Social Media Users Worldwide
Many people would be surprised to know how many people use social media. It is estimated today that at least half the world, or 3.9 billion people use social media.
This is an 11 percent increase from 2019 and a significant increase from 2015 when the answer was 2.07 billion people. The average growth rate for social media is expected to grow at 3.9 percent to 2025.
Social Media Growth Statistics
The pattern of social media growth has been steady. In 2015 there were 2.078 billion people on social media. By 2016, there were 2.307 billion people with a 21 percent growth rate.
In 2018, social media saw a 9 percent growth rate with 3.196 billion people signed up. That growth rate stayed steady through 2020 when there were 3.960 billion people on social media.
A natural question when you are wondering how many people use social media is, what platforms are they using? Facebook is still the winner here.
Facebook Wins on Social Media
When it comes to learning how many people use social media and why, Facebook might have the answer. Since the inception of social media, Facebook has been the clear winner, and that remains today. Facebook is the number one preferred social media platform, and LinkedIn is the second favorite. Overall, the average person spends 135 minutes a day on social media, and Facebook gets most of that time.
Today, Facebook has over 2.85 million users. That does not take into account the number of people with multiple accounts. When it comes to Facebook, most people either love it or hate it. Still, it holds the majority of the number of users.
In 2012, Facebook was home to 54 percent of social media users worldwide, LinkedIn was home to over 16 percent, and Twitter had 13 percent of the world's social media users.
By 2021, Facebook had 69 percent of the world's social media users, Instagram had 40 percent of the world's social media users, LinkedIn had 28 percent, and Twitter had 23 percent.
Social Media Platforms by Region
When you are learning how many people use social media, region data turns some interesting results. The number of people on social media grew by 9.2 percent between 2019 and 2020. Europe saw the slowest growth here at 4.9 percent while Asia saw the most at 16.98 percent. Asia is home to the most social media users in the world.
Asia has 16.98 percent of the world's social media population. Africa is second there, with 13.92 percent of the world's social media population. South America is home to 8 percent of the world's social media population. North America is home to 6.96 percent of the world's social media population. Australia is home to 4.9 percent of the world's social media population.