How Many People Use Social Media in 2022?
Social media’s infiltration into the lives of internet users has been on the rise. The latest figures show that there are expected to be 3.96 billion social media users worldwide in 2022—a 4.8 percent increase from a year ago.
It is also 1.1 billion more than the number of social users in 2017, which represents a whopping 38.5 percent jump in just six years. The average annual growth rate over this period is 6.7 percent.
Going forward, while the number of social media users will continue to increase, growth is expected to plateau. The average annual growth rate from 2023 to 2025 is forecast at 3.7 percent.
Despite the slowdown, it’s clear that social media will continue to be a part of consumers’ daily lives, with smartphones and mobile devices as the main driving force. As it stands, social media statistics show that more than nine in ten (91 percent) social media users use mobile devices to access social networks.
Such statistics clearly show the growing trend and reliance of consumers on social media, indicating a clear opportunity for social media marketing opportunities for ecommerce businesses worldwide.
Social Media Usage by Region
The accessibility of affordable smartphones, Wi-Fi coverage, and improving networks play a massive role in increasing social media usage across the globe.
Currently, more than half (57.6 percent) of the global population use social media, which is a 9.9 percent year-over-year increase.
Looking at how many people use social media by region, the three areas with the highest number of social media users are located in the world’s largest continent: Asia.
Topping the list is Eastern Asia, where more than one billion people there use social media. The number of social media users there makes up 13.7 percent of the global population. This should come as no surprise, considering the region consists of China, the world’s most populous country.
Southeast Asia is home to the second-highest number of social media users with 482.73 million users. This is followed by Southern Asia with 470.01 million.
Rounding out the top five are Northern America, where there are 329.25 million social media users, and South America, with 274.22 million users.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, the regions with the fewest social media users are Central Africa with 12.38 million users and Central Asia with 13.93 million users.
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