Global social media users increased by over 1.5 billion from 2019 to 2023. In the UK, 27% of adults worry these platforms harm mental health. This data details user growth, platform engagement, and regulatory responses.
Key Takeaways
- Global social media users grew from 3.02 billion in 2019 to 4.62 billion in 2023
- In India, 51% of individuals used social media in 2022
- In Indonesia, 56% of individuals used social media in 2022
- In 2023, 27% of adults in the UK worried social media harms mental health (Ofcom)
- In 2024, 1.18 billion accounts were potentially at risk from data leaks on social platforms (as tracked by RiskIQ)
- In 2022, 40% of global respondents reported seeing misinformation on social media at least weekly (UNESCO survey)
- TikTok reached 150 million monthly active users in the US (2023)
- Snapchat reached 422 million daily active users (2023)
- X (Twitter) had 556.8 million monthly active users in 2024
- Pinterest advertising revenue was $1.6 billion in 2023
- TikTok advertising revenue reached $1.2 billion in 2023 (US)
- Snap advertising revenue was $1.8 billion in 2023
- In the UK, Online Safety Act 2023 places duties on regulated services to reduce harmful content
- 4.74 billion people are projected to use social media worldwide in 2027
- 70% of adults in the UK say they use social media
Social media use keeps surging worldwide, but mental health harms and misinformation concerns are growing too.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Base5 stats
01
Global social media users grew from 3.02 billion in 2019 to 4.62 billion in 2023
02
In India, 51% of individuals used social media in 2022
03
In Indonesia, 56% of individuals used social media in 2022
04
In Brazil, 66% of individuals used social media in 2022
05
In France, 62% of individuals used social media in 2022
Interpretation
User Base Interpretation
From 3.02 billion global social media users in 2019 to 4.62 billion in 2023, the “User Base” picture shows rapid, continuing growth, reinforced by 51% to 66% social media use in countries like India through Brazil in 2022.
02 · Category
Safety, Misinformation & Regulation11 stats
01
In 2023, 27% of adults in the UK worried social media harms mental health (Ofcom)
02
In 2024, 1.18 billion accounts were potentially at risk from data leaks on social platforms (as tracked by RiskIQ)
03
In 2022, 40% of global respondents reported seeing misinformation on social media at least weekly (UNESCO survey)
04
In 2023, the EU received 1,700+ notifications of crisis in the context of Digital Services Act (DSA) enforcement (as reported by EC)
05
In 2023, YouTube reported removing billions of videos for policy violations (annual enforcement report)
06
In 2023, X reported taking action on 6.1 million reported accounts (transparency report)
07
In 2019, 1 in 3 (34%) of social media users reported negative effects (Ofcom survey)
08
In a meta-analysis, effect sizes of social media on adolescent depression were small on average (Hunt et al., 2018)
09
In a 2022 review, social media use was associated with increased depressive symptoms among adolescents (review)
10
In the EU, the DSA requires “very large online platforms” to provide risk assessments and mitigation measures (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065)
11
In 2023, the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation reported that 190 million pieces of content were removed or demoted in 2023 (as reported)
Interpretation
Safety, Misinformation & Regulation Interpretation
Across Safety, Misinformation & Regulation, the scale is clear as misinformation reaches 40% of global users at least weekly in 2022 while enforcement keeps climbing, with the EU logging 1,700+ DSA crisis notifications in 2023 and platforms like YouTube removing billions of videos and X acting on 6.1 million reported accounts.
03 · Category
Use & Engagement6 stats
01
TikTok reached 150 million monthly active users in the US (2023)
02
Snapchat reached 422 million daily active users (2023)
03
X (Twitter) had 556.8 million monthly active users in 2024
04
WhatsApp had 2.0 billion monthly active users in 2023
05
Reddit users averaged 5.8 hours per month on the platform in 2023
06
YouTube users watch 1 billion hours of video per day
Interpretation
Use & Engagement Interpretation
For Social Health’s Use and Engagement, billions are actively spending time and attention across platforms, from WhatsApp’s 2.0 billion monthly active users and YouTube’s 1 billion hours watched daily to Reddit users averaging 5.8 hours per month, showing engagement at scale across the major social apps.
04 · Category
Economics & Market7 stats
01
Pinterest advertising revenue was $1.6 billion in 2023
02
TikTok advertising revenue reached $1.2 billion in 2023 (US)
03
Snap advertising revenue was $1.8 billion in 2023
04
Instagram advertising is reported to generate a majority of Meta’s ad revenue (2023)
05
The global influencer marketing industry is forecast to reach $24.2 billion in 2025
06
Major ad spend on social media is concentrated in the US and Western Europe
07
In 2022, 73% of marketers planned to use influencer marketing
Interpretation
Economics & Market Interpretation
In the Economics & Market lens, social platforms are driving billions in advertising revenue and this momentum is amplified by influencer marketing growth to a projected $24.2 billion by 2025, from Pinterest’s $1.6 billion in 2023 and Snap’s $1.8 billion to TikTok’s $1.2 billion, with spending heavily concentrated in the US and Western Europe.
05 · Category
Safety, Misinification & Regulation1 stats
01
In the UK, Online Safety Act 2023 places duties on regulated services to reduce harmful content
Interpretation
Safety, Misinification & Regulation Interpretation
In the safety, misinformation, and regulation space, the UK Online Safety Act 2023 sets new duties on regulated services to cut harmful content, signaling a clear shift toward stricter online accountability starting from 2023.
More related reading
06 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
4.74 billion people are projected to use social media worldwide in 2027
02
70% of adults in the UK say they use social media
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
Under the User Adoption category, social media use is set to reach about 4.74 billion people worldwide by 2027, building on the already high 70% of UK adults who currently use it.
07 · Category
Platform Behavior2 stats
01
For 18–29 year olds in the UK, 46% get news from social media at least sometimes (2024)
02
Average weekly reach of TikTok among UK adults was 60% in 2024
Interpretation
Platform Behavior Interpretation
For Platform Behavior, UK audiences are turning to social platforms for news and attention, with 46% of 18–29 year olds getting news from social media at least sometimes in 2024 and TikTok reaching 60% of UK adults weekly in 2024.
08 · Category
Risk & Safety2 stats
01
56% of people who use social media in the UK say they have seen content they consider harmful at least once
02
13% of UK adults who use social media say they have been personally affected by harmful content
Interpretation
Risk & Safety Interpretation
From a Risk & Safety perspective, 56% of UK social media users have encountered harmful content at least once, and 13% say it has personally affected them.
09 · Category
Mental Well Being5 stats
01
33% of US teens say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies
02
36% of US teens report that social media use negatively affects their sleep
03
25% of adolescents in a 2022 systematic review experienced increased depressive symptoms associated with social media use
04
A 2018 meta-analysis found the average association between social media use and adolescent depressive symptoms was small (standardized mean difference reported)
05
In a 2021 nationally representative study, adolescents reporting high social media use had 1.3x higher odds of depressive symptoms
Interpretation
Mental Well Being Interpretation
Overall, mental well being appears to be meaningfully strained for a substantial minority of young people, with rates like 36% reporting worsened sleep and 25% experiencing increased depressive symptoms from social media use, reinforced by findings that high use is linked to 1.3 times higher odds of depressive symptoms.
10 · Category
Enforcement & Governance3 stats
01
2.9 billion monthly active users were recorded on Facebook in 2023
02
The EU Digital Services Act entered into application for VLOPs starting 2023, covering platforms with 45 million+ monthly EU users
03
In 2023, the UK Online Safety Act received Royal Assent, becoming law on 26 October 2023
Interpretation
Enforcement & Governance Interpretation
As major online platforms reach massive scale with 2.9 billion monthly active users on Facebook in 2023, enforcement and governance is tightening rapidly through tools like the EU Digital Services Act covering VLOPs with 45 million or more monthly EU users and the UK Online Safety Act that became law on 26 October 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Social media’s reach is expanding worldwide
Global social media usage has continued to grow, while regional adoption varies widely.
3.02
Global social media users grew from 3.02 billion in 2019 to 4.62 billion in 2023
51%
In India, 51% of individuals used social media in 2022
56%
In Indonesia, 56% of individuals used social media in 2022
66%
In Brazil, 66% of individuals used social media in 2022
62%
In France, 62% of individuals used social media in 2022
4.74
4.74 billion people are projected to use social media worldwide in 2027
source-verifiedstatista.com · datareportal.com2027
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Social Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/social-health-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Social Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/social-health-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Social Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/social-health-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)