media users, surpassing the one-billion mark. This far exceeds the number of users in second-placed India. In comparison, during the same period, South Korea had about 48.9 million social media users, while Singapore had only around 5.2 million.  What are the most popular social networks? Facebook boasted an enormous number of monthly active users in the Asia-Pacific region, cementing itself as a firm favorite among Asia-Pacific social media users. While global platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube enjoy widespread popularity across the region, many markets have their own preferences for local social media platforms due to cultural relevance, government censorship, and tailored features. For instance, in China, WeChat dominates as an all-in-one app for messaging, payments, and social networking, while Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has the highest monthly active users among short-form video apps in China. In South Korea, KakaoTalk is widely used for messaging, as well as integrated services like mobile payments, gaming, and even ride-hailing. KakaoTalk’s monthly active users in South Korea has consistently increased in the past years.

Social media usage in the Asia-Pacific region varies significantly across countries, with the Philippines leading in daily time spent at three hours and 32 minutes in the third quarter of 2024. This was a stark contrast to Japan's 46 minutes per day. Penetration rates and user bases Among Asia Pacific countries, South Korea boasts the highest social media penetration at 93.4 percent, followed closely by Hong Kong at 86.2 percent. However, populous countries like Indonesia, China, and India show lower penetration rates, indicating significant growth potential. Despite this, China leads in absolute numbers with more than one billion active social media users, while India and Indonesia rank second and third in this category. These figures suggest that despite lower penetration rates in some countries, the sheer population size translates to massive user numbers. Platform preferences Facebook remains the dominant social media platform across Asia; however, competitors have gained ground in some markets. For example, Chinese network WeChat is the most popular platform in China, offering integrated services beyond social media. In Thailand and Laos, X (formerly Twitter) accounts for more than 70 percent of social media traffic.