Over the past year, more than 215 million people have joined the social media space, pushing the total number of users to a whopping 4.95 billion, or 61% of the global population. And while the total number of social media users has risen to all-time highs, the average time they spend on these platforms has actually dropped.
According to data presented by OnlyAccounts.io, as of October 2023, internet users spent an average of two hours and 24 minutes each day on social media, or nearly five minutes less than last year.
TikTok is Still the Most Used Social Media Platform, with an Average 33 Hour Monthly Usage Time
The number of social media users is growing faster than the global internet population. Data Reportal Digital 2023 Global Statshot Report shows around 215 million people have joined the social media space since 2022, representing a 4.5% increase year-over-year. At the same time, internet users have grown by 189 million or 3.7% YoY, with now 5.3 billion people worldwide using the internet.
And while the social media landscape is seeing a decade of continuous user growth, the time people spend on social media platforms shows a different trend. Last year, social media users spent an average of two hours and 30 minutes daily using social media, five minutes more than this year. However, not all social media platforms have seen a decline.
Statistics show TikTok remained the most used platform in the social media space, with an average monthly usage time of 33 hours and 28 minutes, or ten hours more than last year. YouTube ranked second with 27 hours and 26 minutes. Facebook was the third most used social media platform in 2023. However, its monthly usage time significantly dropped. According to the survey, Android users worldwide spent an average of 18 hours and 50 minutes using its platform each month, almost an hour less than last year.
Unlike Facebook, Instagram saw its usage time increase by almost four hours to an average of 15 hours and 50 minutes per month, ranking fourth on this list. Twitter followed with four hours and 52 minutes, or nearly half an hour less than last year.
Nigerians Spend the Most Time on the Social Media, Japanese the Least
The DataReportal survey also showed huge regional differences in social media usage time. Statistics show Nigerians spend the most time on social media platforms, or an average of three hours and 49 minutes daily. Brazilians follow with only five minutes less than that. Kenya, the Philippines, and South Africa follow, with around three and a half hours each.
Americans stand close to the world`s average, with two hours and 15 minutes spent on social media each day. Britons spend almost half an hour less than that, ranking somewhere in the middle of this list. Unlike these nations, the Japanese seem to have the slightest interest in social media platforms. As of October 2023, the Japanese spent an average of 49 minutes on social media daily, the shortest time globally and the only nation with an average spending time of less than an hour.
