Facebook was first launched in 2004 and has come a long way since the days of a university networking platform. Nowadays, the first thing many people do in the morning is taking a scroll through Facebook.
The platform has become embedded in our everyday routine, and it’s tough to even imagine a world without Facebook.
After all, who isn’t on Facebook nowadays?
Well, this post about how many Americans use Facebook may help us to understand that a bit more.
Regardless of the fact that Facebook is a daily staple in the lives of many, its popularity has slowly been declining and is projected to see drops that may just strike it from the top of the heap altogether.
Yes, Facebook was the first social media network that registered one billion users, but the younger generation is shaking things up.
To add insult to injury, the privacy issues and scandals that Facebook has suffered haven’t helped its reputation much, either.
Here we’ll dive into how many Americans use Facebook and whether or not the claims of declining popularity are actually true.
Let’s start with some quick stats.
Note: Facebook recently changed its company name to Meta, but for the sake of understanding and readability, it will be referenced as Facebook here unless specific data is being described from the Meta website.
At-a-Glance: Facebook Statistics
- There are 200 million Facebook users in the United States.
- Globally, Facebook has about 2.9 billion active users.
- Facebook is the most popular social media network around the world in terms of users.
- California has the most Facebook users in the US with 19 million.
- The largest demographic for Facebook is 25-34 years old.
- 28.5% of the world uses Facebook.
- One-third of Americans get their news from Facebook.
- 73% of US Facebook users log in daily.
- 81% of American adults have a Facebook account.
- 54.1% of Facebook users in the US are women.
Facebook is the #1 Social Media Network Globally
For all intents and purposes, Facebook certainly is the top social media network in terms of the numbers.
There are almost 3 billion users around the globe on Facebook, and there are still billions of ad dollars invested on Facebook every year.
Our friends are on Facebook. Our family is on Facebook. Our co-workers are on Facebook. We hear the ping of Facebook messenger as we go about our daily tasks.
Facebook is truly a jack of all trades, isn’t it?
It’s got stories, it’s got messages, it’s got a marketplace, it’s got news— really, what more could we ask for?
Facebook is available in fully-functional form on desktop just as it is on mobile, a feature that Instagram, unfortunately, cannot boast.
Could a platform with so many features and possibilities really be losing popularity?
Facebook has actually lost 15 million users in the past two years, due largely in part to its younger user base. Things are changing, and let’s take a look at what just might be causing that.
Before we do, let’s get some Facebook statistics under the belt to understand where things lie today.
Who Uses Facebook?
When Facebook first became public, it was the biggest among millennials. In 2006, they would have been categorized into the “teen” category, but now, they are no longer teens.
Most millennials are already in their 30s, or almost there. Many of them may still have a Facebook, but they’re also exploring other options.
Instagram also shares the same largest user base, with over 30% of users ranging from 25-34 years old.
As for the younger generation, in 2018, 44% of US Facebook users claimed to have deleted the app within the age range of 18-29.
Even still, there are plenty of adults still left on the platform. 99Firms discloses that the platform is very popular amongst those between 50-64 years old, with 64% of that demographic on Facebook. Same for people 65 and up, with 56% on the network.
Let’s look at how many Americans use Facebook by the numbers.
How Many Americans Use Facebook — Statistics and Facts
Here are 10 undeniable facts about the usage of Facebook in the US.
1. There Are 200 Million Facebook Users in The United States.
Facebook currently sits at 200 million active users in the United States, surpassed only by India. Statista predicts a rise in Facebook users all the way through 2023, showing that the decline isn’t going to be happening soon.
(Source: Statista)
2. in The Us, California Has the Most Facebook Users with Almost 19 Million.
California is the state with the highest population in America, so it’s not too much of a surprise that they also take the cake for the highest number of Facebook users in the country.
Coming in second is Texas with a cool 11.9 million and NYC with about 10.6 million users.
(Source: Internet World Stats)
3. in The Us, Wyoming Has the Least Facebook Users with Only 252k.
Alternatively, Facebook doesn’t have millions of users in every single state. Wyoming is the smallest in terms of population numbers, and it also has the lowest number of Facebook users.
Other small states like Vermont and Delaware also have low numbers of Facebook users.
(Source: Internet World Stats)
4. as Of October 2021, There Are 4.55 Billion Social Media Users.
That’s 57.6% of the total world population. It also suggests that 9 out of 10 internet users are active on social media every month.
(Source: Data Reportal)
5. 25.7% of Facebook Users in The United States Are Aged 25-24 Years Old.
That’s the largest demographic for Facebook use in the United States currently. Digging deeper, 13.3% of users are female, and 13.8% are male, which shows that there is a fraction more male users than female users in this age range.
(Source: Statista)
6. 54.1% of Us Facebook Users Are Women, and 45.9% Men.
According to NapoleonCat, the majority of Facebook users in the United states are women. They don’t lead by much, but they do have a nearly 10% lead on the number of male users on the platform, even though it’s been noted that men use social media slightly more than women in general.
(Source: NapoleonCat)
7. 86% of Internet Users with Over $100k in Income Use Facebook.
It’s always interesting to look at income vs social media usage, especially for those looking to reach a particular demographic in marketing efforts.
With Facebook, you will have a good opportunity to tailor your ads and target different income levels, because 81% of $60-70k income earners are there, and 88% of $30-$60k are also accounted for on the platform.
Another Facebook usage statistics that goes to show just how strong of a hold the platform has on a wide range of users.
(Source: Sprout Social)
8. One-Third of Americans Get Their News from Facebook
According to a research study done by Pew Research center in 2020, Facebook was the top social media network for news, with 36% of Americans surveyed claiming they regularly get their news from the site.
YouTube came in second place with 23%, Twitter third with 15%, and Instagram fourth with 11%.
(Source: Pew Research)
9. Two-Thirds of Facebook Users Globally Visit a Local Business Page at Least Once a Week.
Straight from Meta (Facebook) itself, businesses have a lot of opportunity on the platform. They want you to think of your page as “a digital storefront,” considering that “two-thirds of Facebook users across all countries surveyed say they visit the page of a local business at least once a week.”
It’s no secret that social media isn’t just for connecting with your family and friends anymore. It’s a huge powerhouse for advancing business efforts and generating revenue, and with the billions of dollars Facebook has made from both FB and Instagram, it seems like it’s working pretty well.
(Source: Meta)
10. 73% of Us Facebook Users Log in Every Day.
This just goes to show how active the user base of Facebook really is in the US. 73% is quite large for a daily login basis, but if you expand that time frame to a weekly basis, the number shoots up to 93%.
That means at least once a week, the majority of US Facebook users are checking out the app.
(Source: Sprout Social)
Facebook Issues: Security and Ads
Now that we’ve seen some of the astounding Facebook statistics that surround the legendary social media platform, it’s time to take a look at the darker side to understand why it may have fallen under criticism.
One of the biggest issues the platform has faced is the concerns regarding security and the use of personal data. One of the biggest examples of this is the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Cambridge Analytica received 87 million Facebook users’ leaked data, a company that was conveniently working on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
The platform received almost $20 billion from targeted ad sales in Q1 of 2020, though, so it’s not really a surprise that huge amounts of data need to be gathered. But that doesn’t negate the issue.
A privacy breach is a privacy breach, and the issues haven’t stopped.
Profits have continued to rise, and with $29 billion in Q2 of 2021, you’d think all was better than ever. Unfortunately, for Facebook, the whistleblower scandal has put quite a dent in the platform’s reputation.
Even though Facebook has suffered a variety of these same types of stories, it doesn’t seem that investors and advertisers are going anywhere anytime soon. And while it has lost users, the numbers are still up compared to prior years.
It’s definitely creepy when you search for something on Google, let’s say a gift for your mother’s birthday, and 2 seconds later you open Facebook to see that it’s fraught with ads for that exact item.
The truth is that Facebook harnesses great power and our personal data could be at risk at any moment.
Losing 15 million followers is definitely not great for Facebook, but as of now, based on where the money’s going, it’s not slowing down just yet.
Platforms in Competition with Facebook
There are a variety of other popular social media platforms that have begun to give Facebook a run for its money, especially with the younger generation.
They’ve opted for other social media platforms and while that may not be a problem at the moment, it just might become a huge one for the future of Facebook.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common platforms that younger people are drawn to.
Instagram, while not the top platform for the youngest generation of adults using the platform, still has a stronghold among users between 18-24 years old.
Instagram has a total of 1+ billion active users and met that milestone in 2018. It’s continued to grow and has transformed into a place of influencer marketing and meme sharing. Fashion Nova, anyone?
Young people are on Instagram, and 72% of teens claim to have an Instagram account, while only 12.8 million of the US Facebook user base is composed of teens.
At the end of the day, Instagram is under the same Meta umbrella as Facebook, so if you’ve got a problem with Facebook, you should probably have one with Instagram as well, in theory.
This doesn’t seem to deter people from using the platform, though, with 170 million US users and virtually anyone who’s anyone on the platform, ranging from celebs to businesses, to public services— even the POTUS is there!
Instagram is popular among young people because of its visual nature and constant addition of new features and interactive stickers. Instagram is a world of trends and you can find the most up-to-date content on the platform and tap into your creative side.
This has somewhat been rivaled by the popularity of TikTok, and teens certainly love the platform. That said, Instagram still has a very strong hold on the youth, and with the introduction of the reels feature to combat TikTok, it’s standing its ground.
Snapchat
Snapchat rose to high levels of popularity in the past years and currently sits at 106.2 million US users, behind only India.
Most popular among the younger generation, 41% of teens in the US say that Snapchat is their favorite social media platform.
Snapchat has so many fun features that make it interactive and engaging for young people, and it’s not quite surpassed the popularity of Instagram, but it’s definitely kept its momentum and hasn’t dropped off completely.
There are tons of filters that users can apply, there’s a built-in messaging system, as well as the capacity to share stories to all of your friends. This is where the Instagram Stories feature came from which was eventually migrated over to Facebook.
Snapchat photos disappear just a few seconds after they’re opened by the user, which is also another poignant feature of the platform.
Final Thoughts: Who’s Left on Facebook, and What Does the Future Hold?
Many people want to claim the end of Facebook, but for the foreseeable future, it’s not going to happen anytime soon. A multi-billion dollar social network that has the most of any on the internet isn’t going to be tumbled from day to night.
Has it faced some unpleasant media? Yes. Has the team at Facebook made mistakes? Definitely. Are young people seeking other platforms? They sure are.
Have those things persuaded the global population to turn its back on the platform? Absolutely not.
64% of people between 50-64 use Facebook, 56% of citizens over 65 are on Facebook, and 81% of American adults have a Facebook account. People aren’t going to simply stop using the app; it’s too far embedded in our culture, if not for the messenger at the very least.
Things may continue to shift in the landscape of social media, but as of now, Facebook still reigns supreme, at least in terms of the numbers.
Facebook Usage FAQs
Curious about some of the different elements of Facebook usage? Let’s resolve those questions before you go with our FAQ.
Who Was the First Facebook User?
Mark Zuckerberg was the first Facebook user. He was the founder of the company and remains its CEO to date.
Which Country Has the Most Facebook Users?
India has the most Facebook users with 280 million in total. It’s unlikely that India will be surpassed as more and more users are joining social media by the day; the country has taken over the majority of the US user base on Instagram as well, edging out the 170 million Americans with 180 million Indians now registered.
Who Is the Average Facebook User?
The largest Facebook user group is males between the ages of 25 and 34, taking up 19% of the Facebook user group.
Which Gender Uses Facebook More?
In the US, 55% of Facebook users are female and 45% of users are male.
Which Age Group Uses Facebook the Most?
The largest demographic in terms of age for Facebook users is 25-34 years old at 32%. This is also the largest demographic for Instagram.
Are Facebook Users Declining?
There are currently more Facebook users now than ever before. While the platform has lost users, it’s also gained users, keeping the number of active users at a record high.
