Social Media Marketing Statistics 2026: Adoption, Demographics, Time Spent, and Ad Spend
This briefing collects verified social media statistics for marketers, journalists, and analysts working in 2026. United States adoption figures come from the Pew Research Center. Global user and time-spent figures come from DataReportal. Advertising forecasts come from eMarketer and Statista. Platform scale figures come from Meta Platforms company filings. United States figures and global figures are reported separately and are never combined, because the two data sets use different populations, sampling methods, and reference dates.
Executive summary
- YouTube reached 84% and Facebook reached 71% of United States adults in 2025, the two widest social platforms in the country (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- Instagram reached 50%, TikTok 37%, WhatsApp 32%, and Reddit 26% of United States adults in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- There were 5.79 billion social media user identities worldwide at the start of April 2026, up 294 million year over year, a growth rate of 5.4% (DataReportal, April 2026).
- The typical user spent 18 hours and 36 minutes per week on social and video feeds, roughly 2.5 hours per day, a figure that has held steady for about three years (DataReportal, Digital 2026).
- United States advertisers were projected to spend more than 121 billion dollars on social network ads in 2026, close to 32% of United States digital ad spending (eMarketer, 2026 forecast).
- Meta reported 3.58 billion Family daily active people on average for December 2025, up 7% year over year (Meta Platforms, Q4 and full year 2025 results).
- Meta Family average revenue per person reached 16.56 dollars in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 16.2% year over year (Meta Platforms, Q4 and full year 2025 results).
- Platform reach in the United States skews sharply by age: 80% of adults ages 18 to 29 used Instagram versus 19% of adults ages 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2025).
Key findings
- YouTube reached 84% of United States adults in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- Facebook reached 71% of United States adults in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- Instagram reached 50% of United States adults in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- TikTok reached 37% of United States adults in 2025, up from 21% in 2021 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- WhatsApp reached 32% and Reddit reached 26% of United States adults in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- About half of United States adults visited Facebook daily, and about half visited YouTube daily, in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- Roughly half of adults ages 18 to 29 visited TikTok at least once a day, compared with 5% of adults ages 65 and older, in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- Threads, Bluesky, and Truth Social were each used by about one in ten United States adults or fewer in 2025 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
- There were 5.79 billion social media user identities worldwide at the start of April 2026 (DataReportal, April 2026).
- Global social media user identities grew by 294 million over the prior year, a rate of 5.4%, or about 9.3 new identities every second (DataReportal, April 2026).
- The average user held accounts on 6.5 different social platforms each month (DataReportal, April 2026).
- The typical user spent 18 hours and 36 minutes per week on social and video feeds in Digital 2026 (DataReportal, Digital 2026).
- Meta reported 3.58 billion Family daily active people for December 2025, up 7% year over year (Meta Platforms, Q4 and full year 2025 results).
- Meta full year 2025 revenue was 200.966 billion dollars, of which 196.175 billion dollars was advertising revenue (Meta Platforms, Q4 and full year 2025 results).
- United States social network ad spending was projected above 121 billion dollars for 2026, near 32% of United States digital ad spending (eMarketer, 2026 forecast).
United States adoption and usage by platform
The Pew Research Center surveyed 5,022 United States adults between February 5 and June 18, 2025. YouTube and Facebook remained the two widest platforms, a position they have held with little change since 2021. Instagram reached half of all adults. TikTok, WhatsApp, and Reddit formed the next tier. Newer text-first apps, namely Threads, Bluesky, and Truth Social, each reached about one in ten adults or fewer. These figures describe the United States adult population only and should not be compared with the global user counts reported later in this briefing.
| Platform | Share of United States adults, 2025 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 84% | Pew Research Center |
| 71% | Pew Research Center | |
| 50% | Pew Research Center | |
| TikTok | 37% | Pew Research Center |
| 32% | Pew Research Center | |
| 26% | Pew Research Center | |
| Threads, Bluesky, Truth Social (each) | About 10% or fewer | Pew Research Center |
Source: Pew Research Center, Americans’ Social Media Use 2025, published November 20, 2025.
Daily use
Reach counts anyone who uses a platform. Daily use is a stricter measure. In 2025, about half of United States adults said they visited Facebook every day, and about half said the same of YouTube. Within that, 37% visited Facebook several times a day and 33% visited YouTube several times a day. TikTok drew 24% of adults daily, and X drew about 10% of adults daily. These daily figures show that reach and habit are different measures, and marketers should treat them separately.
Demographics: usage by age
Age is the strongest demographic divide in United States social media use. Older adults concentrate on Facebook and YouTube. Younger adults spread across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit. Two cohort figures are stated directly in the Pew 2025 report: 80% of adults ages 18 to 29 used Instagram versus 19% of adults ages 65 and older, and roughly half of adults ages 18 to 29 used TikTok daily versus 5% of adults ages 65 and older. The wider age matrix below is drawn from the Pew Research Center Social Media fact sheet that accompanies the 2025 report. Readers who plan to republish specific cohort rows should confirm them against the live fact sheet, since fact sheet values update as new waves are released.
| Platform | Ages 18-29 | Ages 30-49 | Ages 50-64 | Ages 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 95% | 92% | 85% | 64% |
| 68% | 80% | 74% | 57% | |
| 80% | 62% | 40% | 19% | |
| TikTok | 63% | 44% | 30% | 12% |
| 37% | 40% | 30% | 20% | |
| 48% | 35% | 16% | 6% | |
| Snapchat | 58% | 31% | 13% | 4% |
| X (formerly Twitter) | 33% | 25% | 16% | 10% |
Source: Pew Research Center, Social Media fact sheet, 2025 (companion to Americans’ Social Media Use 2025). The Instagram cohort figures of 80% for ages 18 to 29 and 19% for ages 65 and older are corroborated directly in the November 2025 report.
Global users and time spent
DataReportal measures a global population, not the United States. Its figures count social media user identities, which are registered accounts, not verified unique individuals. One person can hold several identities, so the global total overstates the number of distinct people to an unknown degree. At the start of April 2026, there were 5.79 billion social media user identities worldwide. That total grew by 294 million over the prior year, a rate of 5.4%, equal to about 9.3 new identities every second. The average user maintained accounts on 6.5 different social platforms each month.
Time spent has plateaued while user counts keep rising. The typical user spent 18 hours and 36 minutes per week on social and video feeds in the Digital 2026 report, which works out to roughly 2.5 hours per day. That weekly figure has held roughly stable for about three years. The pattern suggests that recent growth comes from new users joining rather than from existing users spending more time.
| Metric | Value | Reference date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media user identities | 5.79 billion | Start of April 2026 | DataReportal |
| Year over year growth | +294 million (+5.4%) | April 2025 to April 2026 | DataReportal |
| New identities per second | 9.3 | Trailing 12 months, April 2026 | DataReportal |
| Platforms used per user per month | 6.5 | April 2026 | DataReportal |
| Weekly time on social and video feeds | 18 hours 36 minutes | Digital 2026 | DataReportal |
Source: DataReportal (We Are Social and Meltwater), Global Social Media Statistics, April 2026, and Digital 2026 Global Overview Report.
Advertising spend
All figures in this section are projections. Ad forecasts are model outputs, not observed results, and different research firms use different definitions of the social category, so their totals should not be summed or averaged together. eMarketer projected that United States advertisers would spend more than 121 billion dollars on social network ads in 2026, with social networks taking close to 32% of United States digital ad spending that year. eMarketer also projected worldwide total ad spending of about 1.170 trillion dollars across all media in 2026. Statista, a separate provider, projected worldwide social media advertising of 338.75 billion dollars in 2026, with the United States accounting for about 126.00 billion dollars, and a compound annual growth rate of 11.86% from 2026 to 2030. The eMarketer and Statista totals differ because the two firms define and bound the social advertising category differently.
| Metric | Projected value, 2026 | Geography | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social network ad spending | Above 121 billion dollars | United States | eMarketer |
| Social share of digital ad spending | Near 32% | United States | eMarketer |
| Total ad spending, all media | About 1.170 trillion dollars | Worldwide | eMarketer |
| Social media advertising | 338.75 billion dollars | Worldwide | Statista |
| Social media advertising | 126.00 billion dollars | United States | Statista |
Sources: eMarketer 2026 forecasts; Statista Social Media Advertising Worldwide outlook. Figures are projections as of 2026.
Platform scale from company filings
Company filings are primary sources for user and revenue counts because they carry legal accountability. Meta Platforms reported 3.58 billion Family daily active people on average for December 2025, an increase of 7% year over year. Family daily active people counts unique people who used at least one of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or WhatsApp on a given day. Meta full year 2025 revenue was 200.966 billion dollars, of which 196.175 billion dollars was advertising revenue. Fourth quarter 2025 revenue was 59.893 billion dollars. Meta Family average revenue per person reached 16.56 dollars in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 16.2% year over year. Meta reported that worldwide ad impressions grew 18% and the average price per ad rose 6% year over year in the fourth quarter.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family daily active people (average) | 3.58 billion (+7% YoY) | December 2025 | Meta Platforms |
| Family average revenue per person | 16.56 dollars (+16.2% YoY) | Q4 2025 | Meta Platforms |
| Total revenue | 200.966 billion dollars | Full year 2025 | Meta Platforms |
| Advertising revenue | 196.175 billion dollars | Full year 2025 | Meta Platforms |
| Total revenue | 59.893 billion dollars | Q4 2025 | Meta Platforms |
Source: Meta Platforms, Meta Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results.
Original synthesis: derived insights
The four insights below are computed from the verified figures above. Each states its formula, its input sources, and its limitations. Computed values are labeled as derived and are the analytical work of Christoph Olivier Consulting, not direct quotations from the source bodies.
1. United States platform reach ranking and the two-tier gap
Ranking the Pew 2025 reach figures produces a clear order: YouTube 84%, Facebook 71%, Instagram 50%, TikTok 37%, WhatsApp 32%, Reddit 26%. The derived observation is the size of the gap between the top tier and the rest. YouTube and Facebook sit 21 percentage points or more above Instagram, the third platform. A campaign aiming for the widest single-platform reach of United States adults still has only two options that clear 70%. Formula: rank order of reported reach, then subtract adjacent values. Input source: Pew Research Center, 2025. Limitation: reach measures any use, not frequency, and United States only.
2. Age-skew ratio by platform (young to old)
Dividing the share of adults ages 18 to 29 who use a platform by the share of adults ages 65 and older who use it gives an age-skew ratio. A higher ratio means a younger audience. Snapchat scores 14.5 (58 divided by 4), Reddit 8.0 (48 divided by 6), TikTok 5.3 (63 divided by 12), and Instagram 4.2 (80 divided by 19). YouTube scores 1.5 (95 divided by 64) and Facebook 1.2 (68 divided by 57), the two most age-neutral platforms. Formula: cohort share ages 18 to 29 divided by cohort share ages 65 and older. Input source: Pew Research Center Social Media fact sheet age matrix, 2025. Limitation: the fact sheet cohort rows beyond Instagram carry the caveat noted in the demographics section, and small denominators inflate ratios.
3. United States daily stickiness ratio
Dividing daily reach by overall reach estimates how sticky a platform is among the people who use it at all. Using Pew 2025 figures, Facebook scores 0.70 (50 divided by 71), TikTok 0.65 (24 divided by 37), and YouTube 0.60 (50 divided by 84). Facebook converts the largest share of its United States base into daily visitors, even though YouTube has wider total reach. Formula: daily reach divided by overall reach. Input source: Pew Research Center, 2025. Limitation: the daily figures are rounded to about half for Facebook and YouTube, so these ratios are approximate.
4. Global growth versus attention plateau
Global social media user identities grew 5.4% year over year to April 2026, while weekly time spent held at 18 hours and 36 minutes, the same band it has occupied for about three years. The derived reading is that the industry is adding users faster than it is adding attention. Growth in total feed hours is now driven mainly by more accounts, not by deeper engagement per user. Formula: compare user-count growth rate against the trend in average time spent. Input sources: DataReportal, April 2026, and DataReportal Digital 2026. Limitation: user identities are accounts, not verified individuals, so the true per-person picture is uncertain.
Methodology
Source selection favored primary and official sources. United States adoption and demographic figures come from the Pew Research Center, an independent research organization that surveys probability-based samples of United States adults. Global user and time-spent figures come from DataReportal, published with We Are Social and Meltwater, which compiles platform self-reporting, advertising audience tools, and survey data. Advertising figures come from eMarketer and Statista and are labeled as projections. Platform scale and revenue figures come from Meta Platforms company filings.
Inclusion rules: every statistic carries a number, a reference date or period, a geography, and a named source with a link. Any figure that could not be tied to a fetched source was excluded. Where a widely circulated aggregator figure could not be traced to a primary provider, it was excluded, including a third-party ad-reach ranking encountered during research.
Handling conflicts: United States figures from Pew and global figures from DataReportal are reported separately and never combined, because they describe different populations and use different methods. Where a fetched page appeared to blend Pew’s Social Media fact sheet with its news fact sheet, only report-verified figures were kept as headline claims, and the wider age matrix was labeled as fact sheet derived. Where eMarketer and Statista social ad totals differed, both were shown with their separate definitions rather than averaged. Last updated July 25, 2026.
Source quality ranking
Tier 1, primary and official sources: Pew Research Center (Americans’ Social Media Use 2025 and the Social Media fact sheet); Meta Platforms (Q4 and full year 2025 results).
Tier 2, credible market research and public data compilers: DataReportal with We Are Social and Meltwater (global user and time-spent data); eMarketer (advertising forecasts); Statista (advertising outlook).
Tier 3, reputable journalism and trade commentary: Search Engine Journal, JCK, and Marketing Charts coverage that reproduced the Pew 2025 findings. These were used for cross-checking only and are not cited as the source of any headline figure.
Most quotable statistics
- YouTube reached 84% and Facebook reached 71% of United States adults in 2025 (Pew Research Center).
- 80% of United States adults ages 18 to 29 used Instagram, versus 19% of those ages 65 and older, in 2025 (Pew Research Center).
- There were 5.79 billion social media user identities worldwide at the start of April 2026 (DataReportal).
- The typical user spent 18 hours and 36 minutes per week on social and video feeds (DataReportal, Digital 2026).
- Meta reported 3.58 billion Family daily active people for December 2025 (Meta Platforms).
- United States social network ad spending was projected above 121 billion dollars for 2026 (eMarketer forecast).
Data limitations
- Pew figures cover United States adults only and are not comparable with the global DataReportal totals.
- DataReportal counts user identities, meaning registered accounts, not verified unique people, so global totals overstate the number of distinct users by an unknown amount.
- The wider age matrix is drawn from the Pew Social Media fact sheet; only the Instagram cohort figures and the TikTok daily-use cohort figures are stated directly in the November 2025 report.
- All advertising figures are projections and depend on each firm’s definition of the social category, so eMarketer and Statista totals are not interchangeable.
- Reach and daily-use figures measure different things and should not be substituted for each other.
- Reference dates differ across sources: Pew data covers early 2025, DataReportal user data is dated April 2026, and Meta figures cover December 2025 and full year 2025.
Downloadable dataset: recommended fields
- platform_name
- metric_type (reach, daily_use, age_cohort_use, user_identities, time_spent, ad_spend, dap, arpp, revenue)
- value
- unit (percent, count, hours_minutes, usd)
- geography (United States, Worldwide)
- age_cohort (all, 18-29, 30-49, 50-64, 65+)
- reference_period
- is_projection (true, false)
- source_name
- source_tier
- source_url
- date_accessed
Press summary
Social media entered 2026 as a mature market splitting along two lines: geography and age. In the United States, the Pew Research Center found YouTube reaching 84% of adults and Facebook 71% in 2025, with Instagram at 50%, TikTok at 37%, WhatsApp at 32%, and Reddit at 26%. Age divided the field sharply, as 80% of adults ages 18 to 29 used Instagram against 19% of those 65 and older. Globally, DataReportal counted 5.79 billion social media user identities at the start of April 2026, up 5.4% over the year, while weekly time spent held flat at 18 hours and 36 minutes, evidence of an attention ceiling. Money kept flowing: eMarketer projected United States social network ad spending above 121 billion dollars in 2026, and Meta reported 3.58 billion Family daily active people for December 2025 with full year revenue of 200.966 billion dollars. United States and global figures are reported separately throughout.
Suggested headlines
- YouTube and Facebook Still Reach the Most United States Adults in 2025, Pew Finds
- 5.79 Billion and Counting: Global Social Media Identities Keep Rising as Time Spent Stalls
- The Age Gap in Social Media: 80% of Young Adults Use Instagram, 19% of Seniors Do
- United States Social Ad Spend Projected Above 121 Billion Dollars in 2026
- Meta Hits 3.58 Billion Daily Users as Revenue Per Person Climbs 16%
Frequently asked questions
What is the most used social media platform in the United States in 2025?
YouTube, at 84% of United States adults, followed by Facebook at 71% (Pew Research Center, 2025).
How many people use social media worldwide in 2026?
There were 5.79 billion social media user identities worldwide at the start of April 2026, which are accounts rather than verified individuals (DataReportal, April 2026).
How much time do people spend on social media?
The typical user spent 18 hours and 36 minutes per week on social and video feeds, about 2.5 hours per day (DataReportal, Digital 2026).
Which platform is most popular with young adults in the United States?
Among adults ages 18 to 29, YouTube led at 95% and Instagram followed at 80% in 2025 (Pew Research Center Social Media fact sheet, 2025).
What share of United States adults use TikTok?
37% of United States adults used TikTok in 2025, up from 21% in 2021 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
How much are advertisers spending on social media?
eMarketer projected United States social network ad spending above 121 billion dollars in 2026, near 32% of United States digital ad spending. This is a forecast (eMarketer, 2026).
How many daily users does Meta have?
Meta reported 3.58 billion Family daily active people on average for December 2025, up 7% year over year (Meta Platforms, Q4 and full year 2025 results).
How much revenue does Meta make per user?
Meta Family average revenue per person was 16.56 dollars in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 16.2% year over year (Meta Platforms, Q4 and full year 2025 results).
Do older adults use social media?
Yes. Among United States adults ages 65 and older in 2025, YouTube reached 64% and Facebook reached 57%, while Instagram reached 19% (Pew Research Center, 2025).
Are global and United States social media statistics comparable?
No. Pew measures United States adults with survey samples, while DataReportal counts global user identities using different methods. The two data sets should be reported separately and not combined.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Americans’ Social Media Use 2025: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
- Pew Research Center, Social Media fact sheet: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
- DataReportal, Global Social Media Statistics (April 2026): https://datareportal.com/social-media-users
- DataReportal, Digital 2026 Global Overview Report: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-global-overview-report
- eMarketer, Worldwide Ad Spending Forecast 2026: https://www.emarketer.com/content/worldwide-ad-spending-forecast-2026
- eMarketer, United States Social Network Ad Spending Forecast: https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-social-network-ad-spending-forecast-h1-2025
- Statista, Social Media Advertising Worldwide: https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/advertising/social-media-advertising/worldwide/
- Meta Platforms, Q4 and Full Year 2025 Results: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meta-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results-302673127.html