Global Social Media Reaches 5.79 Billion Users as Ad Spend Heads Toward $339 Billion in 2026
As of April 2026, DataReportal reported that there are 5.79 billion social media users, representing 69.9% of the world’s population and 94.7% of those online, marking an increase of 294 million over the past year. On average, individuals dedicate 18 hours and 36 minutes each week to social media, with women aged 16 to 24 spending 25 hours and 45 minutes weekly. By June 2026, Meta's applications boasted 3.6 billion daily active users, with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp each exceeding 3 billion monthly users. TikTok ads reached 2.21 billion users, and Telegram surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in March 2025. Social media advertising expenditure is expected to hit $339 billion in 2026, while US social commerce sales surpassed $85 billion in 2025.
Key facts
- DataReportal counted 5.79 billion social media user identities in April 2026, or 69.9% of the global population
- Average weekly time on social media is 18 hours 36 minutes, more than 2.5 hours a day
- Meta's apps reached 3.6 billion daily active people in June 2026, up 3% year over year
- Statista projects $339 billion in global social media ad spending for 2026
- Meta recorded $196.2 billion in 2025 ad revenue, up 22%, while YouTube ads brought in $40.4 billion
- TikTok ads reach 2.21 billion users and its Android users average 1 hour 37 minutes a day
- TikTok Shop hit $64 billion in global gross merchandise value in 2025, up 94% year over year
- US social commerce sales passed $85 billion in 2025 and are forecast to top $100 billion in 2026
Entities
Institutions
- DataReportal
- Meta
- Statista
- eMarketer
- HubSpot
- Oracle
- Silver Lake
- MGX
- Accenture
- Goldman Sachs
- Voodoo
- Socialinsider
- Momentum Works
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Telegram
- Threads
- Snap
- BeReal
- TikTok Shop
- Colorlib
Locations
- China
- United States
- Southeast Asia
- Eastern Europe
- Middle East
- India