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A Comprehensive List of Social Media Statistics for Journalists

Social media has become an important part of our day-to-day lives. Journalists need to be up-to-date on all the latest trends to provide accurate and timely reporting for their audiences. That's why we've compiled a comprehensive list of social media statistics that can help you with the source material.

Sociallyin is one of the fastest-growing social media agencies in America, and we have collected the latest statistics from all major social media platforms. Here is a list of what you need to know for your research

General Social Media Statistics

To help journalists stay informed about the latest trends and behaviors in social media, here are some global social media statistics, as reported by Data Reportal.

  • As of January 2023, there are 4.76 billion unique social media users worldwide.
  • According to Statista, this number is expected to reach six billion in 2027. 
  • Globally, there are 5.07 billion internet users, representing nearly 63.5% of the world's population.
  • Women make up 63% of internet users worldwide, which is 6% less than men.
  • Over 75% of the eligible global population uses social media, excluding the populations without access to some social media networks.
  • On average, a social media user accesses 7.2 different social platforms every month.
  • Today, almost 36.8% of the world are Facebook users.
  • The most popular social network in the world is Facebook.

Social Media Growth Statistics

Social Media Growth Statistics - active social media users increased by 190 million. Current smartphone users worldwide which accounts for nearly 6,648. 83.7% of world's population. Blue shapes on a a white background. Words in white on blue shapes. Words in black under black dotted lines.

Social media continues to experience tremendous growth, with Statista.com reporting significant increases in usage and engagement over the past few years and a projection for the years to come..

  • Over the past year, the number of active social media users increased by 190 million, indicating 4.2% annual growth, with an average of 6 new users joining every second.
  • There are currently 6.648 billion smartphone users worldwide, which accounts for nearly 83.07% of the world's population.
  • The average annual growth rate of social media users for the period 2023 to 2027 is expected to be 5%.
  • Some studies predict a drop of Facebook users under 25 years old below 15% in 2023.
  • By 2023, an estimated 44% of TikTok's users will be under 25 years old.
  • It is projected that by 2025, the number of Twitter users will increase to around 497.48 million.

Social Media Advertising Statistics

  • Social media has become a vital tool for any business, with 73% of marketers in the US believing that social media is effective for their business.
  • Ad spend on social media has reached over $173 billion in 2022, which accounts for 33% of total digital advertising spend.  
  • Instagram Stories has a potential ad audience of 996 million people. 
  • Marketers can reach nearly 1.5 billion potential audiences with ads on Instagram. 
  • Linkedin ads can reach 857 million people. 
  • 93% of Facebook's advertising revenue comes from mobile advertising. 
  • The cost of running ads on Meta increased by 24% year-over-year. 
  • Ad recall is higher on Gen-Z with 55% recall rate while baby boomers have a recall rate of only 26%. 
  • 69% of online shoppers who use Meta platforms weekly have reported making purchases after seeing personalized content related to shopping on Facebook or Instagram.

Social media advertising spending worldwide - highest projection in 2028, 262.62. Blue bars on a white background with black text.

Social Media Usage Statistics

Social media usage has grown exponentially in recent years, with people spending a significant amount of their time on various platforms. According to statistics, the top reasons people use social media are to stay connected with friends and family, fill their spare time, and keep up-to-date with the latest news and events through reading news articles. Here are other relevant social media statistics marketers and business owners need to know. 

  • 9 out of 10 internet users worldwide use social media every month.
  • The typical social media user spends approximately 2.5 hours per day using social media.
  • Collectively, people all over the world spend more than 10 billion hours every day on social media. 
  • Women aged 16-24 years old spend an average of 3 hours and 10 minutes per day on social media, making them the highest users of social media.
  • Men aged 55-64 use social media the least among all demographics.
  • According to the Pew Research Center, in 2022, YouTube emerged as the most popular platform among teens, with 95% of active users.  

What Percentage of People Use Social Media Around the World?

Number of social media users worldwide - numbers listed in billions, with highest projection 5.85 billion in 2027. Blue bars on white background with black words.

In today's digital age, social media has become an essential tool for individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide. As the world continues to embrace social media platforms for various reasons, including marketing and communication, it's essential to understand the current trends and statistics around social media usage. Let's check out the latest research and statistics from Backlinko to explore how popular social media platforms are for consumers and social media marketing by countries! 

Global Social Media Users Statistics by Top Countries

  • In 2022, Asia had the biggest number of internet users worldwide, with over 2.9 billion people.  
  • Europe comes in second with approximately 750 million internet users. 
  • China's internet user count was 1.05 billion, more than triple that of the third-ranked United States, with around 311 million internet users.
  • India ranks top on the list of the most Facebook users country-wise, with 349.7 million users in terms of Facebook audience size.
  • The United States is placed 2nd with 182.3 million people using Facebook. 
  • The average number of social media accounts held by a millennial or Gen Z user worldwide is 8.5.
  • Research on 46 nations with internet users aged between 16 to 64 revealed that Japan had the lowest overall number of social media accounts at 3.8 per user.
  • India had the highest overall number of social media accounts at 11.5 per user.
  • The average number of social media accounts held by an individual in the United States is 7.1.
  • In the US, 76% of females and 72% of males have at least one social media account.
  • In the UK, 80% of males and 84% of females have at least one social media account.

Statistics on why Social Media is Good!

Social media has emerged as an essential component of modern life, connecting people and communities across the globe. It facilitates social interaction, enables the distribution of diverse content, and provides a platform for businesses to connect with their target audience. According to Pew Research Center and other sources, here are some statistics that highlight the benefits of social media for users and society as a whole.

Social Media Helps us Communicate

  • 72% of adult social media users in the United States use social media to connect with family and friends.
  • A study by Ambassador reveals 71% of consumers who have a positive experience with a brand on social media are more likely to recommend that brand to their friends and family.
  • Surveys found that the top reasons people in the US use Facebook are to stay in touch with friends and family (82%), for news and entertainment (41%), and to find and join groups (33%).
  • Over 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day for sharing their daily experiences.
  • Current reports show there are 2.8 billion active Facebook Messenger users, making it one of the most popular messaging apps in the world.
  • Instagram Direct has over 500 million monthly active users. 
  • Twitter reported having 199 million monetizable daily active users, with many using the platform for direct messaging.
  • The average Facebook user sends eight messages per day. The average Facebook user sends eight messages per day. 
  • Facebook reported that over 10 billion messages are sent between people and businesses each month on Messenger.
  • According to a survey by GlobalWebIndex, 45% of social media users have left a comment on a brand's social media post, and 37% of users have posted a question on a brand's social media page.

Social Media Keeps You up-to-date

  • Research shows that 62% of adults in the US get their news from social networks. 
  • Almost half (49%) of social media users rely on influencer recommendations when making purchasing decisions.
  • As of January 2022, 62% of Instagram users say they use the platform for entertainment purposes.
  • 43% of Facebook users worldwide said they use the platform to watch videos, while 34% use it to share and discover new content.
  • A survey by Sprout Social found that 68% of US consumers use Facebook to read product reviews, while 46% use it to research products and services before making a purchase.
  • 45% of Instagram users aged 16-64 say they use Instagram to keep up with news and current events.
  • 81% of Instagram users said they use the platform to research products and services. 
  • 81% use YouTube to watch how-to videos
  • 51% use YouTube to get information on things they are interested in
  • 28% use YouTube to keep up with news and current events. 
  • Twitter is considered the most popular social media platform for news. 

Daily time spent on social networking - blue bars on white background with black numbers 90 to 147 across the top under the heading and 2012 to 2022 across the bottom under the blue bars. Scale of daily time spent is 0 to 150 minutes daily.

Statistics on why Social Media is Bad!

While social media has numerous benefits, there are also downsides. One of the most significant concerns about social media is the negative impact it can have on our mental health. According to UNICEF, excessive passive use of social media has been linked to various negative effects on mental health including ADHD, depression, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. In this section, we will delve into some statistics from different studies that shed light on why social media can be bad for our well-being.

How Social Media Affects Mental Health Statistics

  • A study by the Royal Society for Public Health found that social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have a negative impact on the mental health of young people. These platforms can lead to anxiety, depression, and poor body image.
  • According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, social media use is associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
  • A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that reducing social media use to just 30 minutes per day can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.
  • A study by the University of California, San Diego found that people who spend more time on social media are more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes, including lower self-esteem, loneliness, and depression. 
  • A study by the University of Copenhagen found that people who take a break from Facebook experience lower levels of stress and higher levels of life satisfaction.

The Many Ways Marketers Leverage Social Media for Good

Social media is more than just a platform for fun and entertainment. Nowadays, marketers use social media marketing to reach their audience, promote their products, and build their brand. Many businesses use influencer marketing to promote their brand, and management tools like Sprout Social to manage their accounts.

Leading social media platforms used by marketers - white background with blue bars and black words that illustrate the leading social media platforms used by marketers worldwide. Facebook is the leading social media platform for marketers, followed by Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, Twitter, TikTok and Snapchat

Not only that, but social media also provides opportunities for consumers to shop, discover new products and connect with brands. In fact, about 80% of weekly users have discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest.

Overall, social media has become a powerful tool for marketing and connecting with consumers, with figures showing that it accounts for a large portion of web traffic referrals. But more than that, social media also provides opportunities for marketers to do good, such as promoting social causes and raising awareness for important issues.

Population Statistics by Platform

Keeping up with social media statistics and trends can be overwhelming, but it's important to know people's usage of social media networks across different platforms. Hootsuite's Digital Trends Report for 2022 provides valuable insights into social media statistics and user behavior across various platforms. 

The report covers a range of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, providing valuable information about their usage patterns and engagement rates. Let's take a closer look at some of the key statistics for each social media platform.

Facebook

General Social Media Statistics - white background with blue boxes and white and black words. Facebook logo in top right hand corner. Mentions that Facebook is the most popular social network in the world and that there are 36.8% of Facebook users in the world in 2023.

  • As of October 2022, there 2.9 billion monthly active Facebook users around the world.
  • As of July 2022, there are 1.968 billion daily active users on Facebook.
  • Facebook currently has a global user base of almost 36.8% of the world's population. 
  • Facebook is the most popular platform among people between the ages of 25 and 34.
  • 56.8% of Facebook's user base is male, while the remaining 43.2% is female.
  • People between 25 to 34 years old are the most active on Facebook, with 17.7% of active users being male and 12.2% being female.
  • The United States has 182.3 million active Facebook users.
  • As of September 2022, 64% of US adults utilize Facebook.
  • In the US, users between 13 to 17 years old account for merely 3.9% of Facebook's total user base.
  • More than one-third of US adults receive regular news updates from Facebook.

Instagram

  • Instagram has a global user base of 18.1%. 
  • Instagram has 446.4 million users aged 18-24, accounting for 31.2% of its total user base.
  • Users aged 18-24 make up the largest share of active Instagram users.
  • Instagram is the fifth most active social media platform worldwide.
  • On average, users on Instagram spend 11.2 hours per month on the platform. 
  • More than half of the world's population using Instagram is younger than 35.
  • 9/10 users follow at least one brand on Instagram platform. 
  • 80% of active users on Instagram believe that brands on the platform are authentic.
  • Marketers can benefit from the fact that active users spend 53 minutes daily on Instagram. 

LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn is a popular platform with over 875 million users across the world. 
  • The platform is highly popular in the US, with over 194 million users in the country. 
  • As of 2022, approximately 28% of US adults has an active LinkedIn account.
  • About 60% of LinkedIn users are between ages 25 to 34, while users ages 55 and above constitute only 2.9% of the platform's audience.
  • Every week, around 52 million people search for jobs on the LinkedIn platform. 
  • 29% of LinkedIn's global user base uses the platform to stay informed about current events.
  • There are 58 million companies listed on LinkedIn's platform. 
  • Ads on this platform reach more men at 56.2%, compared to 43.8% of women. 

Twitter 

  • As of October 2022, Twitter reported having approximately 544 million total active users.
  • Marketers have the potential to reach around 21 million Twitters users through advertising.
  • Twitter ranks 16th in the list of the world's most active social media platforms. 
  • Approximately 6.1% of the people in the entire world are Twitter users. 
  • In July 2022 stats report, Twitter has 238 million monetizable daily active users.
  • The number of Twitter users who are 13 years and above is around 7.8% of the total people in that age group.
  • As of the most recent available stats, around 72.7% of Twitter users identify as male, while approximately 27.3% of Twitter users identify as female.

TikTok

  • TikTok is placed 6th among the most active social media platforms in the world.
  • Today, 12.8% of all marketers on Earth use ads on TikTok.
  • By Q3 of 2022, TikTok had surpassed 1 billion monthly active users.
  • As of September 2022 data, TikTok held the number 2 spot for the most popular app in the US. 
  • Among TikTok's active users worldwide, 24.7% are female and 18.1% are male aged 18-24.
  • 39.8% of TikTok's active users are between 18-24 years old, which amounts to 421.1 million people.
  • TikTok's active users in the USA is around 140.6 million.  
  • TikTok's user base in the US is projected to surpass 100 million by 2024.
  • The average time spent by a social media user on TikTok is 22.9 hours per month.

YouTube

  • YouTube is the number 2 search engine in the world, after Google.
  • 31% of people watch YouTube videos. 
  • As of 2022, YouTube's active channels is about more than 51 million. 
  • On average, YouTube users spend nearly 24 hours per month on this platform. 
  • By 2025, YouTube's sports viewership will reach 90 million.
  • About 507.1 million (20.5%) active YouTube users are aged between 25-34. 
  • Females make up 45.6% and males make up 54.4% of YouTube's global user base.
  • There are 245 million active YouTube users in the United States.
  • On average, people spend 23.4 hours per month watching YouTube videos. 

Pinterest 

  • Currently, 5.4% of all the people on the Earth use Pinterest.
  • Pinterest's advertising audience reach has grown by 12.7% over the past 12 months.
  • Female social media users make up more than 70% of Pinterest's user base.
  • The largest share of Pinterest's audience is made up of people between 25 and 34.
  • About 88.6 million people in the United States uses Pinterest.
  • Pinterest has seen a 40% year-over-year increase in Gen Z and male users.
  • About 45% of individuals in the US with a household income of over $100,000 use Pinterest.
  • Pinterest ads have the potential to reach over 270 million people.

Snapchat

  • Snapchat has 375 million daily active users worldwide.
  • Snapchat reaches 75% of 13 to 34 year-olds in the US. 
  • The average daily time spent by users on Snapchat is over 30 minutes. 
  • 71% of Snapchat users are under the age of 34. 
  • The average Snapchat user opens the app 30 times per day.

Specific Social Media Platform Statistics - By The Numbers:

Facebook 

  • 67 % of users log into Facebook every day, and 74% of users check the platform at least once a week.
  • Facebook is the second most popular platform for video viewing, with 40% of Facebook users watching videos daily.
  • Facebook users generate over 4 million likes every minute and upload more than 350 million photos per day.
  • 93% of social media advertisers use the platform to advertise.
  • The top three activities for Facebook users are scrolling through their newsfeed (54%), commenting on others' posts (24%), and posting their own updates or sharing content (21%).

Instagram

  • The average engagement rate for Instagram posts is 0.56%.
  • Instagram has over 25 million business profiles. 
  • Instagram posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement than those without. 
  • Instagram video posts receive 38% more engagement than image posts.
  • 62% of people say they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Instagram Stories. 

LinkedIn

  • Every second, LinkedIn receives around 101 job applications.
  • LinkedIn has diversified into content, with 150 million subscriptions to various newsletters on this networking site. 
  • LinkedIn members conduct over 5 billion searches per day on the platform. 
  • LinkedIn is the #1 platform for lead generation, with 80% of B2B leads coming from the platform.
  • LinkedIn drives 64% of all visits from social media channels to corporate websites.
  • 39 million students and recent college graduates are on LinkedIn. 
  • 5% of recruiters say they have successfully hired a candidate through LinkedIn. 

Twitter

  • In 2022, around 79% of marketers plan to continue investing in Twitter Spaces.
  • According to media statistics from May 2022, Twitter received approximately 7.1 billion monthly visits.
  • Tweets with images receive 18% more clicks, 89% more likes, and 150% more retweets than those without images
  • The average lifespan of a tweet is 18 minutes. 
  • The most popular time to tweet is 12 pm to 1 pm local time.

TikTok 

  • In the first half of 2022, TikTok was the most downloaded non-game app and generated the highest revenue.
  • TikTok users create and upload an average of 9 to 15 videos per month.
  • TikTok has one of the highest engagement rates among social media platforms, with an average engagement rate of 17.6% per post.
  • The most popular content on TikTok is dance videos, followed by lip-syncing, comedy skits, and educational content.
  • Hashtags are a crucial part of the TikTok experience, with the average video containing between 3 and 4 hashtags.

Related Content: Re-posting Content on TikTok: A Guide

YouTube 

  • In 2022, the daily views for YouTube Shorts videos surpassed 50 billion.
  • Engagement on YouTube is high, with users leaving an average of 2.2 comments per video. 
  • The most popular YouTube channels are those that feature gaming, music, and beauty content.
  • Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
  • The average mobile viewing session on YouTube lasts more than 45 minutes. 

Pinterest 

  • Pinterest makes up for 7.2% of all web traffic referrals.
  • Related Pins account for 40% of engagement on Pinterest.
  • Food and drink, DIY, and home decor are the most popular categories on Pinterest.
  • Video views on Pinterest have increased by 200%.
  • 88% of people on Pinterest purchase something they’ve pinned, while 93% use Pinterest to plan a future purchase.

Snapchat 

  • Over 5+ billion Snaps are created every day on Snapchat. 
  • More than 250 million users engage with augmented reality (AR) on Snapchat every day.
  • Survey reveals that 78% of users report feeling closer to friends because of Snapchat. 
  • Approximately 40% of Snapchat users report using the platform to discover new brands and products.
  • In 2022, Snapchat's ad revenue in the US reached $4.6 billion.

Thanks for Reading our Social Media Statistics Post!

About Sociallyin:

We hope you found this data useful! We're the team responsible for creating thumb stopping content social media users just can't ignore. Check out this quick video to learn more about the team at Sociallyin:

Get IN Touch with us:

 

Keith Kakadia

I am a native of New Orleans, LA with a passion for social media marketing, entrepreneurship, and making new connections. I enjoy the opportunity to work with amazing individuals and brands everyday.

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