Social Media Users by Country 2026

Social media’s popularity is astounding. By today’s estimates, about 5.17 billion people use social media – a 48.6 percent increase since 2019. About 64% of the global population uses social media today – an all-time high. And the number continues to grow, driven especially by mobile-first adoption in such regions as South Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

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 an 11 percent growth rate. In 2018, social media saw a 19 percent growth rate with 3.196 billion total users. That growth rate stayed steady through 2020 when there were 3.960 billion people on social media.

By 2023, that number had climbed to 4.88 billion, and as of early 2025, it has reached 5.17 billion—meaning nearly two-thirds of the world’s population is now connected through social platforms. A natural question is, what platforms are all these people on social media using? As of 2025, Facebook is still the winner here.

Facebook Wins on Social Media, But Its Dominance May Be Waning

When it comes to learning how many people use social media and why, Facebook might have the answers. 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, YouTube is the second favorite with ​​2.7 billion users, and WhatsApp is third with over 2.5 billion users.

Today, Facebook has more than 2.9 billion monthly active users worldwide, which makes it the most-used social media platform globally. While some people are loyal users and others have grown more skeptical of the platform, its massive reach remains unmatched. 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.

By 2025, the social media world has grown bigger—and more divided—than ever. Overall, the average person spends 148 minutes a day on social media, and while Facebook gets much of that time, some other platforms are catching up fast – especially among younger users. Facebook still has the most users, but platforms like TikTok and YouTube have taken a big bite out of the attention.

Instagram stays popular with younger crowds, while LinkedIn holds strong in the professional space. Twitter (now called X) is still around, but its growth has been bumpy. And in many parts of the world, local apps like WeChat and VK are the go-to platforms, which tells just how different social media looks depending on where the user is located.

Social Media Platforms by Region

Considering how many people use social media, region data reveals some interesting results. The number of people on social media grew by 7.5 percent between 2023 and 2024. Europe continues to see the slowest growth, at 3.8 percent, while Asia remains the fastest-growing region with a 14.1 percent increase. Unsurprisingly, Asia still has the largest number of social media users in the world.

Today, Asia accounts for nearly 60 percent of global social media users. Europe comes next with about 12 percent, followed closely by Africa, which holds 11.5 percent and continues to grow rapidly. South America is home to 8.6 percent of users, while North America makes up 6.5 percent. Oceania, including Australia, represents a smaller share at 1.4 percent.