Social Media has become a part of our day-to-day routine, keeping users from across the world well-connected through digital platforms. With each passing year, social media is evolving at a rapid speed. With each passing year, the number of social media users is increasing at an immersive speed. Reports also suggest the number of social media users will reach a milestone of 5.85 billion in 2027.
In 2024, 62.6% of the world’s population will access social media, which clearly indicates the dominance of social media platforms in today’s world. In this article, we will examine social media statistics for 2024, uncovering monthly active users, daily time spent by users, most downloaded social media apps, etc.
Key Social Media Statistics
- In 2024, there are over 5.07 billion social media users worldwide.
- Facebook has the highest number of monthly active users.
- 143 minutes is the average time spent by users accessing social media platforms globally.
- Facebook was the most downloaded social media app in March 2024 with 59 million downloads.
- YouTube is the most downloaded social media platform with over 10 billion downloads worldwide.
- Millennials are the leading generation with the highest number of social media users (68.5 million) in the United States.
- YouTube has the highest number of advertising audiences, reaching 2.50 billion users.
- Short-form videos are considered the most engaging type of content on social media.
How Many People Use Social Media in 2024?
There are over 5.07 billion social media users worldwide in 2024, which totals 62.6% of the world population, according to a report by Statista. The total number of internet users in April 2024 is 5.44 billion out of which 5.07 billion are using social media.
Social Media Usage Monthly Active users by Platforms
As of April 2024, Facebook was the leading social media network with over 3 billion monthly active users worldwide. Followed by YouTube in the second position with 2.5 billion monthly active users, and Instagram ranked in third position with 2 billion active monthly users.
Below we have mentioned a detailed table showcasing the social media network’s monthly active users worldwide:
| Social Network | Monthly active users (in millions) |
| 3,065 | |
| YouTube | 2,504 |
| 2,000 | |
| 2,000 | |
| TikTok | 1,582 |
| 1,343 | |
| Facebook Messenger | 1,010 |
| Telegram | 900 |
| SnapChat | 800 |
| Douyin | 755 |
| Kuaishou | 700 |
| X/Twitter | 611 |
| 598 | |
| 554 | |
| 498 |
Source: Statista
Number of social media users worldwide (2017 to 2027)
According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 5.17 billion by the end of 2024. Also, it is also projected that in 2027 the number of people using social media will reach a milestone of 5.85 billion.
Here is a breakdown of social media users globally from 2017 to 2027:
| Year | Number of social media users |
| 2017 | 2.73 billion |
| 2018 | 3.1 billion |
| 2019 | 3.51 billion |
| 2020 | 3.9 billion |
| 2021 | 4.26 billion |
| 2022 | 4.59 billion |
| 2023 | 4.89 billion |
| 2024 | 5.17 billion |
| 2025 | 5.42 billion |
| 2026 | 5.64 billion |
| 2027 | 5.85 billion |
Average daily time spent on social media worldwide 2012-2024
The Average daily time spent by users globally on social media is estimated to be 143 minutes in 2024. The average time spent has witnessed a decrease since the previous year, where the daily time spent on social media usage was 151 minutes showcasing a difference of 8 minutes.
| Year | Minutes per day |
| 2012 | 90 minutes |
| 2013 | 95 minutes |
| 2014 | 104 minutes |
| 2015 | 111 minutes |
| 2016 | 128 minutes |
| 2017 | 134 minutes |
| 2018 | 142 minutes |
| 2019 | 145 minutes |
| 2020 | 145 minutes |
| 2021 | 145 minutes |
| 2022 | 147 minutes |
| 2023 | 151 minutes |
| 2024 | 143 minutes |
Source: Statista
Countries with the highest daily time spent on social media
Brazil is the leading country with the highest daily time spent on social media 3 hours and 49 minutes. Followed by Nigeria in second position with a daily duration of 3 hours and 44 minutes spent on social media and the Philippines in the third position with 3 hours and 38 minutes. There are 11 countries with over 3 hours of daily time spent on social media according to a report by Statista.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing countries with the highest daily time spent on social media:
| Countries | Daily time in hours.minutes |
| Brazil | 3 hours 49 minutes |
| Nigeria | 3 hours 44 minutes |
| Philippines | 3 hours 38 minutes |
| South Africa | 3 hours 34 minutes |
| Chile | 3 hours 34 minutes |
| Kenya | 3 hours 32 minutes |
| Columbia | 3 hours 28 minutes |
| Ghana | 3 hours 20 minutes |
| Indonesia | 3 hours 14 minutes |
| Mexico | 3 hours 10 minutes |
| Argentina | 3 hours 8 minutes |
| Turkey | 2 hours 56 minutes |
| Malaysia | 2 hours 52 minutes |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 hours 50 minutes |
| UAE | 2 hours 44 minutes |
| Egypt | 2 hours 40 minutes |
| Bulgaria | 2 hours 38 minutes |
| Thailand | 2 hours 35 minutes |
| India | 2 hours 29 minutes |
| Portugal | 2 hours 28 minutes |
| Romania | 2 hours 26 minutes |
| Russia | 2 hours 22 minutes |
| Vietnam | 2 hours 17 minutes |
| Morocco | 2 hours 16 minutes |
| USA | 2 hours 16 minutes |
| Singapore | 2 hours 11 minutes |
| Israel | 2 hours 11 minutes |
| China | 2 hours 4 minutes |
| New Zealand | 2 hours 4 minutes |
| Ireland | 1 hour 59 minutes |
| Greece | 1 hour 59 minutes |
| Hong Kong | 1 hour 55 minutes |
| Canada | 1 hour 55 minutes |
| Australia | 1 hour 53 minutes |
| Norway | 1 hour 53 minutes |
| Taiwan | 1 hour 53 minutes |
| Poland | 1 hour 52 minutes |
| Spain | 1 hour 52 minutes |
| Sweden | 1 hour 52 minutes |
| Denmark | 1 hour 49 minutes |
| Czech Republic | 1 hour 47 minutes |
| France | 1 hour 46 minutes |
| UK | 1 hour 46 minutes |
| Italy | 1 hour 43 minutes |
| Hungary | 1 hour 39 minutes |
| Switzerland | 1 hour 36 minutes |
| Germany | 1 hour 33 minutes |
| Netherlands | 1 hour 31 minutes |
| Belgium | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| South Korea | 1 hour 11 minutes |
| Japan | 47 minutes |
Source: Statista
Most downloaded social media app worldwide 2024
YouTube is the most downloaded social media app worldwide. It has over 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store which is currently the highest compared to any other other social media platform. Facebook is the second most downloaded social media app with more than 5 billion downloads on Play Store.
Here is a breakdown of the most downloaded social media app worldwide in 2024:
| Social Media App | Number of downloads |
| YouTube | 10 Billion + |
| 5 Billion + | |
| 5 Billion + | |
| 5 Billion + | |
| Facebook Messenger | 5 Billion + |
| TikTok | 1 Billion + |
| X (Twitter) | 1 Billion + |
| SnapChat | 1 Billion + |
| 1 Billion + | |
| 1 Billion + | |
| 100 Million + | |
| Threads | 100 Million + |
Source: PlayStore
Most downloaded mobile apps worldwide in March 2024
In March 2024, Facebook became the most downloaded social media app with 59 million downloads. Followed by Instagram in the second position with 58 million downloads and TikTok was ranked the third highest downloaded social media app with 46 million downloads.
Here is a breakdown of most downloaded social media app in March 2024:
| Top Social Media App | Number of downloads |
| 59 million | |
| 58 million | |
| TikTok | 46 million |
| 42 million | |
| Telegram | 27 million |
| Threads | 24 million |
| CapCut | 23 million |
| Messenger | 23 million |
| SnapChat | 22 million |
| WhatsApp Business | 21 million |
Source: Statista
Social Media Usage by Gender
As of April 2024, 49.2% of Instagram users globally were women, giving Instagram the highest number of female audiences from all selected social media platforms. X (Twitter) had the highest share of male audience by 60.3% compared to other social media platforms. SnapChat has a 49.1% female audience base, while the share of male audience is 50%.
Here is a breakdown of Social media usage worldwide by Gender:
| Social Media Platform | Female Users | Male Users |
| 49.2% | 50.8% | |
| SnapChat | 49.1% | 50% |
| TikTok | 45.7% | 54.3% |
| 43% | 57% | |
| 43% | 57% | |
| X (Twitter) | 39.7% | 60.3% |
Source: Statista
Social Media Usage by Generation
According to reports, Millennials are the leading generation with the highest number of social media users in the United States. Followed by Gen Z in the second position with a total of 56.4 million users, and Gen X in the third position with 51.8 million users.
| Generation | Share of social media users |
| Gen Z | 56.4 million |
| Millennials | 68.5 million |
| Gen X | 51.8 million |
| Baby Boomers | 36.9 million |
Source: Oberlo
Social Media Usage By Age
In 2023, 29% of the Facebook users in the United States belonged to the age group 30 to 39, while a further 29% were aged 50 to 64 years old, and 20% belonged to users aged 40 to 29. The most popular social media platforms among young adults aged 18 to 29 years old are SnapChat and TikTok with 41% and 35% respectively.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing Social Media Usage by Age Group in the United States:
| Social Media Platform | 18 to 29 | 30 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 64 |
| 20% | 29% | 22% | 29% | |
| BeReal | 35% | 40% | 19% | 5% |
| 32% | 32% | 20% | 17% | |
| 17% | 34% | 25% | 24% | |
| 27% | 29% | 20% | 24% | |
| 31% | 34% | 20% | 15% | |
| SnapChat | 41% | 33% | 18% | 9% |
| TikTok | 35% | 31% | 19% | 14% |
| X/Twitter | 28% | 34% | 21% | 17% |
Source: Statista
Social media app usage among Generation Z in the United States
Today, social media apps are utilized by Gen Z (users who are aged between 16 to 25 years old) at a large scale. According to Statista, 92% of Gen Z users in the U.S. access YouTube the most. Followed by Instagram in the second position with 85% of the share of users, and TikTok in the third position with 78% of Gen Z users.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing social media app usage according to Gen Z in the United States:
| Social Media App | Share of users |
| YouTube | 92% |
| 85% | |
| TikTok | 78% |
| Discord | 42% |
Source: Statista
Average time spent by users on social media platforms daily in the U.S.
On Average, social media users in the United States spend 53.8 minutes on TikTok daily which is the highest duration spent on a social media platform. Followed by YouTube in the second position with a total of 48.7 minutes spent accessing the platform. X (Twitter) is ranked third in the list with an average time spent of 34.1 minutes.
Here is a breakdown of the average time spent by users on social media platforms daily in the United States:
| Social media platform | Time spent (in minutes) |
| TikTok | 53.8 |
| YouTube | 48.7 |
| X (Twitter) | 34.1 |
| 33.1 | |
| 30.9 | |
| SnapChat | 30 |
| 24.1 |
Source: Statista
Top Reasons for using Social Media Platform
Different people utilize social media platforms for different reasons. For example, some prefer to access social media apps for entertainment purposes, while some prefer to use them for gaining knowledge or reading news. Therefore, below we have mentioned a table showcasing the top reasons behind users accessing social media platforms worldwide:
| Top Reasons | Share of users |
| Keeping in touch with friends & family | 49.7% |
| Filling Spare Time | 38.0% |
| Reading News Stories | 34.3% |
| Finding Content (eg: Articles & videos) | 30.0% |
| See what’s being talked about | 28.8% |
| Finding products to purchase | 26.8% |
| Finding inspiration for things to do and buy | 26.4% |
| Watching live streams | 23.1% |
| Watching or following sports | 22.9% |
| Making new contacts | 22.7% |
| Sharing and discussing opinions with others | 22.6% |
| Seeing content from your favorite brands | 22.5% |
| Work-related networking or research | 21.6% |
| Following celebrities or influencers | 20.0% |
| Posting about your life | 19.6% |
Source: DataReportal
Main Reasons for using Social Media Platform By Age
Data reveals that people from different age groups utilize social media platforms for a variety of different reasons. For example, over 50% of individuals aged above 35 access social media to stay in touch with their friends and families. While 42.7% of users aged 16 to 24 access social media to fill up their spare time.
Here is a breakdown of the primary reasons behind individuals accessing social media platforms based on age group:
| Top Reasons | 16 to 24 | 25 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 54 | 55 to 64 |
| Friends & Family | 47.4% | 46.5% | 50.7% | 52.8% | 55.5% |
| Fill up Spare Time | 42.7% | 38.5% | 37.2% | 38.1% | 37.6% |
| Finding Content (eg: videos) | 33.3% | 32.9% | 36.5% | 36.0% | 33.0% |
| See Trending Topics | 31.5% | 31.3% | 29.9% | 27.9% | 24.8% |
| Read News Story | 28.8% | 29.8% | 29.5% | 27.8% | 23.2% |
| Ideas: on things to do or buy | 27.1% | 27.7% | 28.8% | 26.7% | 22.9% |
| Find products to buy | 25.2% | 26.5% | 27.5% | 24.8% | 21.8% |
| Influencers & Celebrities | 24.7% | 24.4% | 25.0% | 23.1% | 21.2% |
| Make New Contacts | 24.3% | 24.4% | 24.9% | 22.6% | 19.0% |
| See Content from Brands | 23.5% | 23.6% | 24.2% | 21.9% | 18.3% |
Source: DataReportal
Favorite Social Media Platform
16.6% of active social media users aged 16 to 64 stated Instagram as their “favorite” social media platform. Followed by WhatsApp in the second position by 16.3% and WeChat in the third position by 13.0%.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing the favorite social media platforms of users worldwide:
| Social Media Platform | Share of users |
| 16.6% | |
| 16.3% | |
| 13.0% | |
| 12.7% | |
| TikTok | 7.9% |
| Douyin | 6.7% |
| X (Twitter) | 3.0% |
| Facebook Messenger | 2.4% |
| Telegram | 2.4% |
| Line | 1.6% |
| 1.5% | |
| Kuaishou | 1.5% |
| SnapChat | 1.3% |
| Xiaohongshu | 1% |
| Imessage | 0.8% |
Source: DataReportal
Top Social Media Platforms based on Advertising Audiences
According to reports published by advertising resources, it was revealed that YouTube is the leading social media platform with the highest number of advertising audiences of 2.50 billion. Followed by Facebook in the second position with an advertising audience of 2.24 Billion. Instagram has the third largest ad audience with paid ads reaching 1.69 billion users worldwide.
Below we have mentioned a detailed table showcasing top social media platforms and their advertising audience reach:
| Social Media Platforms | Advertising reach |
| YouTube | 2.50 Billion |
| 2.24 Billion | |
| 1.69 Billion | |
| TikTok | 1.58 Billion |
| 1.07 Billion | |
| Facebook Messenger | 1.01 Billion |
| SnapChat | 675 Million |
| X (Twitter) | 611 Million |
| 317 Million | |
| 233 Million |
Source: DataReportal
FAQs
What percentage of the world are social media users?
62.6 percent of the world’s population are social media users, which is 5.07 billion people.
Who uses social media the most age?
People aged between 28 to 43 years old use social media the most in the United States, accounting for 68.8 million of total social media users.
What is the future of social media in 2025?
The future of social media in 2025 is expected to reach 68.3% of the social media usage population, up from 67.2% in 2024.
What is the most used social media platform in 2024?
Facebook is the most-used social media platform in 2024 with over 3 billion monthly active users worldwide.
Who uses YouTube the most age?
Individuals aged 25 to 34 are the leading age group who use YouTube the most, accounting for 21.3% of YouTube’s user base.
How many social media users are there in India in 2024?
There are 462.0 million social media users in India in 2024, amounting to 32.2% of the total population.
What are the top 3 social media apps?
The Top 3 social media apps are Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram based on their active monthly users.
Wrapping Up
The above statistics clearly indicate that in 2024 Social media is a dominant force that is completely transforming communication trends and digital interactions worldwide. Today, users across the world access social media platforms for various reasons such as online communication, purchasing new products, following brands, reading news, etc. From the expansion of user growth to increased average time spent, social media remains a dominant force globally with expectations of higher growth in the future without any sign of decline.
