Social Media Statistics 2026: Usage by Platform, Age and Country
YouTube and Facebook are the most used social platforms in the US. 84% of US adults use YouTube and 70% use Facebook in 2026, according to Pew Research Center. Social media is now the top route to news worldwide. 54% of people across 48 markets used social and video networks for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
Key statistics
- 84% of US adults said they ever use YouTube in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
- 70% of US adults said they ever use Facebook in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
- 54% of people across 48 markets used social media and video networks for news in 2026, ahead of news websites and apps at 51%, according to the Reuters Institute.
- 67% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU took part in social networks in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- Instagram had the widest age gap of any major platform in the US in 2026, 58 points between adults aged 18 to 29 and those 65 and older, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
Social media statistics 2026
Four primary sources give the core picture for 2026. Pew covers US adults. Eurostat covers the EU. The Reuters Institute covers news use in 48 markets. Edison Research covers Americans aged 12 and older.
YouTube and Facebook still lead in the US. 84% of US adults use YouTube and 70% use Facebook, according to Pew. Both figures were almost flat against 2025. The big platforms have stopped growing because most adults already use them.
In Europe, 67% of people aged 16 to 74 took part in social networks in 2025, according to Eurostat. That measure is stricter than Pew's. It counts people who posted or had a profile in the last 3 months, not anyone who ever uses a site.
The biggest shift in 2026 is news. Social and video networks overtook news websites and apps as the most used route to online news, at 54% against 51%. 30% now call social media their main news source.
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84% of US adults said they ever use YouTube in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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70% of US adults said they ever use Facebook in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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67% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU took part in social networks in 2025, according to Eurostat.
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30% of people across 48 markets said social media and video networks were their main source of news in 2026, up from 22% five years earlier, according to the Reuters Institute.
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40% of US social media users aged 12 and older used Facebook most often in 2026, according to Edison Research at SSRS.
| Measure | Scope | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Ever use YouTube | US adults, 2026 | 84% |
| Ever use Facebook | US adults, 2026 | 70% |
| Took part in social networks in last 3 months | EU, ages 16 to 74, 2025 | 67% |
| Used social and video networks for news in last week | 48 markets, 2026 | 54% |
| Social and video networks are main news source | 48 markets, 2026 | 30% |
| Use Facebook most often | US social media users 12+, 2026 | 40% |
Social media usage by platform
Pew asks US adults which sites and apps they ever use. The ranking has barely moved in three years, but the smaller platforms are shifting.
The top three are stable. YouTube, Facebook and Instagram each moved by a point or less between 2024 and 2026. TikTok grew 4 points over the same two years but was flat in the last year, at 37%.
X is the clear decliner. Its US adult reach fell from 21% to 18% in one year, which puts it level with Nextdoor. YouTube now reaches 4.7 times as many US adults as X. See our X statistics page for the platform's own figures.
Edison Research gives a frequency view. 84% of Americans aged 12 and older used YouTube monthly in 2026 and 78% weekly. Pew's "ever use" figure for adults is also 84%, so most YouTube users are regular users.
Source: Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Social Media in 2026 (5,511 US adults, January to June 2026).
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51% of US adults said they ever use Instagram in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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37% of US adults said they ever use TikTok in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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33% of US adults said they ever use WhatsApp in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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31% of US adults said they ever use LinkedIn in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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26% of US adults said they ever use Snapchat in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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25% of US adults said they ever use Reddit in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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18% of US adults said they ever use X (formerly Twitter) in 2026, down from 21% in 2025, according to Pew Research Center.
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X lost 3 percentage points of US adult reach between 2025 and 2026, falling from 21% to 18%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: Pew share of US adults who ever use X: 18% (2026) minus 21% (2025) = -3 percentage points.
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TikTok gained 4 percentage points of US adult reach between 2024 and 2026, rising from 33% to 37%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: Pew share of US adults who ever use TikTok: 37% (2026) minus 33% (2024) = +4 points. Both surveys used the same web, mail and phone mode.
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YouTube reached 4.7 times as many US adults as X in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: 84% YouTube divided by 18% X = 4.67, rounded to 4.7.
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84% of Americans aged 12 and older used YouTube monthly in 2026, and 78% used it weekly, according to Edison Research at SSRS.
| Platform | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 85% | 84% | 84% |
| 70% | 71% | 70% | |
| 50% | 50% | 51% | |
| TikTok | 33% | 37% | 37% |
| 30% | 32% | 33% | |
| 32% | 31% | ||
| Snapchat | 27% | 25% | 26% |
| 24% | 26% | 25% | |
| X (formerly Twitter) | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Nextdoor | 18% |
Social media use by age
Age is the strongest dividing line in social media use. Pew and Eurostat both show it, on different measures.
Instagram has the widest age gap in the US. 79% of adults aged 18 to 29 use it, against 21% of those 65 and older. TikTok and Snapchat follow with gaps above 50 points. Read more on our TikTok statistics page.
Facebook is the exception. Its gap is only 10 points, and its peak is among 30 to 49 year olds at 78%. YouTube is the most used platform among adults 65 and older, at 65%.
Edison Research finds the same split. TikTok was the most used platform for Americans aged 12 to 34 in 2026, the choice of 29%. Facebook dominated among those 55 and older.
The EU gap is smaller in percentage terms but still large. 90% of 16 to 24 year olds took part in social networks in 2025, against 44% of 55 to 74 year olds. The older group is catching up. It rose from 32% in 2021.
Calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center 2026 data.
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79% of US adults aged 18 to 29 said they use Instagram in 2026, compared with 21% of those aged 65 and older, according to Pew Research Center.
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65% of US adults aged 18 to 29 said they use TikTok in 2026, compared with 11% of those aged 65 and older, according to Pew Research Center.
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56% of US adults aged 18 to 29 said they use Snapchat in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
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65% of US adults aged 65 and older said they use YouTube in 2026, the highest share of any platform in that age group, according to Pew Research Center.
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Instagram had the widest age gap of any major platform in the US in 2026, 58 points between adults aged 18 to 29 and those 65 and older, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: 18-29 minus 65+ share using each platform, 2026: Instagram 79-21=58, TikTok 65-11=54, Snapchat 56-4=52, Reddit 40-6=34, YouTube 95-65=30, LinkedIn 41-13=28, X 31-7=24, WhatsApp 37-20=17, Facebook 69-59=10.
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Facebook had the smallest age gap of the major US platforms in 2026, 10 points between adults aged 18 to 29 and those 65 and older, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: Facebook use: 69% of 18-29s minus 59% of 65+ = 10 points, the smallest gap among YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Reddit and X.
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29% of Americans aged 12 to 34 said TikTok was the social platform they used most in 2026, the top choice for that age group, according to Edison Research at SSRS.
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90% of people aged 16 to 24 in the EU took part in social networks in 2025, according to Eurostat.
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44% of people aged 55 to 74 in the EU took part in social networks in 2025, up from 32% in 2021, according to Eurostat.
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People aged 16 to 24 in the EU were 46 percentage points more likely to use social networks than those aged 55 to 74 in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 90.45% (16-24) minus 44.05% (55-74), EU27, 2025 = 46.4 points.
| Platform | 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 95% | 91% | 85% | 65% |
| 69% | 78% | 71% | 59% | |
| 79% | 64% | 41% | 21% | |
| TikTok | 65% | 45% | 31% | 11% |
| Snapchat | 56% | 33% | 13% | 4% |
| 40% | 35% | 18% | 6% | |
| 41% | 37% | 32% | 13% | |
| 37% | 39% | 36% | 20% | |
| X | 31% | 20% | 17% | 7% |
Social media for news statistics
The Reuters Institute surveys news use in 48 markets each year. 2026 is the first year social and video networks led all other online news sources.
54% of people across 48 markets used social and video networks for news in 2026. That beat news websites and apps at 51% and TV at 52%. The Reuters Institute notes the gap with TV is only 2 points and should be read with caution.
Facebook is still the biggest news platform at 43%. Our calculation shows it also turns the highest share of its reach into news use, at 64%. YouTube and Instagram are near 49%. People mostly meet news on these platforms while doing something else.
Young people have moved to Instagram. 42% of 18 to 24 year olds used it for news, more than any other social platform. TikTok news use varies widely. It was 10% in the US and 7% in the UK, but above half in Thailand and Kenya.
TikTok is the fastest grower. Its use for any purpose rose from 15% to 37% over five years, a gain of 22 points by our calculation. Trust lags use. Only 22% trusted news on social media in 2026, against 37% for news overall. 12% now get news only from social and video networks, double the 2020 level.
Source: Reuters Institute, Digital News Report 2026 (97,520 respondents in 48 markets).
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30% of people across 48 markets said social media and video networks were their main source of news in 2026, up from 22% five years earlier, according to the Reuters Institute.
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69% of people across 48 markets used YouTube for any purpose in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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67% of people across 48 markets used Facebook for any purpose in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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53% of people across 48 markets used Instagram for any purpose in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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37% of people across 48 markets used TikTok for any purpose in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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TikTok use for any purpose rose by 22 percentage points across Digital News Report markets over the five years to 2026, from 15% to 37%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Reuters Institute data.
How we calculated it: 37% (2026) minus 15% (five years earlier, as reported by the Reuters Institute) = 22 points.
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43% of people across 48 markets used Facebook for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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34% of people across 48 markets used YouTube for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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26% of people across 48 markets used Instagram for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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20% of people across 48 markets used TikTok for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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42% of 18 to 24 year olds across 48 markets used Instagram for news in 2026, making it the biggest social platform for news in that age group, according to the Reuters Institute.
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10% of people in the US and 7% in the UK used TikTok for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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Facebook had the highest ratio of news use to overall use among the big four networks in 2026, at 64%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Reuters Institute data.
How we calculated it: Weekly news use divided by any-purpose use, 48 markets, 2026: Facebook 43/67=64%, TikTok 20/37=54%, YouTube 34/69=49%, Instagram 26/53=49%. Assumes news users are a subset of each platform's users.
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Social media and video networks gained 8 percentage points as a main news source over the five years to 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Reuters Institute data.
How we calculated it: 30% naming social and video networks as main news source in 2026 minus 22% five years earlier = 8 points.
| Platform | Any purpose | For news | News use as share of any use |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 69% | 34% | 49% |
| 67% | 43% | 64% | |
| 53% | 26% | 49% | |
| TikTok | 37% | 20% | 54% |
Social media use by country
Eurostat publishes comparable social network figures for every EU country. Use differs by more than 30 points across the bloc.
Denmark leads the EU at 89.7% of people aged 16 to 74. Italy is lowest at 56.4%. 17 of the 27 member states are at 70% or more.
The EU average rose 10.4 points between 2021 and 2025, to 67.3%. Germany grew fastest among the large countries, up 12.6 points. It still sits near the bottom of the table at 59.2%.
Eurostat counts active participation, such as having a profile or posting. The definition is built around profiles and posting, so it is a measure of active use. Countries can look low on it while passive video viewing is high.
Source: Eurostat, isoc_ci_ac_i. People aged 16 to 74 who took part in social networks in the last 3 months.
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Denmark had the highest social network participation in the EU in 2025, at 89.7% of people aged 16 to 74, according to Eurostat.
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Italy had the lowest social network participation in the EU in 2025, at 56.4% of people aged 16 to 74, according to Eurostat.
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The gap between the highest and lowest EU countries for social network participation was 33.3 percentage points in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: Denmark 89.66% minus Italy 56.38% = 33.28 points.
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17 of the 27 EU countries had social network participation of 70% or more in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: EU members at or above 70% of 16-74s in 2025: Denmark, Cyprus, Malta, Finland, Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Latvia, Hungary, Sweden, Greece, Estonia, Bulgaria, France, Portugal, Lithuania, Czechia = 17 of 27.
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Social network participation in the EU rose by 10.4 percentage points between 2021 and 2025, from 56.8% to 67.3%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: EU27 share of people aged 16-74: 67.26% (2025) minus 56.84% (2021) = 10.42 points.
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Germany's social network participation rose by 12.6 percentage points between 2021 and 2025, from 46.6% to 59.2%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: Germany, people aged 16-74: 59.24% (2025) minus 46.60% (2021) = 12.64 points.
| Country | 2021 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 85.4% | 89.7% |
| Netherlands | 73.3% | 81.2% |
| Ireland | 69.1% | 79.9% |
| Sweden | 71.5% | 74.7% |
| Spain | 64.7% | 69.5% |
| EU average | 56.8% | 67.3% |
| Poland | 56.8% | 63.3% |
| Germany | 46.6% | 59.2% |
| Italy | 50.2% | 56.4% |
UK vs US social media use
Direct UK and US comparisons are hard because the main surveys ask different questions. The Reuters Institute is the one source here that covers both on the same basis.
On the same Reuters Institute question, TikTok news use was 10% in the US and 7% in the UK in 2026. Use of AI chatbots for news in the UK was the lowest of any market at 4%.
For the US, Pew shows clear splits beyond age. 51% of college graduates use LinkedIn, against 13% of adults with a high school education or less. 23% of men use X, against 14% of women.
We did not use Ofcom's 2026 UK reports on this page because they could not be fetched for this update. We will add UK platform figures from Ofcom at the next review.
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10% of people in the US and 7% in the UK used TikTok for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute.
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51% of US college graduates said they use LinkedIn in 2026, compared with 13% of adults with a high school education or less, according to Pew Research Center.
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23% of US men said they use X in 2026, compared with 14% of US women, according to Pew Research Center.
How these sources measure social media use
Each source counts a different thing. The labels on this page keep each one's own definition.
Pew asks a nationally representative sample of US adults whether they ever use each platform. Ever use is a broad measure. Pew changed its survey mode in 2023 and 2024, so compare years before and after with care. We only compare 2024 to 2026, which share one mode.
Eurostat measures people aged 16 to 74 who created a profile, posted or contributed on social networks in the last 3 months. It is an official survey run in every EU country with a common questionnaire.
The Reuters Institute runs an online survey of about 2,000 people per market. Online samples under-represent people who are not online, so figures for markets with low internet use are not national totals.
Edison Research surveyed 2,050 Americans aged 12 and older in January 2026. It reports which platform people use most, not only whether they use it. We did not use global user counts from data aggregators, which mix company figures with different definitions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most used social media platform?
YouTube in the US. 84% of US adults use it in 2026, according to Pew Research Center. Facebook is second at 70%. Across 48 markets, YouTube (69%) and Facebook (67%) are neck and neck, according to the Reuters Institute.
Is social media use growing or falling?
Overall use is flat in the US. YouTube and Facebook moved by a point or less between 2024 and 2026. In the EU, participation rose from 56.8% in 2021 to 67.3% in 2025, according to Eurostat.
Which social media platform is declining?
X. 18% of US adults used it in 2026, down from 21% in 2025, according to Pew. X news use among 18 to 24 year olds also fell to 15% across 48 markets.
Which country uses social media the most in Europe?
Denmark. 89.7% of people aged 16 to 74 took part in social networks in 2025, according to Eurostat. Italy was lowest at 56.4%.
How many people get news from social media?
54% of people across 48 markets used social and video networks for news in 2026, according to the Reuters Institute. 30% say it is their main news source, up from 22% five years earlier.
What social media do young people use most?
TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. 79% of US adults aged 18 to 29 use Instagram and 65% use TikTok, according to Pew. TikTok is the most used platform for Americans aged 12 to 34, according to Edison Research.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Social Media in 2026 (fact sheet), 19 October 2026, accessed 10 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Reuters Institute, Digital News Report 2026: Overview and key findings (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford), 16 June 2026, accessed 10 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Eurostat, Individuals - internet activities (isoc_ci_ac_i), participating in social networks, dataset updated 17 April 2026, accessed 10 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: CC BY 4.0
- Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026, 12 March 2026, accessed 10 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
Changes to this page
- : Page published with Pew Research Center data to 2026, Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, Eurostat data to 2025 and Edison Research Infinite Dial 2026.