Social media platforms are considered man’s best friends in the world where many people cannot end their day without checking their social media accounts at least once.
They share the highlights of their day through an Instagram Reel or Facebook Story.
Some use their social media accounts to communicate with their loved ones through WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Others use YouTube and TikTok to watch product reviews or video tutorials.
Research shows that an average social media user spends around 2 hours and 24 minutes every day browsing their social media accounts in April 2023.
But do you know the most popular social media platforms in 2024? This article is for you.
Key Statistics
- The most popular social media platform in terms of users is Facebook. It had almost 3 billion active users per month.
- About 4.76 billion people are social media users. It is expected to exceed 4.89 billion by the end of 2023.
- On average, the number of social media accounts per user reached 8.5 in 2018.
- India recorded the highest average number of social media accounts per user, with 11.5 per user.
- Facebook holds the most number of users in the United States. It has more than 221 million active users in 2023, accounting for 74.2%.
- Around 60% of internet users worldwide use Facebook.
- Instagram users spend around 29 minutes every day on the platform.
- About 81% of US adults use YouTube.
Most Popular Social Media Platforms in 2024
Many people love spending time on their social media accounts to communicate, be entertained, and be updated.
In January 2023, around three out of five people worldwide used social media platforms.
Statista reveals that social media users between 40 to 44 years old used social media platforms most from Q4 2020 to Q1 2021.
They spend an average of 59.85 minutes daily.
Do you have an idea about the most popular social media platforms in 2023?
Meta owns most of the popular social media platforms in the world, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger.
The most popular and widely used social media platform by users is Facebook. It had 2.958 billion active users per month in January 2023.
YouTube follows with 2.514 billion, and WhatsApp and Instagram with 2.00 billion each.
List of the Most Popular Social Media Platforms by Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Let’s take a look at the list of the most popular social media platforms based on their monthly active users as of January 2023:
- Facebook – recorded 2.958 billion MAU
- YouTube – recorded 2.514 billion MAU
- WhatsApp – recorded 2.00 billion MAU
- Instagram – recorded 2.00 billion MAU
- WeChat – recorded 1.309 billion MAU
- TikTok – recorded 1.051 billion MAU
- Facebook Messenger – recorded 931 million MAU
- Douyin – recorded 731 million MAU
- Telegram – recorded 700 million MAU
- Snapchat – recorded 635 million MAU
- Kuaishou – recorded 626 million MAU
- Sina Weibo – recorded 584 million MAU
- QQ – recorded 574 million MAU
How Many Are Social Media Platform Users Worldwide?
Over the past years, social media platform users worldwide are continuously growing.
As of January 2023, around 4.76 billion people are using social media platforms.
It is projected to exceed 4.89 billion by the end of 2023, up from 4.59 billion the prior year.
Here are the numbers of social media platform users in the world from 2020 to 2027:
- In 2020, the number of social media platform users in the world reached 3.9 billion
- In 2021, the number of social media platform users in the world reached 4.26 billion
- In 2022, the number of social media platform users in the world reached 4.59 billion
- In 2023, the number of social media platform users in the world reached 4.89 billion
- In 2024, the number of social media platform users in the world is projected to reach 5.17 billion
- In 2025, the number of social media platform users in the world is projected to reach 5.42 billion
- In 2026, the number of social media platform users in the world is projected to reach 5.64 billion
- In 2027, the number of social media platform users in the world is projected to reach 5.85 billion
Social Media Accounts Per User
Social media users usually have more than one social media account because every platform has different functions and usage.
There are platforms for communication, and there are platforms for entertainment.
In 2018, the average count of social media accounts per user reached 8.5, up from 4.3 in 2013.
India had the highest average count of social media accounts per user, accounting for 11.5 per user, while Japan had the lowest, with 3.8.
Below are the average count of social media accounts per user per country:
- In India, the average count of social media accounts per user reached 11.4
- In the United States, the average count of social media accounts per user reached 7.1
- In the United Kingdom, the average count of social media accounts per user reached 6.9
- In Canada, the average count of social media accounts per user reached 6.8
- In Japan, the average count of social media accounts per user reached 3.8
Most Popular Social Media Platforms in the United States by Users
As of 2023, the United States has approximately 246 million active social media users. Facebook holds the most number of users in the country.
It has 221.7 million active users in 2023, accounting for 74.2% of internet users in the US.
Instagram follows, with over 180 million active users, or 60.5%.
Here are some of the most popular social media platforms in the United States by users:
- Facebook has 221.71 million active users in the United States, equivalent to 74.2% of internet users in the country
- Instagram has 180.77 million active users in the United States, equivalent to 60.5% of internet users in the country
- TikTok has 140.44 million active users in the United States, equivalent to 47.0% of internet users in the country
- Twitter has 126.39 million active users in the United States, equivalent to 42.3% of internet users in the country
- Pinterest has 110.56 million active users in the United States, equivalent to 37.0% of internet users in the country
All About Facebook
Who does not know Facebook? Around 60% of internet users worldwide use Facebook.
It has 2.958 billion monthly active users and almost 2 million daily active users.
Most of them are from middle ages to adults. They spend an average of 33 minutes each day browsing on the platform.
Facebook is one of the most preferred social media platforms for businesses.
More than 200 million businesses and brands, especially small businesses, use Facebook tools.
Likewise, 7 million advertisers promote their brands and products on the platform.
All About YouTube
Youtube is the most popular video-sharing platform in the world, accounting for 2.514 active users.
They watch more than a billion hours of videos per day. About 81% of US adults use this platform.
It covers all genres from tutorials and product reviews to gaming.
This is why it has a strong user base across all ages.
All About Instagram
Instagram is the best social media platform for picturesque photos of nature, food, and interiors.
It has approximately 2 billion monthly active users and more than 500 million daily active users.
Most of its users are between 18 to 34 years old, accounting for over 60%.
They spend around 29 minutes every day on the platform.
This social media platform also offers features for e-commerce, suitable for selling and advertising products to a larger audience.
Conclusion
Social media platforms are helpful to people since they are one of the sources of information, entertainment, and communication.
Almost 5 billion people are using social media platforms today.
The most popular social media platforms in 2023 are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, WeChat, and TikTok.