100% of marketers who read these social media statistics will have the data they need to plan and optimize their social strategies in 2026. (It’s fun math, we promise.)
Keep reading to see the latest social media stats for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Pinterest, plus newcomers RedNote and Bluesky.
TL;DR
- Short-form video is winning everywhere. With nearly 139 million Instagram Reels watched every minute and TikTok turning almost half its users into buyers, short videos aren’t just popular — they’re powerful.
- Social media is becoming a digital mall – especially on TikTok and Facebook. 1 in 7 global shoppers say they will primarily shop on social media within the next five years.
- Influencer marketing is taking the lead. In 2026, brands are expected to spend more on influencer marketing than on digital ads — a big sign of shifting trust and impact.
- LinkedIn is heating up. People are engaging more on LinkedIn. Comments are way up, and posts are getting more eyes than before.
Key social media statistics (2026)
Global snapshot
Platforms & reach
Engagement trends
- Average comments per post are up significantly on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn — 107% and 37% year over year, respectively.
- The average social media engagement rate is 1.4% to 2.8%, depending on platform.
- Organizations in regulated industries are leading AI adoption faster than their unregulated counterparts.
Performance trends
- For the first time, brands are spending more on influencer marketing than on social or digital ads in 2025.
- Video commerce (live streams + prerecorded videos) dominated the social e-commerce space, accounting for the largest revenue share last year.
- Millennials are the biggest shoppers on Facebook, with 67% saying they plan to shop the same or more on the platform over the next five years.
Social media usage statistics
1. 5.17 billion people worldwide use social media
Experts predict over six billion people will be using social media by 2028 (so get your baby a good screen name now).
Source: Statista
2. People spend an average of 2 hours and 21 minutes a day on social media
This is the first decrease in average time spent since 2018, though only by a few minutes. It’s still a dramatic 56.6% increase in time spent compared to 2012’s average 90 minutes.
Source: Data Reportal
3. People watch 138.9 million Facebook and Instagram Reels every minute
Globally, people also watch 3.4 million YouTube videos, send 251 million emails, and conduct 5.9 million Google searches every minute.
Source: Statista
4. Adults in the U.S. are the most likely to say social media is bad for democracy
Out of all democratic countries surveyed, 77% of both Nigerians and Mexicans said social media has been good for their country. In contrast, only 34% of people in the U.S. said the same.
Source: Pew Research
5. The three fastest-growing social platforms in 2025 are TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram
The top three fastest-growing social platforms all had double-digit year-over-year growth in 2025. TikTok’s audience grew by an impressive 17%, LinkedIn by 14%, and Instagram by 13%.
Source: Statista
6. 54% of U.S. adults ‘sometimes or often’ get news from social media
News on social media continues to grow, with 25% of U.S. adults saying they often use social for news, and 29% saying they sometimes do.
Source: Pew Research
Social media demographic statistics (for smarter targeting)
7. YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok are the top 3 social media platforms for U.S. mobile users
Out of all apps used by U.S. mobile consumers — not only social media — YouTube had the highest reach with 76% of people using the mobile app. The next most popular social media apps were Facebook (68%) and TikTok (42%).
Source: Statista
8. 93% of U.S. adults ages 18-49 use YouTube
YouTube scored highest for usage across all age groups in the U.S., with 93% of people ages 18-29, 94% of 30-49, 86% of 50-64, and 65% of adults 65 and over.
Facebook also has users across all age demographics, whereas other platforms tend to be more divided.
Source: Pew Research
9. 78% of people ages 18-29 use Instagram while only 15% of those over 65 do
Instagram has the highest differential between younger vs older users. Close behind is Snapchat, which 65% of U.S. adults under 30 use, but only 4% of people over 65.
Source: Pew Research
10. 68% of U.S. teens ages 13-17 use TikTok
The most popular social platforms among U.S. teens are YouTube (92%), TikTok (68%), Instagram (63%), and Snapchat (55%).
Snapchat and Instagram showed large gains in usage among this age group from 2014 to 2024, while usage steeply declined for others. In 2014, 71% of teens used Facebook, but only 32% do today.
Similarly, X (Twitter) usage dropped from 33% in 2014 to 16% in 2025.
11. 33% of U.S. teens use social media “almost constantly”
Across the five most popular platforms for teens, one in five uses at least one of them “almost constantly.” YouTube is the most popular, with 43% of teens using it several times a day and 17% using it constantly.
Source: Pew Research
12. Only 51% of German internet users have social media
While 93% of German people have access to the internet, only 51% use social media. Other countries with the lowest relative number of social media users are The Netherlands (64%) and France (67%).
Source: Pew Research
Facebook statistics
13. Over 3 billion people use Facebook every month
As of 2025, Facebook has 3.07 billion monthly active users.
Source: Statista
14. 3.9 billion people use Meta apps every day
As of 2025, Meta says they have 3.9 billion daily active users across their core apps (Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp).
15. India has the most Facebook users (403.4 million)
The United States has the second most Facebook followers at 197.6 million Facebook users.
Source: Statista
16. Half of Facebook users are Millennials
Just over half (51%) of Facebook users are Millennials, measured as people between the ages of 25 and 45.
Source: Statista
17. 23% of Facebook users are Gen Z
A total of 23% of Facebook users are between ages 18 and 24. While not the majority of Facebook’s audience, this is a highly valuable segment for brands.
Instagram statistics
18. Instagram has 3 billion monthly active users
A milestone only one other social media platform has achieved: Facebook.
Source: Statista
19. Almost two-thirds (63%) of Instagram users are between ages 18-34
16% are between 35-44, making 78.3% of all Instagram users under 45 years old.
Source: Statista
20. 63% of Gen Z’ers interact with brands on Instagram
YouTube is the most popular channel for Gen Z’ers to engage with brands — 66% do so! — but Instagram comes in a close second with 63%.
Source: MarketingCharts via AtTest
21. 67% of people ages 18-24 use Instagram to discover local businesses
Younger people use social media more often than Google Search or Maps to explore locally: 67% use Instagram and 62% use TikTok. For ages 25-34, Instagram also takes top spot after Google with 54% using it to look up local businesses.
Across all demographics, social is a key discovery channel for local businesses.
YouTube statistics
22. YouTube has 2.5 billion active monthly users
YouTube.com is also the second most popular website with an average 72.8 billion monthly visits.
Source: Statista
23. YouTube is the most used social platform across all age groups in the U.S.
As of 2025, 84% of U.S. adults use YouTube.
Source: Pew Research
24. 35% of U.S. adults often get news from YouTube
This figure has risen from 23% in 2020 to 35% in 2025.
Back in 2020, Facebook held the edge with 36% of U.S. adults saying they regularly got news there, and only 23% got news from YouTube.
Source: Pew Research
25. 28% of global marketers say Facebook has the highest ROI
Instagram comes in second at 22%, followed by YouTube at 12%.
Source: Statista
TikTok statistics
26. TikTok has 1.9 billion active monthly users
TikTok reached one billion users in 2021, just five years after launch.
Source: Statista
27. 37% of U.S. adults use TikTok
In 2021, 21% of U.S. adults used TikTok. That increased to 37% in 2025, making TikTok the fastest-growing platform from 2021-2025.
Source: Pew Research
28. 20% of TikTok users in the U.S. regularly get their news from the platform
In 2020, only 3% of U.S. adults consumed news content on TikTok, jumping to 14% in 2023, now 20% in 2025.
News consumption on Instagram and YouTube has also significantly increased.
Source: Pew Research
29. Half of TikTok users never post a video
This indicates half of TikTok users are there to consume content, whereas the other half create and consume.
Source: Pew Research
30. 98% of TikTok content is produced by 25% of its users
When measuring public content, the most active 25% of TikTok users post almost all of it. Pew Research also found that those who post videos tend to follow more people, have more followers themselves, and are more likely to have a completed profile bio.
Source: Pew Research
X (Twitter) statistics
31. X (Twitter) has 557 million active monthly users
X (Twitter) is still a top social platform with 557 million monthly active users.
Source: Statista
32. X is most popular in the U.S. with 99.04 million users
X (Twitter) users from the U.S. far outnumber the country with the next highest user base: Japan, with 71.19 million users.
Source: Statista
33. 55% of daily X users still call it Twitter
Rebranding can be tough. Only one in five users referred to the platform as X.
Source: Statista
34. Average impressions per post on X (Twitter) increased 75.8% YoY
The average X (Twitter) post earned 2,121 impressions in 2025, up from 1,206 impressions in 2023.
Source: Statista
35. The average number of replies per X post increased 107% YoY in 2024
The average X post received 1.64 replies in 2023 compared to 3.4 replies in 2024.
Source: Statista
LinkedIn statistics
36. Comments increased 37% YoY in 2025 Q2
This social media stat points to LinkedIn users spending more time on the platform in 2025.Make the most of this engagement boost with our guide to using LinkedIn for business.
37. LinkedIn posts earn an average 612.9 engagements for accounts with 2,000-10,000 followers
Predictably, average engagements on LinkedIn are correlated with follower count.
For accounts classified as “medium,” each post receives an average of 612.9 engagements. For “small” accounts, it’s 261 engagements per post.
The study defined accounts as follows:
- Huge: 50,000 – 55,000
- Tiny: 0 – 500
- Small: 500 – 2,000
- Medium: 2,000 – 10,000
- Big: 10,000 – 50,000
Source: Statista
38. Job seekers accept LinkedIn’s AI-assisted messages 44% more often
The company reports that users accept their new AI-assisted recruitment messages from companies 44% more often than regular direct messages — so you can find top talent even faster.
39. 85% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn delivers the highest ROI
Perhaps unsurprisingly, B2B marketers love LinkedIn, with 85% naming it their highest performing channel. Facebook took second place with 28% and YouTube was third with 22%.
Pinterest statistics
40. 36% of U.S. adults use Pinterest
Pinterest is the fourth most popular social platform in the U.S. for people ages 18-65 — even outranking TikTok.
Source: Pew Research
41. 70% of Pinterest users are women
According to Pinterest, its global audience is 70% women and 30% men.
42. Almost 90 million people in the U.S. use Pinterest
Of Pinterest’s 553 million monthly active users, 89.9 million of them are located in the United States. Pinterest is also popular in Brazil (38.93 million users), Mexico (24.68 million users), and Germany (19.33 million users).
Source: Statista
43. 42% of Pinterest’s audience is Gen Z — and they’re here to shop
Gen Z makes up 42% of Pinterest users, and they’re using the platform more than ever: searches by Gen Z users are up 30% year over year.
Plus, Gen Z users are 30% more likely to shop online compared to other demographics.
44. Pinterest users are most interested in music, cooking, and DIY content
While always popular, these content categories continue to grow.
Source: Marketing Charts
RedNote statistics
45. Over 3.78 million U.S. users downloaded RedNote in 2025 Q1
In large part due to the United States’ temporary TikTok ban in January 2025, some U.S. users flocked to RedNote (also known as Xiaohongshu), a Chinese-developed social platform with known privacy risks.
Source: Statista
46. RedNote expects $100 billion in sales for 2025
As RedNote’s popularity continues to grow in China and abroad, ecommerce features and brand partnerships evolve alongside it. RedNote creators can partner with brands for livestream and other sales opportunities.
Ecommerce consultant Jacob Cooke says they are “…anticipating triple-digit gains in Xiaohongshu’s GMV (gross merchandise volume, a measure of sales) [in 2025].”Top-spending RedNote advertisers include Lancome, Hermes, Bvlgari, and others.
47. 40% of RedNote users are under 24 years old
An estimated 40% of RedNote’s active users are under 24 years old. A further 14% are between ages 35 and 44.
Bluesky statistics
48. Bluesky was downloaded 1.1 million times March 2025
Launched in 2023, Bluesky peaked at 1.23 million app downloads in February 2024, followed by an all-time high 1.8 million downloads in November 2024.
49. Bluesky has a total user count of 40 million
Bluesky’s user count exceeded 40 million in October 2025.
50. 62% of Bluesky users say AI will have a positive impact on their life in 10 years
Bluesky users are more likely than those of other platforms to say AI will positively impact them.
Source: Civic Science
51. 40% of Bluesky visitors are between ages 25-44
Most of Bluesky’s web traffic visitors are between 25-34 years old, but otherwise fairly evenly distributed.
Source: Statista
Social media engagement and performance statistics
52. Mid-length comments earn 151.6% higher engagement for brands
Our Social Trends research uncovered that 41% of brands are experimenting with proactive outbound comments to boost visibility (a.k.a. commenting on posts by others). We found when the original poster replies, brands get an average 1.6X more engagements on those comments.
For best results, keep comments between 50-99 characters. Less or more than that earns less engagement.
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2025 Report
53. Average social media engagement rates are between 1.4% and 2.8% in 2025
Based on data from countless social posts across 12 industries, we’ve identified the average engagement rates in 2025 across LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook.
Dive deeper with our article on average engagement rates by industry and platform in 2025 with all the charts and benchmarks you need.
54. You don’t have to post more often to get more engagement
How much engagement you get comes down to way more than posting frequency, but our research shows a correlation between fewer posts per week and higher average engagement… in most cases.
Learn how often you should post to maximize engagement, sorted by platform and industry.
Social media advertising and ecommerce statistics
55. Short-form video is the most influential social content
For the best bang for your ad spend, short-form video ranks highest for recall and effectiveness.
Source: eMarketer
56. Influencer marketing spend expected to surpass social and digital ad spend in 2025
eMarketer predicts spending across influencer, social, and digital advertising will all slightly decline in 2025, but that influencer marketing spending will eclipse social and digital spending for the first time.
Source: eMarketer
57. TikTok converts 43.8% of users into buyers
…and eMarketer predicts TikTok’s effectiveness will only increase in 2026, continuing to outperform other social platforms.
Source: eMarketer
58. Facebook is the top social ecommerce platform in the U.S
60.9% of social shoppers have made a purchase via the Facebook platform, followed by 35% on TikTok.
Statistics about the use of AI on social media
59. AI usage among social media marketers is up almost 180%.
Social marketers were already using AI in 2023 to generate ideas, images, write copy, and more, and that’s almost doubled for some.
Curious? Check our social media AI tools guide for the latest ways to save time on every task on your to do list.
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2025 Report
60. 83% of social marketers say AI helps them create significantly more content
When it comes to saving time with AI, say yes or risk distress: Our research found for optional engagement, brands should post between 48 to 72 times per week. Eeks.
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2025 Report
61. Regulated industries are using AI up to 50% more than unregulated industries
While regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government have specific guidelines for using AI tools, our research shows when it comes to marketing, regulated industries are reaping the benefits more than their non-regulated counterparts.
Still holding back on AI? Learn how to grow with AI while staying compliant.
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2025 Report
How to use social media stats to inform your strategy
1. Update your social media marketing strategy
Social media statistics don’t automatically mean you should shift your entire strategy, but take what you’ve learned here and apply what makes sense for your organization’s goals.
2. Plan content specifically for each platform
You don’t need to be on every platform to reach your social media marketing goals. But for each one you are on, understand why and how people use it. Align your content with what people expect to see there.
For example, maybe videos perform best for you on Instagram and long text posts perform best on LinkedIn. Plan accordingly. (Psst: Here’s a free social media calendar template to help with that!)
3. Experiment
Try to strike a healthy balance between strategic content aligned with your business goals and experimenting with new topics and formats to see what performs best.
4. Track your performance (and take action)
Know what’s working, then do more of that.
Save a billion hours of tracking analytics manually on each platform with everything you need in Hootsuite Analytics.
Use Hootsuite Analytics to…
- Track performance across all social profiles in one place, including organic and paid campaigns.
- Compare your performance against industry benchmarks and competitors.
- Measure your true social media ROI and easily report to your boss with customizable dashboards and templates.
Deeply understand your audience, what’s working, and what’s not.
FAQ: Social media statistics
What social media statistics should enterprise marketers know in 2026?
Enterprise marketers should pay close attention to how many people use each platform, how long they spend there, and which social networks offer the highest ROI. In 2026, key stats include growth by platform, social commerce adoption, and influencer marketing spend.
What are the key social media statistics that help with strategy and planning?
The most helpful stats for planning show how people actually use social media. Metrics like total users, daily time spent, fastest-growing platforms, and engagement rates help teams decide where to focus their efforts and how behavior is changing year over year.
How does social media usage differ by platform and region?
Social media usage looks different depending on the platform and where people live. For example, YouTube and Facebook are popular with adults in the U.S., while WhatsApp is more common in parts of Europe and Latin America. TikTok is growing quickly in many regions, especially among younger users. These differences matter for global brands that use regional strategies in their digital marketing.
Which social media statistics affect media and budget decisions?
Budget decisions are shaped by stats tied to performance and return. Brands look at which platforms deliver the best ROI, where engagement is growing, and how influencer marketing compares to paid social media ads.
Taking an in-depth look at conversion rates and ad performance also helps teams decide where to spend more and where to scale back.
How do brands use social media statistics to decide where to invest?
Brands use social media stats to compare platforms, test new channels, and lower risk. Instead of guessing, teams use data like platform growth, engagement trends, and buying behavior to decide where to invest in content, ads, and creators over time.
Save time and grow your social presence with Hootsuite. Plan and schedule content, engage your audience, and measure your true social media performance — all in one dashboard. Try Hootsuite free today.
