150+ Social Media Statistics You Need to Know in 2026
Social media now reaches 5.66 billion user identities worldwide — 68.7% of the global population. That number grew by 259 million in the past year alone, adding roughly 7.8 new users every second.
Whether you're building a social media strategy, pitching a budget increase to your CMO, or trying to decide which platforms deserve your team's time, you need data — not opinions. This post compiles 150+ verified social media statistics for 2026, organised by category and sourced from DataReportal, Pew Research, Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, eMarketer, and more.
Bookmark this page. We update it regularly as new data is published.
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Global Social Media Usage Statistics
These numbers set the stage. Social media isn't a channel anymore — it's the default way humans communicate, discover products, and consume content.
- 5.66 billion social media user identities worldwide as of October 2025 — DataReportal
- 68.7% of the total global population uses social media — DataReportal
- 259 million new social media users added year-over-year (Oct 2024–Oct 2025), a 4.87% annualised growth rate — DataReportal
- 93.8% of all internet users (regardless of age) use social media monthly — DataReportal
- 96.9% of internet users aged 16+ use at least one social platform monthly — DataReportal
- Users access an average of 6.75 different social media platforms each month — DataReportal
- Average daily time on social media: 2 hours 21 minutes (Hootsuite) to 2 hours 40 minutes (Sprout Social)
- Weekly time spent on social media: 18 hours 36 minutes — DataReportal
- 15 billion hours consumed daily across all social platforms globally — DataReportal
- Social media user numbers grew by 3.4 billion over the past decade (since 2015) — DataReportal
The "average person uses 6.75 platforms" stat is the one that matters most for marketers. Your audience isn't on one platform — they're on seven. That's why cross-posting and multi-account management have become non-negotiable.
Platform Monthly Active Users (MAUs)
Here's where every major platform stands in 2026, ranked by monthly active users or ad reach:
| Platform | MAU / Ad Reach | YoY Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.07 billion | — | DataReportal | |
| 3 billion | — | DataReportal | |
| 3 billion | +13% | DataReportal / Hootsuite | |
| YouTube | 2.5–2.58 billion | — | DataReportal |
| TikTok | 1.9–1.99 billion | +17% | DataReportal / Hootsuite |
| 1.41 billion | — | DataReportal | |
| 1.3 billion members | +14% | Sprout Social / Hootsuite | |
| Telegram | 1 billion | — | DataReportal |
| Snapchat | 946 million | +6% | Music Ally |
| Messenger | 942 million | — | DataReportal |
| 765 million | — | DataReportal | |
| 553–619 million | — | DataReportal / Sprout Social | |
| X (Twitter) | 557 million | — | DataReportal |
| Threads | 400 million | — | Sprout Social |
| Bluesky | 40 million | — | Hootsuite |
Key takeaways: Instagram has joined the 3-billion club alongside Facebook and WhatsApp. TikTok's 17% YoY growth makes it the fastest-growing major platform. LinkedIn's 14% growth signals continued B2B momentum — if you're not scheduling LinkedIn posts, you're leaving reach on the table.
Daily Time Spent Per Platform
How long do users actually spend inside each app per session?
| Platform | Daily Time Per User | Avg Session Duration |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 1 hour 37 minutes | 9 min 42 sec |
| YouTube | 1 hour 23 minutes | 14 min 29 sec |
| 1 hour 13 minutes | 5 min 56 sec | |
| 67 minutes | 7 min 17 sec |
Source: DataReportal
TikTok dominates daily time, but YouTube has the longest individual sessions — important context when deciding between short-form and long-form video content strategies.
Social Media Demographics
US Adult Platform Usage (Pew Research, 2025)
| Platform | % of US Adults | Ages 18–29 | Ages 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 84% | 95% | 64% |
| 71% | — | — | |
| 50% | 80% | 19% | |
| TikTok | 37% | 63% | 5% |
| 36% | — | — | |
| 32% | — | — | |
| 26% | 48% | 6% | |
| Threads | 8% | — | — |
| Bluesky | 4% | — | — |
Source: Pew Research via Search Engine Journal
YouTube at 84% US adult penetration is remarkable — it's now more universal than Facebook. If you're scheduling YouTube content, you're reaching a broader audience than any other single platform.
Largest Age Group by Platform (Global)
| Platform | Largest Age Group | % of Users |
|---|---|---|
| 25–34 | 32% | |
| 25–34 | 33.3% | |
| TikTok | 25–34 | 40.3% |
| 25–34 | 33.4% | |
| Snapchat | 18–24 | 35.4% |
Source: Sprout Social
Notice TikTok's shift: the largest user group is now 25–34, not teens. The platform has matured well beyond its Gen Z origins. The same age group dominates Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn — meaning your core professional audience is active across all four.
Gender Split by Platform (Global)
| Platform | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| 70% | 22.8% | |
| 47.5% | 52.5% | |
| Snapchat | 48.4% | 50.7% |
| YouTube | 47% | 53% |
| TikTok | 45.5% | 54.5% |
| 43% | 56.6% | |
| 43.2% | 56.8% | |
| Threads | 42.15% | 57.85% |
| 39.4% | 60% | |
| X (Twitter) | 35.4% | 64.4% |
Source: Sprout Social
Pinterest is the most female-skewed platform by a significant margin. X leans heavily male at nearly 2:1. Most other platforms hover around 45-55% — closer to even than many marketers assume.
Generational Behaviour
- Gen Z (16–24) spends 3.5 hours/day on social media, engaging 4.6 days/week — DataReportal
- 41% of Gen Z turn to social media first for information (vs 32% for search engines) — Sprout Social
- 52% of Gen Z trust social media product info more than Google — Sprout Social
- 68% of US teens aged 13–17 use TikTok — Hootsuite
- 42% of Pinterest's audience is Gen Z — Hootsuite
The stat that 41% of Gen Z go to social media before search engines is the clearest signal yet: social is becoming a search engine. Your content needs to be discoverable on-platform, not just via Google. Hashtag strategy matters more than ever.
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Social Media Marketing Statistics
- 79% of marketers use social media content (organic + paid) in their strategy — HubSpot
- 70% of marketers use Instagram; 69.6% use Facebook — HubSpot
- 80% of marketing leaders plan to shift more budget to social media — Sprout Social
- 87% expect paid social spend to increase — Sprout Social
- Businesses allocate an average of 14.9% of their marketing budget to social media — Sprout Social
- 68% of marketers track engagement, 65% track conversions, 57% track revenue impact — Sprout Social
- Paid social media is the #2 ROI-generating channel (26%) after website/blog/SEO — HubSpot
- 60%+ of product discovery occurs on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube (vs Google's 34.5%) — Sprout Social
The fact that social media has overtaken Google for product discovery is the single most important marketing stat of 2026. If your brand isn't showing up in feeds, it's not showing up where people are looking. Use the engagement rate calculator to benchmark where you stand.
Engagement Rate Benchmarks
Engagement rates vary dramatically depending on the data source. Brand accounts (measured by Socialinsider) have lower rates because they have large, less-engaged followings. All-account averages (Buffer) include smaller creators with more engaged communities. Both benchmarks are useful — pick the one that matches your account size.
Brand Account Engagement Rates (Socialinsider, 2025)
| Platform | Engagement Rate | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 3.70% | +49% |
| 0.48% | -4% | |
| 0.15% | Flat | |
| X (Twitter) | 0.12% | -20% |
Source: Socialinsider
All-Account Engagement Rates (Buffer, 2025)
| Platform | Engagement Rate | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| ~6.2% | -5% | |
| ~5.6% | +11% | |
| ~5.46% | -26% | |
| TikTok | ~4.6% | +3% |
| ~4.0% | +23% | |
| Threads | ~3.6% | -18% |
| X (Twitter) | ~2.5% | +44% |
Source: Buffer
Engagement by Content Format
This is where the actionable insights are. The format you choose matters more than the platform you choose:
| Platform & Format | Engagement Rate |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn carousels | 21.77% |
| LinkedIn video | 7.35% |
| Instagram carousels | 6.90% |
| Threads video | 5.55% |
| Pinterest video | 5.75% |
| Facebook images | 5.20% |
| Facebook video | 4.84% |
| Instagram single images | 4.44% |
| X text posts | 3.56% |
| TikTok video | 3.39% |
| Instagram Reels | 3.31% |
Source: Buffer
LinkedIn carousels at 21.77% engagement are in a league of their own. If you're not using the LinkedIn carousel maker, you're missing the highest-engagement format on any platform. Instagram carousels (6.90%) also outperform single images (4.44%) and Reels (3.31%) by a wide margin.
Reply Impact on Engagement
Replying to comments isn't just good manners — it directly boosts your engagement metrics:
| Platform | Engagement Lift From Replying |
|---|---|
| Threads | +42% |
| +30% | |
| +21% |
Source: Buffer
Average Interactions Per Post (Brand Accounts)
| Platform | Avg Likes | Avg Shares | Avg Views |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 3,492 (+12% YoY) | 248 (+45% YoY) | 6,496 (+3% YoY) |
| — | — | 3,403 (+29% YoY) | |
| X (Twitter) | — | — | 2,979 (+50% YoY) |
Source: Socialinsider
TikTok shares grew 45% year-over-year — the fastest-growing interaction metric across any platform. Shares signal genuine audience advocacy, which is why TikTok scheduling should be part of every brand's workflow.
Social Commerce Statistics
Social commerce is no longer experimental. It's a trillion-dollar channel:
- Global social commerce market: $1.63 trillion in 2025, projected $2.11 trillion in 2026 — Mordor Intelligence
- US social commerce sales: $87.02 billion in 2025 (+21.5% YoY), projected to surpass $100 billion in 2026 — eMarketer
- 17% of all online sales now come from social commerce — Sprout Social
- 81% of consumers make impulse purchases via social media — Sprout Social
- 49% of consumers purchase monthly influenced by creators — Sprout Social
- 73% of consumers switch brands if they don't get a social media response — Sprout Social
TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop has become the fastest-growing social commerce engine:
- TikTok Shop US sales: $15.82 billion in 2025 (+108% YoY), commanding 18.2% of US social commerce — eMarketer
- 43.8% of TikTok users convert to buyers — Hootsuite
- 53.2 million TikTok buyers in 2025 (+13.6%), projected 57.7 million in 2026 — eMarketer
- TikTok Shop Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2025: $500 million+ in sales over 4 days (~50% YoY increase) — eMarketer
- 49% of Gen Z use TikTok for product discovery — Sprout Social
Meanwhile, 60.9% of social shoppers still purchase via Facebook — Hootsuite. Facebook remains the default for social commerce despite TikTok's explosive growth. Make sure your Facebook scheduling strategy accounts for shopping content.
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AI in Social Media Statistics
AI adoption in social media marketing has gone from experimental to essential:
- 71% of organisations use generative AI regularly in at least one business function — AutoFaceless
- 180% increase in AI usage among social media marketers — Hootsuite
- 83% of marketers say AI helps create significantly more content — Hootsuite
- 55% of marketers cite content creation as their primary AI application — AutoFaceless
- Marketers save an average of 3 hours per piece of content with AI assistance — AutoFaceless
- Workers save 5.4% of work hours weekly (2.2 hours/week) using generative AI — AutoFaceless
- 54.6% of US adults aged 18–64 now use generative AI (up from 44.6% a year prior) — AutoFaceless
- AI content creation market: $2.15 billion (2024), projected $10.59 billion by 2033 (19.4% CAGR) — AutoFaceless
The Trust Gap
The data also reveals a disconnect between marketers and consumers:
- 52% of consumers reduce engagement when they suspect AI-generated content — AutoFaceless
- Only 33% of consumers believe AI produces emotionally resonant content (vs 77% of marketers who think it does) — AutoFaceless
- 71% of social media images are AI-generated — AutoFaceless
- 15 billion+ AI images created since 2022; 34 million produced daily — AutoFaceless
The takeaway: AI is a force multiplier for content production, but audiences can tell — and they care. The winning approach is using AI as an assist layer for drafting, scheduling, and optimisation while keeping the human voice authentic. Tools like the AI content generator and AI image generator accelerate production without replacing the human editorial layer.
Video and Short-Form Content Statistics
Video dominates every platform's algorithm. These numbers explain why:
- YouTube Shorts receives 200 billion+ daily views (up from 70 billion in March 2024) — DemandSage
- 138.9 million Instagram Reels watched per minute — Hootsuite
- YouTube Shorts has 2 billion monthly users, ahead of TikTok (1.59B) and Instagram Reels (1.8B) — DemandSage
- 85% of consumers say video convinced them to buy a product or service — Sprout Social
- 93% of consumers say video improved their product understanding — Sprout Social
- 92% of marketers maintaining or increasing video spend — Sprout Social
- 89% of consumers say video quality affects brand credibility — Sprout Social
- Short-form video drives the highest ROI (41%) among video formats for B2B marketers — Sprout Social
- Social videos are shared 1,200% more than text and image posts combined — Vidico
- Digital video ad market projected at $188.76 billion in 2026 — Sprout Social
- Creators uploaded 910 million+ Shorts by 2024, expected to cross 1 billion in 2025 — DemandSage
- Shorts account for 10% of total YouTube watch time in the US — DemandSage
YouTube Shorts at 200 billion daily views is staggering — it's 186% growth in roughly 18 months. If you're already creating Reels or TikToks, repurposing them as Shorts via cross-posting is one of the highest-ROI moves you can make. Check our guide on the best time to schedule YouTube Shorts for optimal posting windows.
Influencer Marketing Statistics
- Global influencer marketing industry: $32.55 billion in 2025, projected $34.1 billion in 2026 — Influencer Marketing Hub / Mordor Intelligence
- Instagram's influencer marketing ecosystem valued at $22 billion+ in 2025 — Charle Agency
- Brands earn $5.78 for every $1 invested in influencer marketing — Charle Agency
- 94% of marketers say influencer marketing outperforms traditional advertising — Sprout Social
- 90% believe sponsored creator content outperforms brand content — Sprout Social
- 86% of US marketers plan to partner with influencers in 2026 — Charle Agency
- 61% of marketers increasing creator investment in 2026 — Sprout Social
- Micro-influencers preferred 10x more by brands than mega-influencers — Charle Agency
- Micro-influencers charge $100–$1,000 per Instagram post vs $5,000+ for macro-influencers — Charle Agency
- 83% of brands consider their influencer marketing efforts effective or very effective — Charle Agency
- 68.8% of influencer marketing brands use TikTok (top platform choice) — Sprout Social
- First time in 2025: brands are spending more on influencer marketing than digital ads — Hootsuite
The $5.78 ROI per dollar spent makes influencer marketing one of the highest-returning channels available. The micro-influencer trend is particularly notable — brands prefer them 10x over mega-influencers because smaller audiences drive higher engagement rates and more authentic conversions.
Social Media Advertising Statistics
Global Ad Spend
- Global social media ad spend: $247.3 billion in 2025 (up 11.6% YoY) — SQ Magazine
- Projected $317.33 billion in 2026 — Sprout Social
- US social media ad spend: $103.07 billion in 2025 — Statista
- $3 per $10 spent on digital ads goes to social media — Sprout Social
- 82.9% of social ad spending will be mobile by 2030 — Sprout Social
- 10.90% annual growth projected for social ad spend 2026–2030 — Sprout Social
Platform Ad Revenue & Market Share
| Platform | Ad Revenue / Share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | ~$94 billion (38% of global social ad revenue) | SQ Magazine |
| Meta | 65.8% of total social ad spend (Q2 2025) | We Are Sculpt |
| TikTok | $33.1 billion (up from $23.6B in 2024) | Basis |
| YouTube | 13.9% of ad spend (Q2 2025) | We Are Sculpt |
| 6.5% of ad spend; NA ad revenue $4.7B (+14% YoY) | We Are Sculpt |
CPM Benchmarks by Platform
| Platform | CPM |
|---|---|
| Meta (average) | $6.59 |
| TikTok | $3.50–$7 |
| Snapchat | $12.84 |
| $33–$65 | |
| US market average | $23.00 (highest globally) |
Sources: AdAmigo, SmartyAds, Quimby Digital, SQ Magazine
CPC Benchmarks by Platform
| Platform | CPC |
|---|---|
| Meta (link click) | $0.68 |
| Facebook (cross-industry avg) | $1.86 |
| $6–$12 |
Sources: AdAmigo, SQ Magazine, SmartyAds
Ad Trends
- Dynamic AI-personalised ads account for 41% of total social ad spend — SQ Magazine
- Automated bidding tools reduced average CPC by 7.4% — SQ Magazine
- Reddit US ad revenue grew 30.9% YoY — Sprout Social
Meta's dominance (65.8% of ad spend in Q2 2025) makes it the default paid social platform, but TikTok's ad revenue nearly doubled. For brands running paid campaigns alongside organic scheduling, pairing the best times to post with paid boosts maximises both organic and paid performance.
Customer Service on Social Media
- 67% of consumers prefer contacting customer support on social media over other channels — Emplifi
- 37% of consumers expect a response within 30 minutes on social media — Electroiq
- Social customer service can reduce cost per contact by up to 83% — Electroiq
Social has become the default support channel. If your team isn't monitoring and responding on-platform, the 73% brand-switching stat from earlier should be a wake-up call.
Daily Visit Frequency (US Adults)
| Platform | % Who Visit Daily |
|---|---|
| 52% | |
| YouTube | 48% |
| TikTok | 24% |
Source: Pew Research via Search Engine Journal
App Opens Per Day
| Platform | Daily Open Rate (Android) | Avg Opens Per Day |
|---|---|---|
| 85.1% | 20+ | |
| 65.4% | ~12 |
Source: DataReportal
Instagram users open the app 12 times per day — each open is a chance to see your scheduled content. Consistency beats volume. Use calendar view to plan content that lands during these daily check-ins.
What These Statistics Mean for Your Strategy
Here's how to act on this data:
Be on 3–5 platforms, not just 1. Your audience uses 6.75 platforms on average. You don't need all of them, but you need more than one. Cross-posting makes this manageable.
Prioritise carousels. LinkedIn carousels (21.77%) and Instagram carousels (6.90%) vastly outperform other formats. Build carousel creation into your content workflow.
Invest in short-form video. YouTube Shorts at 200 billion daily views, Reels at 138.9 million per minute, TikTok at 1.9 billion MAU — every algorithm rewards video. Use the AI video tools to scale production.
Reply to comments. A 42% engagement lift on Threads and 30% on LinkedIn just for responding is free performance. Build reply time into your workflow.
Don't sleep on social commerce. At $2.11 trillion projected in 2026, social commerce is growing faster than traditional e-commerce. TikTok Shop alone will process $15+ billion.
Use AI strategically. 83% of marketers say it helps them create more content, but 52% of consumers disengage when they suspect AI. Use AI as a draft layer, not a publish button.
Benchmark ruthlessly. Use the social media benchmarks tool and engagement rate calculator to see where you stand against industry averages.
Put these stats to work. PostEverywhere gives you the scheduling, analytics, and AI tools to execute on the data — not just read about it. Start free →
FAQ
How many people use social media in 2026?
5.66 billion people have social media identities worldwide, representing 68.7% of the global population. That number is growing by approximately 259 million new users per year.
Which social media platform has the most users in 2026?
Facebook leads with 3.07 billion monthly active users, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram (both at 3 billion), YouTube (2.5 billion), and TikTok (1.9 billion).
How much time do people spend on social media per day?
The global average is between 2 hours 21 minutes and 2 hours 40 minutes per day, depending on the source. TikTok users spend the most time per platform at 1 hour 37 minutes daily.
What is the average engagement rate on social media?
It depends on the platform and account type. For brand accounts, TikTok leads at 3.70%, followed by Instagram (0.48%) and Facebook (0.15%). For all account types, LinkedIn tops the charts at ~6.2%.
How big is the social commerce market?
The global social commerce market is valued at $1.63 trillion in 2025 and projected to reach $2.11 trillion in 2026. In the US alone, social commerce sales reached $87 billion in 2025.
How much do brands spend on social media advertising?
Global social media ad spend reached $247.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit $317.33 billion in 2026. Meta captures approximately 38% of global social ad revenue.
Which content format gets the highest engagement?
LinkedIn carousels dominate at 21.77% engagement rate. Instagram carousels (6.90%), LinkedIn video (7.35%), and Pinterest video (5.75%) also significantly outperform static content.
How are marketers using AI for social media?
83% of marketers say AI helps them create significantly more content, and there has been a 180% increase in AI usage among social media marketers. The primary use case is content creation (55% of marketers), with an average time saving of 3 hours per piece of content.
Last updated: March 2026. All statistics sourced from DataReportal, Pew Research, Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, Socialinsider, eMarketer, HubSpot, Influencer Marketing Hub, and other cited sources. We update this post as new data is published.
Jamie Partridge
Founder & CEO of PostEverywhere
Jamie Partridge is the Founder & CEO of PostEverywhere. He writes about social media strategy, publishing workflows, and analytics that help brands grow faster with less effort.