Nearly five billion people are on social media or slightly more than 60 percent of the world’s population. That represents an increase of 3.7 percent over the past year, according to calculations by digital advisory firm Kepios in its latest quarterly report. Social network users are approaching 5.19 billion, which use the internet or 64.5 percent of the world population. However, there are significant differences between regions. For example, only one person out of 11 in East and Central Africa uses social media. In India, the world’s most populous nation, that figure reaches one out of three people.
In terms of individual platforms, Facebook remains by far the most popular site. It has more than 4 billion active monthly users and has seen its user base double in the last three years alone. YouTube, owned by Google, is next with 2.6 billion active users. And while sites such as Twitter and Instagram may not be as big as Facebook, they have attracted significant numbers of users in recent years. In contrast, more established players such as MySpace and Hi5 have seen their user bases decline in recent years.
The report found that most people use social media to keep in touch with family and friends. But plenty of people are also using it for entertainment, with video-based platforms such as TikTok seeing speedy growth.
There is also a transparent age gradient regarding which platforms are most popular, with Snapchat and Instagram more popular among younger people. The average social media user in the US is on seven different platforms every month and spends two hours and 26 minutes daily. However, the time spent on these platforms varies by country, with Brazilians spending nearly three hours daily and Japanese users only half an hour.
In addition, the report found that more people are turning to social media to research products and services they’re considering buying. This is especially true for the younger generations, with GWI’s data showing that nearly 7 in 10 internet users go to social media for this purpose.
You can watch the full video presentation of the report on our LinkedIn page and read the full quarterly report here. You can also learn more about people’s broader internet behavior on our Global Digital Overview page. To stay updated on the latest in the digital world, sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
