Hi there! As an avid social media user myself, I know you’re interested in learning all about the latest social media demographics. Who is using which platforms in 2023 and how can we use these insights? Well, you‘ve come to the right place my friend!
In this jam-packed guide, I‘ll be diving deep into the social media user demographics across age, gender, income, education and location. Trust me, by the end you‘ll be a pro at understanding who‘s on Facebook versus TikTok versus LinkedIn.
Armed with this knowledge, you can create killer social strategies, tailor content perfectly for each platform‘s audience and analyze how your own followers compare! Let‘s get started.
First up, let‘s look at the big picture. According to the latest exciting data from Statista, a whopping 4.9 billion people now use social media worldwide as of January 2023! That‘s over 60% of the global population.
Social media penetration is still growing rapidly too. The number of worldwide users has shot up by more than 10% (490 million) since just January 2021. By 2027, there will be a staggering 5.85 billion social media users globally!
What‘s driving this growth? Well, increased mobile phone and internet access in developing countries is a big factor. But existing users are also engaging more deeply – the average social media user now hops across 6-7 platforms every month!
Okay, now let‘s break these numbers down demographically. Research from GlobalWebIndex shows that the age group spending the most time on social media is – you guessed it – young adults between 16-24 years old.
On average, this generation spends 2 hours and 55 minutes browsing social media every day! That‘s almost 3 hours. No wonder they call them digital natives.
The 25-34 age bracket comes second, spending 2 hours and 40 minutes. Even 35-44 year olds spend a sizeable 2 hours daily on social networks.
Usage declines as we go higher in age groups. People over 65 spend just 46 minutes on social media in a day on average.
But all age groups are actively using social media in some form today. We‘re truly living in the social media era!
Now, which platform is the most popular globally? According to Statista‘s latest estimates:
- YouTube tops with 2.6 billion users
- Facebook comes second with 2.5 billion
- WhatsApp third with 2 billion
- Instagram fourth with 1.5 billion
YouTube dominates as #1 across most age groups, used by a whopping 95% of teenagers! Facebook ranks highest among older adults over 65 years old.
Now let‘s come to the very interesting male versus female demographic breakdown.
While social media usage is high among both men and women globally, some surprising gender differences emerge.
More Women Use Social Media
Overall, female users slightly outnumber male users:
- Globally, 76% of all women use social media vs 72% of all men
- In the US, women users (78%) outnumber male users (66%)
Facebook and LinkedIn Have More Men
However, when it comes to specific platforms:
- Facebook has 57% male users globally, the rest female
- Same goes for LinkedIn, with 57% male users and 43% female users
Pinterest and TikTok Dominated by Women
- On the flip side, only 15% of Pinterest‘s users are male, while a staggering 77% are female!
- TikTok also has more female (57%) than male users (43%)
- Instagram is quite balanced with 51% male, 49% female users
So if you‘re targeting women specifically, Pinterest and TikTok should clearly be your top choices. Male audiences prefer LinkedIn and Facebook.
Which country has the highest social media penetration globally? That honor goes to the UAE, with a whopping 106% penetration rate! This means there are more social media accounts than people in the country.
The US is also one of the top countries with 81% penetration. India lags behind at just 34% penetration due to limited internet access.
Now let‘s get into the detailed age-wise breakdown of the top social networks.
Facebook – Still #1 Among Older Adults
With over 2.5 billion monthly active users, Facebook remains the largest social network. But it‘s now skewing towards older adults:
- Only 11% of Facebook users are teens aged 13-17
- Just 22% users are 18-24 year olds
- Highest usage among 25-34 year olds (31% of users)
- 66% of users are under 35 years old
- 6% users are over 65 years old
So while Facebook has broad appeal across ages, engagement is declining among teens and young millennials. It‘s popular mostly among older millennials and Gen Xers today.
Instagram Dominates Among Youth
In contrast with 1.5 billion users, Instagram is hugely popular among the under-35 demographic:
- 9% of users are teens aged 13-17
- 30% users are 18-24 years old
- 62% users are under 34 years old
- Only 14% users over 45 years old
Clearly, Instagram rules among Gen Z teens and millennials. No surprise it‘s the #1 platform for influencer marketing now.
TikTok Mania Among Gen Z Teens
Remember TikTok? The short video app has just exploded over the past few years. It already has over 1 billion active users as of 2023, closing in on Instagram‘s numbers.
But TikTok‘s audience skews very young – mainly teenagers and college students:
- A staggering 67% of its users are under 35 years old
- Only 4% users are over 55 years old
So if you‘re targeting Gen Z teens, you need a TikTok marketing strategy asap! It‘s an amazing platform to showcase brands in a fun, irreverent style.
LinkedIn – Popular Among Working Professionals
As the world‘s largest professional social network, LinkedIn unsurprisingly draws an audience of working professionals:
- Only 3% of LinkedIn‘s 810 million users are over 55 years old
- 38% users are between 18-34 years old
- 59% users are aged 25-34 years specifically
So LinkedIn is the go-to platform for reaching the younger working demographics. Premium advertising here can pay off big if your target audience is right.
YouTube Has The Widest Appeal
YouTube truly is the most versatile social media giant with over 2.6 billion users. It has very broad appeal across all age groups:
- 95% of teens use it, but so do…
- 84% of millennials aged 18-29 years..
- 82% of adults aged 30-49 years..
- Even 57% of seniors over 65 years!
YouTube is the safest bet for a wide target audience. But ads need to be tailored based on video content and viewer demographics.
Twitch Dominates Gaming Niche
Beyond the major networks, Twitch has emerged as a go-to for the gaming community. With over 7 million content creators and 30 million daily visitors, it dominates the live streaming space.
And again, its audience skews young:
- 39% viewers are aged 16-24 years
- 27% are 25-34 years old
- Only 10% are 50 years plus
So Twitch offers a targeted approach for tech, gaming and entertainment brands targeting younger audiences. Sponsorships and influencer collaborations work very well here.
Snapchat Addicts Teen Users
Once the hottest upstart, Snapchat now faces stiff competition from TikTok and Instagram. But it still enjoys a loyal, highly engaged user base of 370 million monthly active users.
Here again, the skew is very young:
- 26.5% of Snapchat‘s users are under 18 years old
- 62% users are under 25 years
- 90% users are under 35 years old
Brands looking to advertise exclusively to the teen and college student demographic should still consider Snapchat. But TikTok seems to have stolen its spotlight recently.
Beyond just age, income levels also impact social media behavior and platform preferences. Let‘s look at some key insights from Pew Research Center‘s data.
YouTube Leads Across Income Brackets
YouTube continues its universal appeal across income segments. An impressive:
- 90% of Americans earning over $75,000 annually use YouTube
- 83% earning $30,000 – $50,000 use it
- 75% of those earning under $30,000 use it
So YouTube is likely to give you the widest audience reach across income levels.
Higher Instagram Usage Among High Earners
Instagram seems more popular among higher income earners in the US:
- 47% of Instagram users earn over $75,000
- 45% earn between $30,000 – $50,000
- Only 35% have incomes under $30,000
So Instagram ads may get better traction targeting higher household incomes.
Facebook Used by 70%+ Across Groups
Meanwhile, Facebook maintains surprisingly consistent penetration across income segments:
- 70% of Americans earning under $30,000 use it
- 76% of those earning $30,000 – $50,000 use it
- 70% of high earners making above $75,000 use it
In fact, both the highest and lowest income groups use Facebook actively in the US.
LinkedIn and Twitter for High Earners
Finally, LinkedIn and Twitter see higher usage among wealthy professionals:
- 50% of LinkedIn users earn over $75,000 annually in the US
- Twitter is used by 42% of those making over $75,000 vs just 20% of the under $30,000 income group
So LinkedIn and Twitter ads work well if you‘re targeting high earning B2B customers or wealthy investors.
Various studies reveal how education levels also correlate with social media behaviors and preferences.
Facebook Bridges Education Groups
Similar to income, Facebook bridges education levels well, with high usage across the spectrum:
- 73% of college grads use Facebook
- 71% with some college education use it
- 64% with high school or lower education use it
Facebook‘s familiar interface and versatility keep it popular irrespective of education levels.
YouTube, Instagram Also Have Broad Appeal
YouTube and Instagram also maintain strong penetration across education levels:
- 89% of college graduates use YouTube
- 70% of high school or lower educated groups use it
- 49% college grads use Instagram
- 30% of high school or lower groups use it
So again, YouTube and Instagram offer wide reach across education segments.
LinkedIn and Twitter Skew Higher Education
On the other hand, platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter appeal more to highly educated users:
- 51% of LinkedIn‘s users are college graduates
- Only 10% have high school or lower education
- 42% of Twitter users are college grads vs just 18% with high school education
So while avoiding LinkedIn altogether, brands looking to engage less educated groups can optimize Twitter content accordingly.
Finally, let‘s analyze the top social media user demographics across key global regions. This data from Statista and GlobalWebIndex will help prioritize target markets.
Facebook‘s Strongest Markets
Let‘s start with Facebook, which has massive user bases in:
- India – 330 million users
- USA – 180 million users
- Indonesia – 130 million
So if your brand is targeting these regions, optimize Facebook marketing efforts accordingly – local languages, cultural preferences and engagement styles.
YouTube‘s Global Reach
YouTube truly has unmatched geographic reach:
- Largest market is India again with 467 million YouTube viewers
- USA comes second with 247 million
- Then Indonesia at 139 million
YouTube‘s global audience gives brands easy access to audiences across countries and languages. Leverage localized content for better results.
Instagram‘s Strongholds
For Instagram, the top countries are:
- India – 230 million users
- USA – 160 million
- Brazil – 119 million
So Instagram is a must for brands targeting India or the US. TikTok is another option to access the Indian market.
TikTok Mania in India and Indonesia
Speaking of TikTok, it has taken countries like India and Indonesia by storm:
- India has the highest number of TikTok users globally at 199 million monthly active users
- Indonesia comes second with over 99 million users
Local TikTok influencer campaigns tend to work very well in these countries given the platform‘s explosive growth here.
Phew, that was quite the intensive social media demographics overview! Let‘s summarize the most important user stats and trends:
- YouTube and Facebook continue dominating across age groups and geographies.
- Instagram is top choice for targeting millennials and Gen Z.
- TikTok is a must for Gen Z audiences and developing markets.
- Snapchat still rules among teens. LinkedIn great for professionals.
- Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest appeal more to niche demographics.
- YouTube and Facebook have very broad income and education appeal.
- Instagram and Twitter overindex among high earners.
- YouTube and Facebook bridge geography, income and education levels.
So now you‘re armed with the complete 2023 guide to social media demographics! Use these key insights to fine-tune your social strategies and better understand your followers. Feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions. Happy social marketing!
