Social media statistics: Understanding trends and insights

Key points

• Keeping up with social media statistics provides valuable insights into user behavior, platform growth, and content trends, helping brands make informed marketing decisions.

• The rise of social commerce enables users to discover and purchase products directly on social media, boosting conversion rates and sales.

• Leveraging social media analytics and data-driven insights helps brands optimize campaigns and better understand consumer behavior for improved marketing ROI.

• Social media usage growth continues globally, making platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn essential for brand visibility and customer engagement.

• Video content marketing drives higher engagement and is favored by social algorithms, making it crucial for brands to invest in video strategies.

Social media isn’t merely a reflection of modern life. It is modern life. With over 5.41 billion people using social platforms globally, making up more than 65% of the world’s population, these channels have become central to how we communicate, consume content, and make purchasing decisions. And the audience is constantly diversifying, fragmenting, and shifting at an accelerating rate.

That’s why having the latest social media statistics is non-negotiable for marketers. Whether you’re planning campaigns, pitching for budget, or trying to make sense of changing consumer behavior, you need data that’s not only current but actionable.

In this post, we’ll break down the most up-to-date and relevant social media stats and trends for 2024–2025, from user growth and platform engagement to emerging marketing tactics and technology shifts. Whether you’re managing a brand account, running a multi-channel campaign, or starting to think about your 2026 strategy, these insights will help you move from gut instinct to data-driven action.

Global social media usage: The big picture

Beyond social media’s massive global footprint, the way people are using these platforms is evolving in ways that directly impact how brands should show up.

Users are spending more time across more platforms

According to GWI’s global research, the average social media user now spends almost 2.5 hours per day on social platforms. And that time is spread across a wide range of apps. Social media users continue to engage across a wide range of platforms, often balancing multiple apps in a single day, from video-first platforms like TikTok and YouTube to more traditional feeds on Facebook and Instagram.

This diversification signals a shift in how users compartmentalize their digital behavior. People might browse products on Instagram, chat with friends on Snapchat, watch news commentary on YouTube, and scroll for laughs on TikTok, all in the same day.

And as they continue to spend more time on social media, the numbers of users grows as well, at a rate of 4.7% per year across all platforms. That’s 7.6 new users every single second. It may seem intuitively like social media’s reach has topped out, but these numbers show it absolutely hasn’t.

Many of your strategic decisions could depend on where in the world your audience is too. According to DemandSage, by far the largest social media user base is in China, where over 1 billion people used social media in 2023. And that number is expected to grow to almost 1.3 billion by 2029. India was second at over 860 million, and they may even pass china with over 1.3 billion in a few years. Third is the U.S. at just over 300 million.

Strategic implications for brands

Because this growth is happening across many different channels, there’s no single place (or even 3-4 places) you should necessarily turn your attention to. This fragmentation means brands can’t afford to have a narrow strategy. Successful social media marketing now requires:

• Knowing which platforms your audience actually uses (and why)
• Tailoring content formats to each platform’s expectations
• And managing publishing and analytics holistically across the ecosystem

Trying to share the same post across six channels won’t cut it. But neither will ignoring where your customers actually are.

Platform-specific statistics and demographics

While the global social media audience is massive, it’s not monolithic. Each platform has its own strengths, audiences, and growth trajectories. Here’s a look at the biggest players by active users and what makes each one relevant for marketers.

Facebook – Still attracting traffic

• Over 3 billion monthly average users (MAUs), still the king of the social media world.
  Source: DemandSage
• Largest demographic: users aged 25–34, who make up ~31% of the global user base; 18–24 comes in second (~23%), followed by 35–44 (~20.2%).
  Source: Business of Apps
• Male users fairly significantly outpace female on the platform, at 56.5% to 43.5%.
  Source: Business of Apps
• Facebook is the leader among the major social platforms with respect to influencing consumer purchase decisions, with 25% citing it as influential in a Relex survey.
• Strategic takeaway: Facebook remains a foundational platform for social media marketers, not just because of its scale and broad demographic reach, but also because of its proven influence on consumer decisions. Its strength in community building, brand familiarity, and ad targeting continues to deliver measurable impact, particularly among Gen X and older Millennials.

Instagram – Product discovery central

• 2 billion MAUs, a strong showing that makes them a consistent player in the Meta universe.
  Source: DemandSage
• Largest demographic: Their largest age group of users is 25-34 (33%), but the 18-24 group (31.6%) isn’t far behind.
  Source: Business of Apps
• Male users (52.4%) slightly outpace female users (47.6%) by about 10%.
  Source: Business of Apps
• With 20% citing Instagram as influential toward purchases, it’s one of the best channels for brands looking to drive business impact.
  Source: Relex
• Strategic takeaway: If product discovery, influencer marketing, and visual storytelling to a relatively young demographic are key to your strategy, Instagram remains the essential hub, especially for lifestyle and retail brands.

TikTok – Attention in motion

• 1.59 billion MAUs puts them fifth in the competition for global users, behind Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Whatsapp.
  Source: DemandSage
• Usage among younger users continues to pulse, with TikTok surging among the 18-24 demographic (30.2% of users), with 25-34 (23.3%) and 13-17 (21%) nearly even.
  Source: Business of Apps
• Women (51.6%) just edge out men (48.4%) on TikTok.
  Source: Business of Apps
• TikTok is another powerful channel for brands looking to drive direct conversions, as 21% of consumers cited it as influential for buying decisions.
  Source: Relex
• Strategic takeaway: TikTok blends attention, entertainment, and commerce more seamlessly than any other platform, making it critical for brands targeting Gen Z and younger Millennials.

YouTube – Searchable, scalable reach

• With ~2.5 billion MAUs, YouTube remains the second most-used global platform by active users.
  Source: DemandSage
• The average age of YouTube users is between 35 and 44 years old. Males between 25 and 34 accounted for the greatest share of users in January 2025.
  Source: DataReportal
• Males account for 56% of active YouTube users, compared to 44% women.
  Source: DataReportal
• YouTube is most popular for product research, tutorials, and long-form entertainment. Shorts are accelerating adoption, growing 65% year over year in 2025.
• Strategic takeaway: YouTube sits at the intersection of content intention and scale, perfect for evergreen content, product reviews, and building trusted presence.

LinkedIn – The B2B backbone

• Handles 1.15 billion MAUs, making it a strong player for brands looking to reach people in a professional environment.
  Source: DemandSage
• By far the most active age group on LinkedIn is 25-34 (47%), with 18-24 coming up behind (29%) and 35-54 (21%) next. Given it’s almost exclusively for professional networking, those age groups are pretty intuitive.
  Source: Statista
• A cornerstone for B2B sales and employer branding, LinkedIn offers a trusted space for reaching decision-makers, showcasing industry expertise, and attracting top talent.
• Strategic takeaway: LinkedIn remains unmatched for employer branding, B2B lead generation, and professional thought leadership, especially for mid-market to enterprise brands.

Other notable platforms

• Snapchat: 900M+ MAUs as of Q1 2025, a more than 125% year-over-year growth
  Source: Snapchat
• Pinterest: ~570M MAUs, especially strong in lifestyle and shopping categories.
  Source: Statista
• X (formerly Twitter): ~611M MAUs and still very relevant for real-time updates and public discourse.
  Source: DemandSage
• Threads (Meta): ~350M MAUs as of April 2025 — still early days but integrating with Instagram user base.
  Source: TechCrunch

Key Social Media Marketing Trends for 2024-2025

From the dominance of short-form video to the rise of AI-powered interactions, social media in 2025 is evolving fast, and smart brands are adapting just as quickly.

Short-form video continues to rule. Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts remain core engagement drivers thanks to their snackable format and scroll-stopping nature. With attention spans shorter than ever, brands are leaning into high-impact visuals, trends, and storytelling that capture attention in the first few seconds.

AI is reshaping the full customer journey. From ideation to optimization, brands are increasingly using AI to streamline their content workflows and tailor experiences:

• Content creation: AI tools assist with everything from generating first drafts to optimizing post timing and creative formats.
• Audience understanding: Brands are using AI to analyze behavioral data and personalize content strategies in real time.
• Customer service: While only 25% of consumers say they prefer AI support, 71% report being satisfied with their AI-powered service experiences, particularly for routine queries.
• Platform optimization: Social platforms themselves use AI to surface relevant content and ads, raising the stakes for brands to deliver engaging, well-targeted posts.

Social commerce continues to grow. Platforms are becoming more shoppable, with in-app checkout features that reduce friction. Nearly half (49%) of consumers say AI-powered customer service would most improve their experience in online retail — especially in categories like fashion, beauty, and tech — with food delivery and restaurants (48%) just behind.

Social SEO is becoming critical. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are now go-to search engines for younger audiences. Brands must optimize profile bios, hashtags, and captions for discoverability, not just engagement.

Private and community-based channels are surging. Brands are investing in more intentional engagement through broadcast channels, private groups, and messaging features, prioritizing connection over mass reach.

Influencer strategy is shifting. The era of celebrity influencers is fading. Brands are turning to micro-influencers and authentic customer content to build trust and drive conversions, especially in categories where peer validation matters.

Analytics remain the compass. With pressure mounting to prove ROI, brands are relying on robust, real-time data to guide content, measure performance, and iterate faster.

Leveraging statistics and trends with Emplifi

Understanding what’s happening on social media is only half the battle. The real edge comes from turning insights into action, and that’s where Emplifi helps brands lead.

See the full picture across platforms. Emplifi gives brands a centralized social media analytics hub to track engagement, reach, and audience demographics across all major social platforms. Whether you’re comparing post performance on Instagram versus TikTok or analyzing reach trends on Facebook, Emplifi surfaces the metrics that matter, without making you dig for them.

Know what works, and when. With built-in intelligence to highlight top-performing formats, Emplifi helps teams double down on what drives results. The social media marketing platform also identifies optimal posting times based on when your audience is most active, removing the guesswork from publishing strategies.

Stay ahead of the conversation. Emplifi’s social listening tools go beyond brand mentions, helping teams spot emerging trends, track sentiment, and identify rising conversations across channels. That allows you to anticipate what comes next, rather than always having to be reactive whether the conversation is positive or negative.

Unify your customer experience. With Emplifi’s cross-platform inbox, brands can manage social customer care efficiently from one place, ensuring no comment, DM, or mention goes unanswered. It supports the growing expectation for fast, seamless social support and turns every interaction into an opportunity.

Streamline trend-driven content. Emplifi’s content creation and scheduling tools support everything from Reels to Stories, enabling brands to quickly ride trends while maintaining control. You can A/B test variations, plan ahead, and collaborate more effectively, without needing five different tools to do it.

Let AI do the heavy lifting. Emplifi’s AI-powered capabilities recommend content ideas, optimize workflows, and surface actionable insights. Whether it’s suggesting the right tone for a post or helping teams prioritize what to respond to first, AI helps teams move faster and smarter.

Turn data into direction. With so much noise on social media, Emplifi acts as a filter, helping brands identify what’s working, what’s shifting, and where to go next. It’s the decision-making engine you need to be efficient and effective with your social media strategy.

Turning social media statistics into impact

Social media in 2025 is evolving rapidly. Platforms evolve, user habits shift, and yesterday’s best practices quickly become today’s missed opportunities. To keep up, brands need to be informed, agile, and ready to act at all times.

Staying ahead means understanding where your audience spends time, what content resonates, and how to deliver experiences that feel personal, at scale. It also means embracing the right technology to simplify complexity and drive better decisions.

That’s where Emplifi comes in.

With a unified platform built to handle everything from content scheduling and social listening to AI-driven insights and customer care, Emplifi gives you the visibility and tools you need to adapt and thrive. Whether you’re chasing engagement, improving response times, or turning social into a revenue driver, Emplifi turns scattered data into strategic clarity.

Ready to make smarter moves on social media? See how Emplifi can help your team cut through the noise and lead with confidence by getting a personalized demo.