Facebook’s Demographics for Your Strategy in 2021 (1/2)

Facebook's demographics

If your Facebook friends list consists of your aunt, your boss, your ex-boyfriend, and your hairdresser, you probably already know that Facebook’s demographics are far-reaching.

Yep, it seems like no matter who or where you are, you probably have at least one Facebook account. However take a closer look at the numbers, and you’ll discover a more complicated picture of who uses Facebook — and how usage has shifted over the last 17 years.

With constant product updates — and plenty of legal turmoil — there’s always a brand new factor at play in the world of Facebook. (It’s a thrill a minute over there!)

So if you have plans to make use of Facebook to connect with customers, boost sales, or break into new markets, it’s very important to stay on top of the latest Facebook user demographics. Here are the latest and greatest stats.

27 Facebook user demographics you should know in 2021

1. Facebook has more than 2.74 billion active users every month

Facebook’s newest figures show more than 2.74 billion users — that’s a rise of 12%, year over year. (And, a hard truth, more than the entire population of India and China combined.)

Every day, there are more than 1.82 million people active on Facebook. That figure can also be up from 2019, marking a 12% year-over-year increase.

2. Facebook estimates that at least 412 million accounts are fake or duplicate

Approximately 5% of Facebook’s worldwide monthly active users are fake accounts. In the second and third quarters of 2020, Facebook says that it disabled more than 2.8 billion fake accounts.

Another stunning stat? Approximately 11% of monthly active users are duplicate accounts: that’s around 275 million profiles.

3. Facebook’s ad revenues grew 22% year-over-year

Between July and September in 2020, Facebook says that its advertising growth rate was up 22% from the previous year. It’s a reflection of the way this platform has thrived during a time of increased online interaction.

Marketers can reach 32% of the population (aged 13 and older) with Facebook advertising, so get in there!

Forecasts recommend growth will remain steady in 2021. As Facebook’s chief financial officer, David Wehner, said in a recent earnings report, “Looking ahead to 2021, we continue to face a big amount of uncertainty. We believe the pandemic has contributed to an acceleration in the shift of commerce from offline to online, and we experienced a growing demand for advertising because of this acceleration.”

Sounds like the ad marketplace is going to be a bit busy, so you’d better brush up on those Facebook marketing skills.

4. Most adults log on to their Facebook account every day

The average U.S. adult spends an average of 34 minutes every day on the platform.

Facebook's demographics. chart showing average time spent per day growth on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat

Source: eMarketer

Those minutes add up pretty quickly when you think about that 73% of U.S. Facebook users check the platform every day, and 93% use it weekly.

5. Six in 10 U.S. adults use Facebook

According to Edison Research, 63% of U.S. adults over the age of 12 use the social network.

Facebook's demographics.Facebook usage total U.S. population over 12

6. Facebook reaches the biggest number of users aged 13-17

Tik Tok has been hailed as the newest teen craze, however, Facebook still corners the social market when it comes to reaching teenagers around the world.

Research from Hootsuite and We Are Social reveals that the platform can reach upward of 109 million teenagers. On Snapchat, the highest reach among teenagers is 71 million.  The number of Instagram reach for the 13 to 17 age range is 56.6 million.

However, Facebook’s youth advertising audience may be shrinking. The company’s advertising tools show that marketers have access to about 10 million fewer teenagers compared to the last year.

7. Facebook is used by people of all ages

Some social media platforms tend to be popular with specific age groups. Take LinkedIn for example, which unsurprisingly, is hottest among U.S. adults between 25 to 49 years old.

Facebook, on the other hand, has a fairly even spread of users throughout most age groups.

For instance, 24% of Facebook’s advertising audience is in the 18-24 range, and 10.4% are in the 45-54 range. It’s a real family affair!

Facebook's demographics. chart: facebook advertising reach by gender and age

Source: Hootsuite Digital 2020

8. Seniors are the smallest, however fastest-growing Facebook age demographic

Across all social media platforms, signups tend to drop off with age. That’s true on Facebook, too. People over the age of 55 are less likely to be on Facebook than younger generations.

However, seniors additionally occur to be the fastest-growing age demographic on the positioning. In line with Pew Analysis Middle, the share of older People on the platform has more than doubled since 2012.

At the moment, users 55 and older make up over 10% of Facebook’s advertising viewers. When it comes to Facebook age demographics, this trend will likely rise as the middle-aged population ages into the senior sector.

9. Facebook is the most popular social media platform among seniors

Seniors may be Facebook’s smallest age group in the US, however, they flock to Facebook in larger numbers than other social sites.

Among Americans 65 and older, 46% use Facebook. Compare that with 38% on YouTube, 15% on Pinterest, and 11% on LinkedIn.

Here’s another hard truth: data shows older people share more fake news on Facebook.

10. Globally, more men use Facebook than women

A study of global Facebook users from Statista shows that 56% of Facebook users over the age of 13 are male. Male users between the ages of 25 and 34 years old are the most important demographic on the platform overall.

Facebook's demographics

In the U.S., however, women are the higher user demographic.

11. Women usually tend to create meaningful Facebook Groups

Based on Facebook, women are 40% more likely to create groups that become meaningful to people.

Women also organize nearly 70% of all fundraisers on Facebook.

12. People who feel their use of Facebook is problematic are likely to be young men

The latest study by Facebook researchers set out to understand the negative effects of social media and inform the design of supportive tools.

The report, entitled “Understanding Perceptions of Problematic Facebook Use,” finds that people who find their Facebook use troublesome are likely to be young men going through a difficult period, such as a break-up.

In terms of behavior, they usually spend more time on Facebook, especially at night. Rather than scrolling through the News Feed, they’re likely looking at profiles and messaging friends more frequently.

Ironically, people who find their use of Facebook problematic also rate the network as valuable to them.

13. Facebook is the most popular social network in rural areas

About three-in-four U.S. adults who use Facebook live in the city. However suburban and rural residents also use Facebook in pretty equal numbers.

More interestingly, compared to other social channels, Facebook has the highest penetration in rural areas. Approximately 66% of U.S. adults in rural regions use Facebook. That’s followed by YouTube with 64%, then Pinterest where the number drops off to 26%.

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