Social media demographics to inform your brand’s strategy in 2022

Looking for the latest social media demographics for 2022?

You’ve hit the jackpot.

The importance of a data-driven social strategy can’t be overstated — up-to-date demographics are crucial to marketers

Because the social space is constantly evolving. With more networks available than ever before, you need to spend your time and budget wisely. Specifically, you should focus on where your customers are.

And while you may think you know which networks matter most to your target audience, 2022’s numbers might surprise you.

Social media demographics: the numbers you need to know

From choosing your priority platforms to conducting market research, demographic data is key to understanding which networks and campaigns deserve your attention.

Want to know which apps are up-and-coming? Curious about new opportunities to cross-post your content? Worried that a network might be “dying?”

We’ve got you covered.

Below is our list of must-know social media demographics for 2022 (and beyond). These numbers are based on the latest research and social media statistics available at the time of writing.

And as an added bonus, we’ve also highlighted strategic takeaways for each network to guide your social marketing strategy.

• Facebook demographics and usage
• Instagram demographics and usage
• TikTok demographics and usage
• Twitter demographics and usage
• LinkedIn demographics and usage
• Pinterest demographics and usage
• Snapchat demographics and usage
• YouTube demographics and usage

More resources for audience insight

With these demographics in hand to inform personas and targeting, check out these guides to refine your process:

• How to effectively plan your social media campaigns step-by-step
• The most important social media metrics to track
• How to define and reach your target audience on social media

Facebook demographics and usage

• Number of monthly active users: 2.91 billion
• Largest age group: 25-34 (31.5%)
• Gender: 43% female, 57% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per day: 33 minutes

Takeaways from Facebook demographics for 2022

• Despite ongoing controversies, “adpocalypses” and emerging competition, Facebook still remains the largest social platform among consumers and marketers.
• Note that time spent on Facebook has actually fallen (from 38 minutes per day to 33 minutes) over the past five years despite overall social media usage spiking.
• Facebook’s user growth rate has slowed to a grinding halt with only a 0.8% change increase during 2021.
• Following last year’s social media demographic data, younger consumers continue to flock to TikTok and Snapchat versus Facebook and Instagram.
• Ad revenues continue to climb regardless of the gloom and doom about reach — this highlights how Facebook ads are a staple of marketing at large.

Instagram demographics and usage

• Number of monthly active users: 2 billion
• Largest age group: 25-34 (31.2%), with 18-24 close behind at 31%
• Gender: 48.4% female, 51.8% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per day: 29 minutes

Takeaways from Instagram demographics for 2022

• The platform has quietly doubled their user base to 2 billion within three years, a staggering stat that proves Instagram’s staying power.
• As younger users migrate to TikTok, perhaps it’s fair to say that Instagram is no longer the “hip” network in the eyes of today’s teenagers.
• That said, Instagram maintains a firm hold on Gen Z and Millennials — these groups make up roughly two-thirds of their base.
• Recent Instagram stats and new Shopping features (like Drops) signal the platform’s shift to becoming an ecommerce hub.
• Reels are popular, but they couldn’t stop TikTok’s momentum in 2021 —the platform continues to peel influencers away from Instagram.

TikTok demographic data and usage

• Number of monthly active users: 1 billion
• Largest age group: 10-19 (25%)
• Gender: 61% female, 39% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per day: 89 minutes per day

Takeaways from TikTok demographics for 2022

• TikTok’s popularity and growth are unprecedented (~10x more users since our last social media demographics breakdown).
• Not only is the user base booming but also activity — users are spending nearly 90 minutes per day on the platform.
• Fact: nearly 40% of Gen Z say they’re directly influenced by products they see on TikTok and brands should take notice.
• As more and more brands get on board, we’re seeing influencers do the same.
• TikTok is ramping up and “maturing” to meet the needs of its users, including more advanced ads and CRM integrations.

Twitter demographics and usage

• Number of daily active users: 211 million (up from 187 million)
• Largest age group: 18-29 (42%)
• Gender: 38.4% female, 61.6% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per day: 31 minutes

Takeaways from Twitter demographics for 2022

• Twitter’s usage and growth have remained fairly consistent year-to-year, although its user-base is obviously skewing younger these days.
• Despite recent growth (up from 187 million users last year), research predicts that Twitter will lose about a million users to other platforms over the next five years.
• One-third of Twitter users are college-educated and make more than $75K annually, highlighting the platform’s highly-educated and high-earning base.
• Twitter’s status as a place to discuss events and gather breaking news make it a prime place to share content and drive discussions, but advertising is still tricky.
• While Fleets failed, renewed interest in Spaces could breathe some new life into the platform.

LinkedIn demographics and usage

• Number of monthly active users: 810 million
• Largest age group: 25-34 (58.4%)
• Gender: 48% female, 52% male
• 63% of LinkedIn users access the network weekly, and 22% daily

Takeaways from LinkedIn demographics for 2022

• Conventional wisdom might say that LinkedIn exclusively caters to an older audience, but now Millennials dominate the platform.
• LinkedIn reportedly experienced record revenue, driven by the platform’s growth during COVID-19 and increased interest in new jobs.
• The platform’s demographic of high-earning B2B professionals makes LinkedIn a potential goldmine for ads.
• According to LinkedIn themselves, it’s the top-rated social network for lead generation, making it a great source for B2B marketers looking to find targeted and motivated audiences for their campaigns.
• Given that only 180 million (25%) of LinkedIn’s users are located in the US, the platform has a massive international reach.

Pinterest demographics and usage

• Number of monthly active users 431 million
• Largest age group: 50-64 (38%)
• Gender: 78% female, 22% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per day: 14.2 minutes

Takeaways from Pinterest demographics for 2022

• Although Pinterest is largely considered female-dominated, the platform saw a surprising spike in male users during 2021.
• The platform’s core user base of 400+ Pinners continues to hold steady (and ad revenues are actually up from where they were a couple of years ago).
• Pinterest is perhaps the most produced-focused of any social network, signaling big opportunities for ads (hint: 45% of Pinterest users have a household income of $100,000+).
• Shopping-centric organic content is fair game, too  — almost 70% of users say they trust Pinterest and it’s their favorite place to research products.
• Pinterest’s social media demographic data is unique as their users are almost evenly split age-wise — 18-29 (32%), 30-49 (34%) and the largest demo is 50-64 (38%). Interesting crowd!

Snapchat demographic data and usage

• Number of monthly active users: 319 million
• Largest age group: 15-25 (48%)
• Gender: 54.4% female, 44.6% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per day: 25+ minutes

Takeaways from Snapchat demographics for 2022

• Although Snapchat may not be the most talked-about or “trendy” network anecdotally, the platform saw growth during 2021.
• Snapchat is still huge with the younger crowd, although it recently lost its top spot as teenagers’ go-to network.
• Even if you aren’t active on Snapchat, it’s a prime place for trendspotting and learning what younger consumers want.
• With 57% YoY revenue growth (breaking the $1 billion barrier), Snapchat isn’t going anywhere yet.

YouTube demographics and usage

• Number of monthly active users: 2+ billion
• Largest age group: 15-35 (highest reach)
• Gender: 46% female, 54% male (no data on other genders)
• Time spent per session: ~30 minutes

Takeaways from YouTube demographics for 2022

• YouTube’s popularity among younger users highlights the ongoing, long-term shift toward video content.
• Marketers note that YouTube is still a sort of land of opportunity advertising-wise, viewing it as a place to put their ad dollars in the future versus the likes of Facebook (hint: YouTube’s ad revenue increased 43% YoY).
• This revenue growth signals not only the platform’s influence as a social network but also as a go-to streaming service.
• Given that 62% of YouTube’s users log into the platform daily, the platform has no problems with engagement and retention.
• Still, the majority of users claim to use YouTube for entertainment rather than to find brands and products. Brands still have a lot of work to do on the platform, finding a balance between entertainment and advertising.

Are social media demographics part of your strategy?

Keep in mind that this data is generalized across billions of users and serves as a starting point for brands looking to prioritize their social platforms.

If you’re looking to expand your reach, we recommend looking into the demographic data from your own social presence to see how it compares to the averages above.

Whether these numbers confirm what you already suspected or serve as eye-openers, make sure to bookmark them as you iron out your social strategy for 2022.

And speaking of which, make sure to check out our free social media templates to keep you organized every step of the way.