Social media occupies a big part of people’s lives in this modern world.

We spend most of our spare time browsing photos and videos on different social media platforms, posting life updates, and communicating with families and friends.

Research reveals that an average person spends approximately 2 hours and 31 minutes daily on their social media accounts.

This is one of the reasons why businesses advertise on social media platforms.

If you are making a marketing strategy for your business, knowing the social media demographics could help you reach your target audience.

This article will give you a list of social media demographics in 2024.

Key Social Media Demographics

  • As of January 2023, around 4.76 billion are social media users worldwide. It is expected to reach 5.85 billion in 2027.
  • Facebook is the leading social media platform in terms of monthly active users. It has approximately 2.95 billion MAU worldwide.
  • China was the top country with the most social media users worldwide. It recorded more than 1 billion social media users in 2022.
  • Social media users in Nigeria spend the most time browsing their social media, spending 276 minutes daily.
  • Ages 20 to 29 years old use social media the most, accounting for 32.2%. Among this age group, 18.1% are male, and 14.1% are female.
  • Ages 18 to 29 years old are the largest social media users in the US.
  • Most Instagram users are from India, accounting for nearly 230 million users.
  • TikTok users in the US spend approximately 31 minutes daily on the platform.

Detailed Social Media Demographics 2024

Social Media

Social media has a big impact on our everyday lives since we see different kinds of content upon scrolling – whether entertaining, educational, inspirational, or promotional.

An average person uses about seven social media platforms each month. 

As of January 2023, there are approximately 4.76 billion social media users globally.

It is expected to reach 5.85 billion by the end of 2027. The average use of social media is 147 minutes daily, equivalent to 2 hours and 27 minutes.

While an average person uses social media apps for around 151 minutes daily, or 2 hours and 31 minutes.

According to Statista, social media users aged 40 to 44 years old spent the most amount of time on social media from Q4 2020 to Q1 2021, spending an average of 59.85 minutes daily.

Leading Social Media Platforms

Facebook was the leading social media platform in terms of monthly active users. It has around 2.96 billion monthly active users as of January 2023.

YouTube comes next, with 2.5 billion MAU, while WhatsApp and Instagram hold the third and fourth spots, with over 2 billion MAU.

Leading Social Media Platforms with Monthly Active Users (MAU)

Below are the leading social media platforms with their monthly active users as of January 2023:

  • Facebook has over 2.95 billion MAU as of January 2023
  • YouTube has over 2.51 billion MAU as of January 2023
  • WhatsApp has over 2.00 billion MAU as of January 2023
  • Instagram has over 2.00 billion MAU as of January 2023
  • WeChat has over 1.30 billion MAU as of January 2023
  • TikTok has over 1.05 billion MAU as of January 2023
  • Facebook Messenger has over 931 million MAU as of January 2023
  • Douyin has over 715 million MAU as of January 2023
  • Telegram has over 700 million MAU as of January 2023
  • Snapchat has over 635 million MAU as of January 2023

Number of Social Media Users Per Country

Social Media

China was the top country with the most social media users worldwide.

It recorded around 1.02 billion social media users in 2022 and is expected to have 1.21 billion in 2027.

Here are the numbers of social media users per country in 2022:

  • China recorded 1.02 billion social media users in 2022
  • India recorded 755 million social media users in 2022
  • The United States recorded 302 million social media users in 2022
  • Indonesia recorded 217 million social media users in 2022
  • Brazil recorded 165 million social media users in 2022
  • Russia recorded 115 million social media users in 2022
  • Japan recorded 101 million social media users in 2022

Average Time Spent on Social Media

According to Statista’s report, the average time spent by social media users worldwide from October 2020 to March 2021 was around 49 to 60 minutes.

Social media users aged 35 to 49 years old spent the most amount of time on social media apps.

They spent an average of nearly 60 minutes daily during the said period.

On the other hand, users aged 24 years old and below spent the least amount of time on social media, with less than 50 minutes daily.

Ages 25 to 34 years old spent around 55-58 minutes daily.

What Country Spends the Most Amount of Time on Social Media?

Social Media

According to DataReportal, people in Nigeria spend the most amount of time checking and using their social media in 2023.

They spend 276 minutes per day, equal to 4 hours and 36 minutes.

People in Brazil hold the second spot with 226 minutes per day, or 3 hours and 46 minutes.

Social Media Usage Per Country

Here is a list of social media usage per country in 2023:

  • Social media users in Nigeria spend 276 minutes per day on their social media accounts
  • Social media users in Brazil spend 226 minutes per day on their social media accounts
  • Social media users in South Africa spend 224 minutes per day on their social media accounts
  • Social media users in the Philippines spend 223 minutes per day on their social media accounts
  • Social media users in Kenya spend 214 minutes per day on their social media accounts

What Age Group Uses the Social Media Most?

Ages 20 to 29 years old are the age group that uses social media the most, with 32.2%.

Among this age group, 18.1% are male, while 14.1% are female.

The second-largest age group that uses social media the most is from 30 to 39 years old, with 22.2%.

Similar to the younger ages, male users are the major users, accounting for 12.1%, while female users account for 10.1%.

Social Media Usage in the US by Age

Social Media

Research shows that ages 18 to 29 years old are the biggest social media users in the US.

About 84% of this age group use at least one social media platform and site in 2021.

Ages 30 to 49 years old are the second-biggest social media users in the country, with 81%.

Ages 50 to 64 years old come next, accounting for 73%, and ages 65 years and older account for 45%.

TikTok Demographics

TikTok has more than 1.05 billion active users per month as of January 2023. It is one of the most-used social media platforms for Gen Zs.

About 21.5% of its users are female, aged 18 to 24 years old, and 17% are male of the same age.

TikTok users in the US spend approximately 31 minutes daily on the platform.

Businesses should target younger generations in TikTok since 62% of Gen Zs are TikTok’s audience.

Instagram Demographics

Instagram has more than 2 billion active users per month and over 500 million active users per day.

Over 60% of its users are from 18 to 34 years old. They spend an average of 29 minutes daily on the platform.

Most Instagram users are from India, accounting for nearly 230 million users, and the United States with over 143 million users.

Instagram offers e-commerce features suitable for promoting and selling products to a wider audience.

Facebook Demographics

Facebook has more than 2.95 billion active users per month and nearly 2 million active users per day.

Most of its users are Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Millennials. 56.4% are male, while 43.6% are female.

US adults spend an average of 33 minutes daily on the platform.

Facebook is one of the best social media platforms for businesses since it has almost 3 billion MAU worldwide.

Conclusion

Social media platforms are one of the most-used platforms online. More than half of the world’s population uses social media.

Most people visit their social media accounts to communicate and be entertained, inspired and informed.

Many businesses use social media to reach their audiences immediately in different parts of the world. 

Now you know the social media demographics in 2024 and other interesting information about these powerful platforms.

You should keep learning about each platform’s features to know which works best for you and your business.

Sources

HubSpotOberloStatista
OberloOberloStatista
HootsuiteSmart Insights