Facebook Statistics: A View From the Top of the Online Heap

Dusan Vasic

Updated: May 5, 2023

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Facebook’s position seems unassailable. Worldwide, more than 25% of us have accounts, and time-spent-on-Facebook statistics show that hundreds of millions log on every day to check in with friends and read the news.

Facebook is not the first community to dominate the online world. Before Facebook there was Friendster. MySpace. America Online. CompuServe. If the history of the internet has taught us anything, it is that even the most popular online communities don’t last forever.

Can Facebook evolve quickly enough to stay on top? Or will it be eclipsed in turn?

The answer may lie in the timely, verified Facebook statistics we present here.

Key Facebook Statistics

• Facebook users spend an average of 58 minutes per day on the platform.

• There are 2.45 billion monthly active Facebook users.

• The average cost-per-click on Facebook is $1.86.

• 300 million people use Facebook Stories on a daily basis.

• Facebook deleted 2.2 billion fake accounts during the first quarter of 2019.

• Facebook users have made more than 2.5 trillion posts.

• Facebook’s annual ad revenue is expected to reach $94.7 billion by 2021.

• Visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared.

• Nearly half of Americans rely on Facebook as a primary news source.

• Four in 10 users have taken a break from Facebook.

Facebook Usage Statistics

Facebook statistics reveal that usage rates are dropping in the United States. Questions around its stance on political ads, ongoing privacy scandals, and the threat of government regulation fuel skepticism about the company’s services.

Worldwide, however, the Facebook facts are different. These Facebook usage statistics will help you achieve a better understanding of worldwide usage of this popular platform.

As of September 2019, 2.45 billion post a status message or click the Like button at least once a month.

(Statista)

How many users does Facebook have? Despite the ongoing public relations crisis, Facebook’s worldwide user base kept growing in 2019. Facebook statistics show 1.65% growth over 2018.

To put things into perspective: It was during the third quarter of 2012 that Facebook first hit 1 billion users. It was the first social media platform to do so.

74% of users log in to Facebook daily.

(Pew Research Center)

Many of us log in to Facebook first thing in the morning. It’s probably the last thing you do before bed too.

According to Pew Research Center’s statistics about Facebook users, nearly three-quarters of users can’t go a day without checking this app. More than half (51%) log in at least twice a day. Pew says only 9% log in less than once per week.

Facebook users spend an average of 58 minutes per day on the platform.

(Broadband Search)

To keep users glued to their screens, Facebook has introduced many exciting features with recent Facebook updates, including Watchlist and Group Feed. Time-spent-on-Facebook statistics continue to rise.

300 million people use Facebook Stories on a daily basis.

(Facebook)

This is far less than the 500 million users who use Instagram Stories every day, but Facebook’s audience is still growing. And considering that Facebook owns Instagram, there’s a sense in which those stories are Facebook Stories too.

Facebook’s designers created the Facebook Stories feature to accommodate fast-paced content that is mostly visual, not textual.

Facebook statistics show that the format has been particularly popular among marketers, who use it as an alternative to Facebook Live. This may help explain why Facebook Live statistics show a slow, steady decline. Stories seem to be replacing Facebook Live.

Nearly half of Americans say they get their news from Facebook.

(Pew Research Center)

There are many discussions on Facebook’s impact as a source of news, especially news about politics. Recently, Twitter and Google announced measures to fight the spread of fake news in political posts.

Facebook has said only that it will introduce a dedicated operations center that will be in charge of monitoring activities across all social media platforms of the company. It has specifically said that it will not fact-check claims made by politicians and political campaigns.

Facebook site statistics show that the platform is increasingly used by newsmakers and media companies to share their points of view with the public.

Facebook’s status as a de facto news publisher means brands can use the platform to announce product launches and run all types of marketing campaigns.

54% of Americans have adjusted their privacy settings in 2018.

(Pew Research Center)

About four in 10 say specifically that they’ve decided to adjust their privacy settings in response to the data breaches of 2018. In a Pew survey of 10,000 Facebook users, 42% said they had taken a break from checking their Facebook accounts for several weeks.

Statistics on Facebook users show that such breaks are not uncommon. About 26% of users report having deleted the app in the past, and 74% say they have taken a break or stopped using the service entirely during the past year.

Facebook deleted 2.2 billion fake accounts during the first quarter of 2019.

(Vox)

Facebook discloses such actions in its periodic Community Standards Reports. The company began publishing the reports in an effort to improve its public image by boosting transparency.

Facebook app statistics show that the company is deleting more fake accounts all the time – 1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2018 and 750,000 in the first quarter of 2017.

Facebook says fake Facebook accounts are usually commercially motivated, but they are also behind fake news and even advertising fraud. The company is optimistic about reducing this activity, but not confident that it can be completely removed.

15% of US Facebook users shop on the platform regularly.

(eMarketer)

Facebook hosts more than 80 million small businesses whose products are promoted in about 30% of their posts.

While the company says individual purchases are private and personal, Facebook statistics show the Facebook app has risen to second place when it comes to shopping via social media. Only Pinterest users shop at a higher rate (47%).

96% of Facebook users access their accounts via mobile devices.

(Statista)

It was in late 2015 that Facebook page traffic statistics showed that mobile users outnumbered desktop users for the very first time. Since then, we have been living in a mobile world. Facebook consistently ranks as one of the most downloaded apps worldwide.

Statistics on Facebook users show that 25% open the app using PCs and laptops, while 16% of them use tablet devices.

Users of Facebook have made 2.5 trillion posts.

(TechCrunch)

Facebook statistics for 2019 show that every minute, users make 510,000 comments and 293,000 status updates.

The world’s four most downloaded apps are all owned by Facebook.

(BBC)

Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram are all Facebook properties. One reason for their popularity? They’re free apps. Cost-free applications dominate the top spots at all the internet’s app stores.

Experts and elected officials worry that the company’s detailed records of user traits, interests, and behavior make Facebook a potential threat that should be broken up or subjected to strict government regulation. Facebook app statistics demonstrate, however, that users are happy to trade away some privacy in return for using the apps.

Facebook Advertising Statistics

Facebook ad statistics demonstrate that marketers find the platform a great place to advertise and sell products. Marketers from all parts of the world are increasing their spending on Facebook ads. The company sold $16.6 billion worth of ads during the fourth quarter of 2018 – a 30% increase over the same period in 2017. Advertising accounts for a great majority of Facebook revenue.

Facebook statistics on users show that 1.25 billion people spend an average of 58 minutes on Facebook every single day. That’s a huge opportunity for advertisers.

However, the secret, ever-changing Facebook News Feed algorithm makes connecting with qualified potential buyers tricky. That’s why Facebook introduced targeting and micro-targeting features that let advertisers reach precisely the users they wish.

Facebook advertising statistics show that the world’s largest social networking site has also become an essential part of practically every company’s advertising strategy.

The average cost-per-click on Facebook is $1.86.

(Fit Small Business)

Like Google, Facebbok sells advertising at different pricing tiers. Prices vary according to multiple factors, including bidding competition, ad quality, and ranking.

Facebook costs statistics show that ad prices can vary from the standard CPC of $1.86 to more than $5, depending on the type of the ad, competition, and audience. Even the smallest businesses find it easy to justify spending $500, $1,500, or more on monthly Facebook advertising.

94% of Facebook’s advertising revenue comes from mobile.

(Facebook)

Facebook mobile statistics show that 94% of the company’s overall advertising income is attributed to mobile advertising. The company brought in $15.6 billion in mobile ads in the second quarter of 2019 – a 12% rise over the previous quarter.

There are 7 million advertisers on Facebook.

(Statista)

If privacy scandals and data leaks have slowed Facebook’s growth, it’s hard to see. Even during the worst public relations nightmares, the user base – and revenue – kept growing.

In April 2017, Facebook announced it had 5 million advertisers. By the time November came knocking on the door, statistics on Facebook ads pointed to 6 million. Scandals come and go, but Facebook advertising seems here to stay. Facebook reported in 2019 that it had reached 7 million total advertisers.

Facebook ads with titles of precisely four words perform the best.

(AdEspresso)

Marketers are always wondering: What makes the best headline? Which words lead to the highest click rates and the most sales?

Statistics reveal at least part of the answer. It turns out that a four-word headline is the perfect recipe for attracting Facebook demographics.

In 2015, Facebook post statistics showed that the average title consisted of seven to 10 words on average, but titles have shrunk since then. Ad text has shrunk too. Trends suggest that sticking to messages of 15 to 19 words will help marketers succeed with the low-attention-span-only generation.

The average marketer posts 8 times per day.

(Social Media Examiner)

Marketers know that missing an opportunity to engage the audience is a big mistake. They follow the data on active Facebook users, tracking when and how often they average Facebook user logs in.

Facebook traffic statistics show that spamming customers with brand notifications and product updates is not a part of smart marketing strategy, however. That’s why smart marketers combine consistent eight-posts-per-day updates with Facebook ads.

Facebook ad spending increases between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends.

(Buffer)

Advertising on Facebook can be very confusing. Advertisers must think about targeting their audience, making sure potential customers will see and click on their posts.

Marketers argue about the best time for brands to post on Facebook. It seems like every other day there is a new revelation about statistics on Facebook and a corresponding new marketing approach.

The most recent speculation is that the weekends are the best time to post. Analysts say marketers should post sometime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. However, other Facebook statistics show that posting on Thursday afternoons is a better strategy.

All of these studies can be helpful, but the fact is that the best time for posting depends on a number of factors, including the products and services that marketers are selling and the location of the Facebook users they target.

Visual content is 40x times more likely to be shared.

(HubSpot)

Facebook video statistics emphasize the importance of visual content on all social media platforms. Videos and other visual content help individual posts stand out from the crowd.

Social media will never be one size that fits all. Different visual content works better in different industries. But no matter the industry, visual content has proved effective in helping attract users of Facebook and make a memorable impression.

Page posts on Facebook have a 2.6% organic reach on average.

(Adweek)

Facebook traffic statistics demonstrate that company and brand pages don’t have much organic reach. The average reach varies from 2.27% to 2.6%. Pages with more likes tend to deliver lower reach.

Figures like these suggest that paying Facebook app for ad exposure is the best way to reach the biggest number of potential buyers.

Facebook’s total annual ad revenue is expected to reach $39.4 billion in 2021.

(Statista)

Facebook ads statistics make it clear that Facebook generates most of its revenue through advertising, since other payments and fees come to merely $825 million per year.

If ad growth continues at the current pace, not only will Facebook net worth increase significantly, but ad revenue will grow from $23.7 billion in 2018 to $39.4 billion in 2021.

Facebook User Statistics

Seven in 10 Americans rely on social media apps to connect with one another, find news content, share information, and entertain themselves. Although statistics on Facebook users show a slight decrease in the US user base over the past two years, the company’s overall growth has not slowed.

These Facebook user statistics highlight Facebook’s demographics and the reasons Facebook continues to have a bright future.

26.3% of the world’s population uses Facebook.

(Statista)

Facebook would be an irresistible advertising and marketing platform on the basis of that statistic alone – where else can you reach a quarter of the world’s population? But Facebook offers much more. It collections endless amounts of information on each user, allowing marketers to target very specific subsets at an affordable price. It is no wonder that Facebook accounts for a bigger share of the advertising pie every year. Advertising on Facebook is a smart thing to do if you want to sell more products and services.

Facebook statistics reveal that more than half of Americans use Facebook several times a day.

(Statista)

The number of American adults who visit the Facebook page at least once a day is higher than the number of users who visit other popular platforms such as Instagram or Snapchat.

According to Facebook addiction statistics, 52% of Americans say they visit the site a couple times a day. Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp is in second place: 44% of American adults admit to using it twice a day.

19% of active Facebook users are men between 25 and 34 years old.

(Statista)

Slicing and dicing into gender and age categories reveals that the highest number of Facebook users – 19% – consists of men between 25 and 34 years of age. Facebook diversity statistics show that 13% of women in that age bracket use the platform.

The highest number of Facebook users is in India, which has more than 260 million active users.

(Statista)

A consistent statistic on users of social media apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook is that more and more users are located in India. This country is going through fundamental sociological transitions based on gender roles, politics, and the rapid spread of technology – including social media networks.

Roughly half of US teens are frequent Facebook users.

(Pew Research Center)

The Facebook platform used to be dominant among US teens, and nearly three quarters of US teens used to be frequent Facebook users. In recent years, young people have turned to alternatives like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat to connect with peers. However, Facebook statistics on teens show that over 51% of them are still regular users.

Seniors are the fastest-growing group on Facebook.

(eMarketer)

Across all social media channels, signups generally get lower with age. Users over the age of 50 are usually not tech-savvy. Many have troubles navigating modern platforms.

The elderly are the fastest growing age group on Facebook, however. Facebook statistics by age show that the number of seniors on the platform has more than doubled since 2012. Omnicore reports that 72% of Americans between 50 and 64 years old have Facebook accounts, and 64% of those 65 and over.

Women are 40% more likely to create Facebook groups based on charitable and social causes.

(Facebook)

Facebook group statistics show that women have stepped up and begun to influence their communities with women-led Facebook groups addressing noble causes. Many charitable organizations have been found in Facebook groups, and the company reports that women are 40% more likely to attract an audience with their meaningful and engaging posts.

In addition to charities, women have spoken up about significant causes like #timesup andr #metoo. Facebook friend statistics show that groups give everyone a chance to connect and start conversations about momentous life events, interests, causes, and more.

Facebook data and relationship statistics alilke point out that young men often feel their use of Facebook has become problematic.

(Facebook)

People spend a lot of time online, checking out Facebook images, Facebook videos, News Feeds, and more. For the most part, these activities are harmless recreation. However, some users find their use of social media platforms can have bad effects on their sleep schedules, work, relationships, and general life.

Research suggests that young males going through stressful events like breakups are particularly susceptible to this kind of problematic use. Facebook stalking statistics show that their time on the platform can double and that the users themselves label their usage problematic.

73% of Facebook users live in urban areas.

(Pew Research Center)

Facebook user demographics show that 73% of urban residents visit the site frequently, while only 66% of those in rural areas are regular users.

Although Facebook demographic statistics continue to show higher usage rates among urban residents, the percentage of users in rural areas has been climbing.

Facebook’s user growth in Europe bounced back in 2019.

(Facebook)

Verifying a perceived Facebook decline, statistics about European use showed a significant drop in 2017. Experts suggested that Europe’s GDPR data-privacy law and associated regulations would retard Facebook’s growth. However, the platform bounced back in 2019 and analysts now forecast continued robust growth of the Facebook user base.

In the third quarter of 2019, Facebook statistics revealed 288 million daily active users in Europe, up from 274 million two years earlier.

Nearly half of Facebook users who are active at least once a month come from the Asia-Pacific region.

(Facebook)

Although the Asia-Pacific region is home to nearly half the world’s monthly active Facebook users, only 38% of daily active Facebook users can be found there.

These statistics on Facebook users are doubly impressive considering that Facebook – and other social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube – is banned in China.

Roughly half of Facebook users speak a language other than English.

(Facebook)

According to Facebook statistics, more than 100 languages are used on this platform. Giving everyone a pleasant online experience can become a challenge with this number of preferred languages. Facebook employs machine learning and natural-language processing routines to support its multilingual efforts. The AI systems also detect and remove policy-violating content regardless of language, and they serve the Facebook community by helping to adjust recommendations and suggestions to match local norms and preferences.

Four in 10 people report that they have taken a break of several weeks or months from Facebook.

(Pew Research Center)

Many people find that a little digital detox is a good thing.

Pew found that users left Facebook temporarily or permanently when efforts to compile Facebook statistics on users went awry. Many said they were not comfortable with the platform’s assumptions about their race, age, gender, or interests. In a survey focused on the Facebook user base, 51% of respondents said they don’t feel comfortable that Facebook compiles lists of their interests and hobbies. Among those who checked, 27% said Facebook’s list had nothing to do with their real-life interests.

Privacy Abuses & Data Scandals: A Timeline

We’re sorry. That was the biggest Facebook Ad campaign ever, and it was launched after the most recent of the company’s many privacy mishaps. Here is a history of Facebook’s failures in ensuring the privacy of user data.

The Early 2000s

Within two years of existence, Facebook statistics showed that ensuring privacy will emerge as one of the company’s biggest challenges. In 2006, Facebook launched the News Feed feature. Users protested that the News Feed violated their privacy, mainly because it didn’t offer an off-switch.

In 2007, Facebook launched its Beacon program. Beacon collected details about users’ online purchases using the News Feed feature. Facebook users were not asked for their consent. The case resulted in a class-action lawsuit, and Facebook costs statistics showed a loss – Facebook ended up paying $9.5 million to the plaintiffs. However, they didn’t stop running Beacon for another two years.

The FTC (2009 – 2014)

A 2009 change in Facebook’s terms of service caused another outcry from Facebook users. The issue? Facebook published new privacy settings that said users couldn’t delete their data upon leaving the platform. The company revised these changes over several months, and made an array of user information public by default. Statistics of Facebook showed slower growth as users lost trust in the platform.

In 2011, Facebook addressed user concerns by asserting that third-party apps could access only information that was strictly necessary. That turned out not to be true. The company was openly sharing active Facebook users’ personal details with advertisers. The Federal Trade Commission took up the case, and Facebook was forced to sign an agreement to allow independent privacy check-ups every year until 2031.

Facebook business statistics continued to show steady growth in advertising revenue until 2013, when the company discovered a bug that exposed private user data – include the phone numbers and email addresses of more than 6 million users. The company fixed the bug and notified regulators.

The Cambridge Analytica Scandal (2018)

In 2014, Cambridge University professor Aleksandar Kogan cooperated with Facebook business staff in the development of a personality assessment app.

His company, GSR, signed a data-licensing contract with the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. GSR was obliged to give the consulting firm psychological profiles of US voters. GSR provided more than 200,000 profiles based on information from Facebook profile statistics, including personal information about approximately 87 million people. Kogan’s company was able to harvest this information because of data-access rights granted to a personality test app launched on Facebook in 2014.

Facebook learned about Kogan’s misuse of user data and the deal with Cambridge Analytica in 2015. Kogan was banned from the Facebook site and required to delete all collected data. However, Facebook did not notify users about what had happened.

Cambridge Analytica’s Christopher Wylie blew the whistle on the whole deal in 2018, granting interviews and details to the New York Times and Britain’s Guardian. Both newspapers published detailed exposes revealing the scandal.

The tale of the Facebook breach gets even more alarming. It was later discovered that staff members of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign used the stolen data to target US voters.

“The Future is Private” (2019)

In 2019, Mark Zuckerberg made a renewed pledge to protect user information. “The future is private,” he said. Another privacy scandal cast those words into doubt and further diminished user trust in Facebook’s good intentions.

In April 2019 it was discovered that millions of Instagram and Facebook passwords were being stored in unprotected, unencrypted text files. Facebook claimed the data was not accessed or abused, but earlier scandals taught the user community to accept such statements skeptically.

In July 2019, the FTC assessed a $5 billion fine on Facebook for the Cambridge Analytica scandal. This is the largest fine the agency has ever levied.

In the end, this recurring problem goes far beyond privacy issues. The company keeps making decisions that work to the detriment of Facebook users, even when it concerns their private information.

This sad history and dismal Facebook statistics show that the first and last thing to know when spending some time on social media is that any online account can be breached.

Hundreds of millions of people ignore these Facebook facts and statistics and choose to stick with the platform. Zuckerberg’s promise to protect Facebook user data may be kept this time.

But just in case, think twice about what you share online.