A recent study shows that nearly five billion people, accounting for over 60% of the world’s population, are now active on social media platforms. This represents an increase of 3.7% compared to last year, according to the digital consultancy firm, Kepios, in its latest quarterly report.
The number of social media users is nearing the total number of internet users, which stands at 5.19 billion, comprising 64.5% of the global population.
However, there is a significant disparity across different regions of the world. For instance, in East and Central Africa, only one in every 11 people use social media. In contrast, in India, which this year officially became the world’s most populous country, one in three people are social media users.
The study also reveals an increase in the amount of time people spend on social media platforms, with an average user now spending 2 hours and 26 minutes daily, an increase of two minutes compared to previous measurements.
Again, there are notable disparities, with Brazilians spending an average of 3 hours and 49 minutes daily on social media, while Japanese users spend less than an hour.
On average, each user has accounts on seven social networks. Four of the most popular apps globally belong to Meta Networks, which owns WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.
China, on the other hand, is home to three of the most widespread apps in the world: WeChat, TikTok, and Douyin, which is a version of TikTok for users in China.
