50+ Social Media Statistics for 2022

Ah statistics, the bread and butter of any solid social media marketing strategy. Statistics can give you invaluable insights about your audience, the social media platforms you want to grow on and how recent events have impacted consumer behavior. 2021 was a wild ride and 2022 is shaking out to be the same. Thanks to global lockdowns, online activity soared, online purchases surpassed 4.2 trillion dollars worldwide and social media has become the backbone for many businesses looking to spread brand awareness. 

Perspective is important and knowing what’s happening in the world of social media and advertising can directly impact your marketing and thus your bottom line. We’ve drawn up a heap of useful statistics that will help you identify new trends that you can exploit in your marketing.  

General social media statistics: 

This past year we’ve seen a massive spike in social media usage as well as a shift in spending habits and advertiser numbers. Here are some general social media usage statistics. 

• 3.96 billion people currently use social media, up 92.76% from 2.07 billion in 2015
• 50% of the world’s population use social media and 63% of those people are active, daily users
• 99% of people access social media through mobile devices 
• 55% of social media users in North America  are female and 45% of users are male
• By region, social media growth in 2019-2020 is led by Asia: +16.98%, Africa +13.92%, South America +8.00%, North America +6.96%, Europe +4.32%, and Australasia +4.9%
• The country with the most significant social media growth in 2021 was China with 639 million current social media users, followed by India. 
• Globally, the average  person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes per day  on social media. 
• TikTok was the most downloaded social media network in 2021 with 2.8 billion global downloads. Facebook is the leading social network in terms of engagement at 2.83 billion monthly active users, followed by YouTube with 2.2 billion, WhatsApp with 2 billion, Instagram with 1.3 billion and WeChat with 1.2 billion. 
• 70% of the total US population have social network accounts, totalling a number of 231.47 million people and growing 3.1% between 2019 and 2020
• In the US, 2019-2020’s monthly active users are up 1-2% from Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Though, Pinterest, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snapchat are all down 1-3%
• 72% of all U.S. men use social media and 76% of all women in the U.S. use social media  

Now that you have a general idea of the state of social media in 2021, let’s go over the numbers for the most popular platforms, advertising figures and trends that you should be aware of as a marketer. 

Facebook statistics

Facebook has been the most popular social media network since 2012, with over 2.5 billion active users. And though the platform has seen its fair share of scandals and user backlash, it remains the most popular digital marketing platform in 2021.  

Facebook user demographics 

• As of July 2021, it was found that 9.4 percent of total active Facebook users worldwide were women between the ages of 18 and 24 years. The largest demographic of Facebook users were men between the ages of 25 and 34. 
• India ranks first with 340 million users 
• 73% of college graduates use Facebook 
• Almost 90% of Facebook’s Daily Active Users Come from Outside the US/Canada.
• 75% of online users with an income more than $75K are on Facebook
• 69% of adults in the U.S. use Facebook 

Facebook usage statistics 

Facebook ads figures 

• Facebook has over 10 million advertisers.
• Facebook News Feed is still the best ad format 
• Facebook has an advertising audience of 2.14 billion. 
• 47% of Facebook’s ad revenue comes from the U.S. and Canada 
• 39.7% of Facebook’s net ad revenue in the U.S comes from Instagram 
• 18.3% of U.S. adults made a purchase through Facebook in the last year 
• 2/3 of Facebook users visit a local business page at least once every week 
• The average Cost Per Click (CPC) on Facebook ads is $3.56, while the average Click Through Rate (CTR) is 0.9%. The average conversion rate (CVR) is 9.21%.

Must-know trends for businesses 

• Facebook is supporting small businesses 
• Facebook is optimizing its platform for shopping experiences
• Chatbot adoption is becoming more widespread 
• Facebook is investing in AR for shopping 
• Niche-specific private communities (for example Facebook Groups) are becoming increasingly more useful for demand generation 
• 200 million business use Facebook apps to with their customers 
• $5 billion were raised for charities 

Instagram statistics 

In 2021, Facebook bought Instagram and a year later added the platform as a Facebook Ads subsidiary. Since then, Instagram has seen year over year growth in ad revenue with 2019 bringing in a little over 70 billion dollars. Instagram is also the number one social media platform for influencer marketing, a segment which has seen explosive growth over the past few years. 

Instagram user demographics 

• 50.8% of all Instagram users are female while 49.2% are male 
• 546 million Instagram users are female, and 528 million are male. 
• There are 140 million Instagram users from the U.S. 
• 71% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 use Instagram in the United States. 
• 87% of users are outside the U.S. 
• There are 320 million global Instagram users aged between 18 and 24 years. 
• There are 354 million global Instagram users aged between 25 and 34 years. 
• 72% of teens use Instagram.
• 25% of U.S. teenagers say Instagram is their preferred social media platform.

Instagram usage statistics 

• The average Instagram user spends 30 minutes per day on the platform, up 13% from last year. 
• The average engagement rate for an Instagram post is around 1% 

Instagram ads figures 

• Instagram claims that 850 million people can be reached in Instagram using ads 
• The average CPC on Instagram is between $0.70 – $1.00 though some industries can expect to pay upwards of $5 per click
• 87% of people claim that they were moved to follow a brand’s page, visit their website or make a purchase after seeing an ad on Instagram.  

Must-know trends for businesses 

• There are more than 200 million business accounts on Instagram
• The vast majority of teens say Instagram is the best way for brands to communicate with them about new products and promotions. 
• 130 million Instagram accounts engage with a shopping post.
• 55% of marketers plan to use influencer marketing in 2021 
• Businesses can expect an average 500% return on investment with influencer marketing 
• 200 million Instagram users visit a business profile at least daily
• 2021 saw a 33.3% jump in influencer marketing spend 

LinkedIn statistics 

LinkedIn is the social media network for professionals. With an extensive user base of thought leaders and high-ranking managers, options for networking and building opportunities are abundant. Brands that cement themselves as experts in their niche by sharing valuable content tend to see amazing results. 

LinkedIn user demographics 

• LinkedIn has a total 774 million users, 310 million of which are active every month
• The most active LinkedIn users come from Asia 
• 690 million professionals are on LinkedIn 
• There are 61 million senior-level influencers and 65 million decision makers on LinkedIn
• People between the ages of 25-34 is the biggest demographic on LinkedIn 

LinkedIn usage statistics 

• 15 million jobs were found using LinkedIn
•  There are three people hired every minute on LinkedIn. 
•  There was a 55% increase in conversations on LinkedIn in 2020 
•  57% of LinkedIn’s total traffic comes from mobile devices 
•  80% of engagement on content comes from Mobile. 
• There are 57M+ companies listed on LinkedIn 
•  80% of people on LinkedIn drive business decisions 
•  There are more than 10,000 B2B software product pages on LinkedIn. 
•  LinkedIn is the top network for B2B content marketers for organic social marketing at 96% 
•  80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn

LinkedIn ads figures

• The average CTR across all industries for a sponsored post on LinkedIn is between 0.44-0.64%.
•  The average CPC for LinkedIn Ads is $5.58 
•  96% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for their content marketing efforts 

Must-know trends for businesses 

• LinkedIn is the most trusted social network 
• LinkedIn is the most popular social network for driving B2B leads 
• 1 million hours of education content are watched every week on LinkedIn 
• There are 57M+ companies listed on LinkedIn 
•  80% of people on LinkedIn drive business decisions 
•  There are more than 10,000 B2B software product pages on LinkedIn.

Pinterest statistics 

Pinterest is primarily used to browse pictures and videos of outfits, architecture and interior design, recipes and more.  Users add, or Pin, their chosen content to boards with a common theme to keep it organized and so other users can discover new content related to their interests. Marketers target Pinterest users by sharing irresistible content that’s relevant to their interests. 

Pinterest user demographics 

• 77.1% of Pinterest users are female  
• 46% of U.S. women adults use Pinterest. 
• 14.5% of Pinterest users are male. 
• 38% of Pinterest users are 50-64 years old, forming the age group with the highest number of Pinterest users.
• Over 50% of people who use Pinterest live outside the US.
• Germany is the second-largest market for Pinterest with 17.5 million users.
• 80% of US mothers who use the internet use Pinterest.
• The median age of a Pinterest user is 40, however, the majority of active pinners are below 40. 
• 29% of Pinterest users earn between $50,000 and $75,000 per year.

Pinterest usage statistics 

Pinterest ads figures 

• 400 million people can be reached through Pinterest ads 
• Revenue for Q1 2021 grew 78% year over year to $485 million as the platform gains popularity and more advertisers are taking advantage of PInterest ads 
• Advertisers can expect around $2 in returns for every dollar spent on Pinterest ads 
• Six times  more businesses used Pinterest shopping ads in Q4 2020
• Most Pinterest advertisers rank the platform #1 for reputation 

Must-know trends for businesses 

• 25% of social media marketers advertise on Pinterest 
• 85% of Pinterest users use the platform for purchase inspiration 
• 97% of Pinterest searches are unbranded 
• 77% of weekly Pinners have discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest.
• 64% of Pinterest users described the platform as a place to find ideas, products, or services they can trust.
• 47% of Social media users saw Pinterest as the platform for discovering and shopping for products.

Twitter statistics 

Twitter is an amazing tool for businesses. The platform can work as a search engine tool for people to search for you, a powerful customer service medium and a way for your business to stay in the loop. 

Twitter user demographics 

• 68% of Twitter users are male, and 31% female. 
• Average US monetizable Daily Active Users (mDAU) were 38 million for Q1 2021  
• The average international mDAU (users outside the US) were 199 million for Q1 2021  
• In the US, 52% of Twitter users report using Twitter daily. 
• 42% of US Twitter users are college graduates  
• 42% of Canadian adults with internet access are on Twitter 
• 28.9% of Twitter’s audience is 25 to 34 years old
• 99% of Twitter users use at least one other social network
• Twitter is the top social network platform in Japan.
• 42% of US Twitter users are between the ages of 18 and 29, 27% of users are 30-49 years old. 
• 80% of Twitter users are high-earning millennials.
• 93% of Twitter community members are open to brands getting involved if done so in the right way.

Twitter usage statistics 

Twitter ads figures 

Must-know trends for businesses 

• Women reportedly tend to interact more with brands on Twitter than men.
• 82% of B2B content marketers use Twitter for organic content marketing.
• 59% of B2B  businesses use Twitter to market their business, outranking B2C businesses by 6%. 
• 79% of users reported taking action (learning more about the brand, clicking on their website, etc.) after seeing a brand being mentioned by other people.

TikTok statistics 

As of 2020, TikTok has surpassed Facebook as the most downloaded social media platform. TikTok hosts short-form, funny and engaging videos and marketers can take advantage of TikTok’s format by creating content that appeals to the platform’s younger audience. 

TikTok demographics 

• 53% of TikTok users are male and 47% are female. 
• Roughly 50% of TikTok’s global audience is under the age of 34 with 32.5% aged between 10 and 19. 
• 100 million monthly active users are from the USA 
• 41 percent of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24.
• TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app.
• 26.5 million monthly active users are from the USA
• In less than 18 months, the number of US adult TikTok users grew 5.5 times.
• ByteDance’s collection of apps, including TikTok, has a total of over 1 billion monthly active users.
• 69% of U.S. teens are on TikTok

TikTok usage statistics 

TikTok ads figures 

• TikTok generated an estimated $1 billion in revenue throughout 2020 from sources like ads run on the platform.
• OceanSpray garnered 15 billion impressions in part due to a viral TikTok skateboarding trend. 
• TikTok Promote is a new tool that lets you turn any TikTok video you’ve created into an ad.  

Must-know trends for businesses 

• The TikTok Creator Marketplace is an addition to the TikTok app that houses thousands of profiles of TikTok creators. Brands can search the Marketplace and reach out to creators whose audiences best fit the target market of their campaigns.
• TikTok created a $200 million fund to incentivise creators to join the platform. 
• Influencers in the United States see the highest engagement rates on TikTok. 
• TikTok ads that visually showcase the benefits of their product/services within the first 3 seconds perform the best. 

Youtube statistics

YouTube is the 2nd most-visited website in the world and the second most popular search engine. And though Youtube can be a very competitive landscape, it’s a great opportunity to get more traffic and create SEO-optimized video content. 

Youtube user demographics 

• 72% of US Youtube users are male
• 81% of U.S. adults use YouTube. 
• 82% of U.S. male adults use YouTube. 
• 80% of U.S. female adults use YouTube. 
• 95% of 18-29 year-olds in the U.S. use YouTube
• 91% of 30-49 year-olds in the U.S. use YouTube
• 49% of 65+ year-olds in the U.S. use YouTube
• 89% of YouTube users come from outside the US.

Youtube usage statistics 

• 51% of YouTube users say they visit the site daily.
• Share of U.S. adults using YouTube is mostly unchanged since 2018
• 15.5% of YouTube site traffic comes from the U.S. 
•  More than 70% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices. 
•  You can navigate YouTube in a total of 80 different languages. 
•  YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website. 
•  YouTube is the world’s second-most used social platform. 
•  The average visitor to YouTube checks out 8.89 pages per day. 
•  The number of channels with more than one million subscribers grew by more than 65% year over year. 
•  The top genre watched by YouTube viewers is comedy 
•  People watched 100 billion hours of gaming on YouTube in 2020 
•  India leads as the country with the highest number of YouTube users at 225 million.  
• Over 70% of the videos that people watch are recommended to them by the Youtube algorithm

Youtube ads figures 

Must-know trends for businesses 

• Youtube is the second most visited site, and search engine, in the world 
•  As of 2021, YouTube was the fifth most used social media platform for marketers after Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 
•  70% of viewers bought from a brand after seeing it on YouTube 

 29% of marketers say that skippable YouTube video ads are considered the most effective ad format on YouTube.

Use social media statistics to your advantage

That was a lot of numbers. Now you have a strong understanding of where social media is headed and what fundamental shifts can be taken advantage of. And while digital marketing statistics are a great way to stay ahead of emerging trends, knowing how to implement those insights is what’s really important.