The digital world of social media continues to expand rapidly. More than five billion people worldwide use social media in 2024, and experts predict this number will exceed six billion by 2028. Active users now make up 65.7% of the world's population.
The engagement numbers tell an impressive story. People spend between 143-151 minutes each day on social media and messaging apps – dedicating over two hours of their time. A typical user's monthly routine includes visits to nearly seven different platforms. The United
States shows similar trends, with 253 million Americans (73% of the population) using social media actively.
These numbers represent more than just statistics. They offer valuable insights that should guide today's marketing decisions. The widespread adoption and daily user engagement make social media understanding crucial to create working strategies. This piece will highlight key social media statistics and show you how to make use of information to improve your marketing methods.
How many people use social media in 2025?
The digital world keeps growing at a remarkable pace. 5.41 billion social media users worldwide as of July 2025 paint an impressive picture. These numbers suggest that 65.7% of people worldwide have embraced social media. Nearly two-thirds of humans on Earth now have at least one social media account.
Global user count and growth rate
Social media keeps attracting more users, with 241 million people joining these platforms since mid-2024. New users sign up at an annual growth rate of 4.7%, which means about 7.6 new users every second. Different sources share slightly varying but equally impressive numbers.
They report 206 million new user identities in the last year, showing a 4.1% year-over-year increase.
Social media now reaches almost everyone online. Monthly social media usage stands at 95.7% among internet users of all ages. Adult users show even higher numbers—88.9% of adults worldwide actively use social media.
Marketers now have an unprecedented chance to reach their audience. Nearly 96.5% of internet users aged 16 and above in the world's 54 largest economies use at least one social platform monthly.
Social media penetration by region
Different parts of the world show varying levels of social media adoption. Northern and Western Europe lead the pack with the highest penetration rates globally, reaching about 78-83%.
Eastern Asia comes close behind with almost 97% of its connected population using social media, thanks to WeChat's dominance in China.
The strongest social media growth appears in these regions:
- The Middle East, especially when you have Saudi Arabia with a 102% penetration rate (suggesting multiple accounts per person)
- United Arab Emirates at 96%
- South Korea at 94%
The picture isn't bright everywhere. Eastern and Middle Africa lag behind with the lowest adoption rates. Middle Africa shows barely 30% of internet users participating in social media. Countries like Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria have penetration rates below 26%. These gaps highlight why regional targeting matters in global marketing strategies.
Average number of platforms used per person
People don't stick to just one platform anymore. The typical global user actively participates in 6.84 different social platforms each month. Other sources mention slightly different numbers ranging from 6.7 to 6.83 platforms per person. These numbers confirm how users spread their presence across multiple platforms in today's digital world.
Platform diversity changes by region. U.S. users typically participate in 6.5% of all available social platforms in their country. Americans spread their attention across multiple apps instead of focusing on just one or two.
This multi-platform trend matters a lot to marketers. Effective strategies now need presence across several platforms to stay visible throughout the customer's experience.
Businesses planning their 2025-2026 marketing approach need both width (multiple platform presence) and depth (understanding regional differences) in their social media strategy. Social media advertising should grow by 18.1% annually through 2026.
This expanding user base creates valuable chances for brands that can effectively direct this increasingly complex digital world.
Which platforms are the most used globally?
Social media giants that are 20+ years old still rule the digital world. Facebook leads the pack as the world's most popular platform in 2025. The numbers tell the story – Facebook has 3.07 billion monthly active users worldwide. It stands alone as the first social network with more than three billion registered accounts.
Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram
The "big four" platforms dominate global social media activity. YouTube comes in second with 2.7 billion monthly active users, showing how much people love video content. WhatsApp takes third place with 2.4 billion monthly users, and Instagram rounds out the top group with 2.35 billion users.
Meta Platforms, which used to be Facebook, owns four of the world's biggest social platforms – Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Each platform has more than a billion monthly active users. Meta's own data shows steady growth in its "Family of Apps" (including these platforms plus Oculus) since 2018.
The story changes when we look at actual smartphone app usage instead of what people say they use. YouTube leads this race. App data gives YouTube the highest active user score (100), while WhatsApp scores 87.6 and Facebook 76.2. This means YouTube users are more active than Facebook's larger registered base.
Emerging platforms: TikTok, Telegram, BeReal
TikTok keeps growing at an amazing pace and now reaches 1.94 billion users globally. Though it's newer to the scene, TikTok will grow faster than other major platforms – 9.3% from 2023-2024 and 7% from 2024-2025.
Telegram has become a major player with 900 million users. Users who just need better privacy features flock to this platform. They can use end-to-end encryption, share large files, and join groups with up to 200,000 members.
BeReal has made its mark with 45 million active users in early 2025. The platform saw explosive growth with a 313% jump in users between May 2022 and January 2023. Young users love its authentic approach to social media. In spite of that, BeReal saw a 12% drop in active users in 2025 after hitting its peak in 2023.
Other platforms making waves include:
- Threads, which has grown to 350 million active users since Meta launched it in 2023
- BlueSky, with organic traffic growing 7x in the last year
- Noplace, a Twitter-Myspace mix for Gen Z that reached 12 million active users in Q1 2025
Monthly active users vs ad reach
Marketers should know the difference between reported monthly active users and actual advertising reach. To name just one example, YouTube can reach 2.53 billion people through ads in 2025 – less than its total user count.
Instagram's ad platform reaches 1.688 billion users. This makes it perfect for global campaigns even though it has over 2 billion total users. This gap shows both limits and opportunities for marketers.
LinkedIn offers an interesting case. Its global ad reach of 1.15 billion puts it fifth for advertising potential. But this number counts total registered members instead of monthly active users, showing how platforms measure reach differently.
The social media world keeps changing. Success in marketing depends on understanding both user engagement and advertising reach across platforms. This helps create strategies that connect with audiences where they're truly active.
How much time do people spend on social media?
People around the world spend 141 minutes per day on social media in 2025, down slightly from 143 minutes in 2024. This means about 2 hours and 21 minutes daily of scrolling, posting, and connecting with content on platforms of all types.
Global average daily usage
Social media takes up much of our daily online time. Users now spend about one-third of their internet time on social media and split their attention between multiple platforms. The average person uses 6.84 different social platforms each month, showing how multi-networking has become the new normal.
These numbers add up quickly. Humans spend about 14.5 billion hours on social platforms every day – that's like 1.7 million years of human life. If you have a regular schedule, you'll spend more than one full waking day each week on social media.
Social media use has grown steadily over the last several years. Daily time jumped from 90 minutes to 151 minutes between 2012 and 2023, though recent numbers show this growth might be leveling off.
Time spent by country
Different regions show very different patterns in social media use:
- South America tops the list with 3 hours and 24 minutes daily on social platforms
- African users come close at 3 hours and 10 minutes per day
- North America shows moderate numbers at 2 hours and 13 minutes
- Europe has the lowest regional average at 2 hours and 10 minutes
Individual countries show even bigger differences. Kenya leads globally with an amazing 4 hours and 13 minutes of daily social media use. Brazil and the Philippines share second place at 3 hours and 32 minutes each, while Nigeria follows at 3 hours and 23 minutes.
Japan stands out with the lowest social media use worldwide – just 46-49 minutes daily. South Korea (1 hour 14 minutes) and Germany (1 hour 41 minutes) also show lower usage.
Americans spend about 2 hours and 16 minutes daily on social platforms, which is 12 minutes less than the global average.
Platform-specific engagement (e.g., TikTok vs Facebook)
Each platform gets different levels of attention from users. TikTok leads the pack with users spending 34 hours per month on the app. YouTube comes next at 28 hours and 5 minutes monthly, and Facebook users log 19 hours and 47 minutes per month.
YouTube keeps people watching longer with 7 minutes and 25 seconds per session. TikTok sessions last 5 minutes and 56 seconds, while Facebook sessions run 3 minutes and 42 seconds. YouTube clearly knows how to keep viewers engaged longer.
Americans watch 46 minutes of YouTube daily, spend 38 minutes on TikTok, and 31 minutes on Facebook. Young people now spend more time on TikTok than Facebook.
User interaction rates tell an interesting story too. TikTok's engagement rate sits at 2.65%, which is a big deal as it means that it's much higher than Instagram's 0.7% and Facebook's 0.15%.
While this dropped from TikTok's 4.53% rate in 2021, the platform still gets the most user interaction.
These usage patterns help marketers decide where to focus their efforts to reach and engage their audience effectively.
Social media demographics you need to know
Social media demographics are just as significant as user numbers. The data shows that different platforms attract unique audience segments. Usage patterns vary by age, gender, education, and location.
Usage by age group
Age plays the biggest role in social media priorities. YouTube leads all age groups. 94% of Americans aged 30-49 use the platform, while 93% of those aged 18-29 follow closely. Young adults use multiple platforms more often. 74% of adults under 30 are active on at least five different platforms. This is nowhere near the 8% of those 65 and older.
Each generation picks different platforms. TikTok appeals to 62% of adults under 30 but reaches only 10% of those 65+. Snapchat shows an even bigger gap. 65% of adults aged 18-29 use the app compared to just 4% of seniors. Facebook stays popular across ages. 78% of 30-49 year-olds and 59% of seniors use it regularly.
Millennials lead social media usage with 30.3% of all U.S. social media users. Experts predict Gen Z's numbers will grow by a lot through 2027. Gen X and Baby Boomer numbers will likely drop over time.
Gender distribution across platforms
Men slightly outnumber women on social media worldwide. The split shows 54.6% male to 45.4% female users. U.S. numbers are almost even with 50.2% female and 49.8% male users.
Some platforms show clear gender preferences. Pinterest has the biggest gender gap with 69.4% female users and 22.6% male users. Instagram and Snapchat have balanced gender numbers. LinkedIn (56.4% male) and Twitter (now X) (63.7% male) attract more male users.
Education and income level trends
Education levels associate with platform choices. LinkedIn shows the biggest education gap. 53% of college graduates use the platform. Only 10% of those with high school education or less are on it. This is the biggest education-based difference among all platforms.
Income shapes platform choices too. LinkedIn usage reaches 53% among highest-income adults but only 13% among lowest-income respondents. Twitter (X) shows similar patterns. 29% of adults earning over $100,000 yearly use it, compared to about 20% in lower income groups.
Urban vs rural usage patterns
Rural Americans still use less social media than urban users. About 72% of rural Americans have home broadband, which is less than suburban areas. This creates unique usage patterns.
Rural users spend more time on specific apps. Weather (+29.9%), Shopping (+18.3%), Social (+8.8%), and Game (+8.8%) apps are popular. Urban users prefer Maps and Navigation (+150%), News (+38.7%), and Travel and Local (+28.7%) apps.
Time of use varies too. Urban users are more active late at night (10 PM to 6 AM) and during mid-day. Rural users prefer mornings (7-10 AM) and evenings (5-9 PM).
These demographic insights help marketers choose platforms, time content, and create messages that line up with their audience's behavior.
Why people use social media today
The behavior of 3.07 billion people on social media tells us more about today's digital world than just numbers. Learning about why people participate on these platforms helps create marketing strategies that appeal to target audiences.
Top reasons: connection, entertainment, news
People use social media to stay connected with others. Two-thirds of social media users want to keep in touch with friends and family. This need to connect surpasses demographics, though women (72%) value family connections more than men (55%).
Entertainment has become the second biggest reason people use social media. More than a third of digital consumers visit these platforms to find entertaining content. This number rises to 46% among 16-24 year-olds. Users now prefer to watch content rather than create it, which marks a big change from earlier years.
News has become another key driver. 53% of U.S. adults read news on social media regularly. Facebook (38%) and YouTube (35%) lead as news sources, with Instagram and TikTok tied at 20%.
Generational differences in motivations
Baby Boomers use social media to reduce loneliness and stay close to family. Yes, it is true that 84% of Boomers say social media helps them feel more connected. Many older adults start using social media to keep up with children and grandchildren.
Millennials show more practical reasons for use. They research products and read reviews twice as much as Gen Z. Their time splits between professional networking, learning, and
entertainment.
Gen Z loves entertainment the most. They value content that entertains (40%), stays authentic (28%), and informs (25%) more than other age groups. 60% of Gen Z watch TV shows or movies they find through social media creators.
Platform-specific behaviors (e.g., TikTok for fun, LinkedIn for work)
Each platform meets different needs, which explains why people use multiple services:
- TikTok draws users through entertainment. Research points to four main reasons: social rewards, trendiness, escapist addiction, and content novelty. The platform's short videos and smart algorithms give users quick entertainment fixes.
- LinkedIn caters to professional goals. Users build work connections, look for jobs, and share their expertise.
- Facebook helps people document their lives and follow social norms. Research shows personal choices and social pressure both keep users coming back.
- Twitter appeals to information seekers who want news and real-time updates.
These patterns give marketers valuable insights beyond basic demographics. Content that matches why people use each platform creates campaigns that work better and connect with users on both practical and emotional levels.
What this means for your marketing strategy
Social media statistics help marketers create better campaigns. Your ROI will improve when you line up platform choices, content timing, and mutually beneficial alliances with how users actually behave.
Choosing the right platform for your audience
Your platform choice should depend on who your audience is rather than what's popular. Users typically manage seven platforms each month. This makes a multi-channel strategy vital.
Match your target audience with each platform's user base. LinkedIn's quality content and business insights work best for young professionals. Facebook reaches 38.4% of all internet users, making it perfect for retail and mass-market products.
Timing and content format considerations
The right posting time substantially affects user engagement. Facebook posts perform best in morning hours. Instagram engagement peaks at 3 p.m. on Fridays. LinkedIn posts get optimal results on Tuesday at 10 a.m..
Each platform has unique content format priorities. Instagram users engage more with carousels while reels help with discovery. LinkedIn users increasingly prefer video content in 2025. A LinkedIn executive put it simply: "Video, Video, Video, Video".
Learning from influencer and ad reach data
Monthly active users and actual ad reach show different results. YouTube stands first with 2.53 billion potential ad viewers, making it ideal for wide-reaching campaigns. Influencer marketing returns $5.78 for every dollar spent, beating traditional ads. Small influencers (10K-100K followers) achieve 3.86% engagement while bigger ones manage just 1.21%.
Conclusion
Social media has revolutionized how marketers reach and connect with people worldwide. The numbers are staggering – 5.41 billion active users spend more than two hours each day on about seven different platforms. This creates amazing opportunities for marketers but also brings its own set of challenges.
These numbers tell an important story about where to find your audience. Facebook leads the pack with 3.07 billion users, followed by YouTube at 2.7 billion and WhatsApp with 2.4 billion. The digital world keeps changing as newer platforms like TikTok (1.94 billion) and Telegram (900 million) gain ground rapidly.
People's screen time paints an interesting picture. The average user spends 141 minutes on social media daily, but location makes a big difference. South Americans love their social media, spending over three hours each day online. Japanese users, on the other hand, spend less than an hour on these platforms. Smart marketers need to consider these regional differences to make their campaigns work.
Your audience's age and background matter a lot. Young people flock to visual platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. LinkedIn attracts well-educated professionals with bigger paychecks. Pinterest's user base is mostly women, while Twitter appeals more to men. These differences should guide your platform choice based on who you want to reach.
The reasons people use social media are just as important. Most people want to stay connected, but entertainment has become a huge draw, especially for Gen Z. More than half of U.S. adults turn to these platforms to keep up with news. Each platform serves a different purpose – TikTok entertains, LinkedIn helps careers grow, and Facebook keeps friends connected.
Marketers need to pick the right platforms, post at the best times, and create content that clicks with each platform's audience. Using multiple channels works best since most people use several platforms every month. On top of that, teaming up with influencers, especially micro-influencers, gives great results when they match your audience's interests.
These social media statistics reflect real people with real habits and choices. Marketers who understand these patterns create better campaigns that reach people naturally and speak to what truly matters to them.
FAQs
Q1. How many social media platforms does the average person use?
The typical global user actively engages with about 6.8 different social media platforms each month. This multi-platform usage trend highlights the importance for marketers to maintain a presence across multiple channels to effectively reach their target audience.
Q2. Which social media platform has the highest advertising reach?
YouTube currently has the highest potential advertising reach of 2.53 billion users globally. This makes it an ideal platform for broad marketing campaigns, although it's important to note that this figure is lower than its total reported user base.
Q3. How much time do people spend on social media daily?
On average, people worldwide spend about 141 minutes (2 hours and 21 minutes) per day on social media. However, this varies significantly by region, with South Americans spending over 3 hours daily and Japanese users less than an hour.
Q4. What are the primary reasons people use social media?
The top reasons for social media use are staying connected with friends and family, finding entertainment, and consuming news. About two-thirds of users cite maintaining relationships as their primary motivation, while over a third visit platforms specifically for entertaining content.
Q5. How does social media usage differ between urban and rural areas?
While rural areas generally have lower broadband adoption rates, rural users tend to engage more frequently with specific app categories like weather, shopping, and social apps. Urban users, on the other hand, spend significantly more time on maps, navigation, and travel apps. Usage timing also differs, with rural users more active in mornings and evenings, while urban users show higher engagement during late nights and midday.
