Facebook is the OG social media platform and the largest one by nearly every metric. Love it or hate it, the social giant — and soon-to-be harbinger of the metaverse — is a must-have social media channel for marketers.

In this post, we cover 39 current Facebook statistics, freshly updated for 2022. They will help you keep up with how people are using the platform and make data-informed decisions about your social media strategy.

Download the complete Digital 2022 report—which includes online behavior data from 220 countries—to learn where to focus your social marketing efforts and how to better target your audience.

General Facebook stats

1. Facebook has 2.91 billion monthly active users

That’s a 6.2% jump from 2021’s 2.74 billion users, which was already a year-over-year growth of 12% from 2019.

Facebook is the most used social platform worldwide. You simply have to be there.

2. 36.8% of the world’s population use Facebook monthly

Yep, 2.91 billion users equals 36.8% of Earth’s 7.9 billion people, as of November 2021.

Since only 4.6 billion of us have access to the Internet right now, that means 58.8% of everyone online uses Facebook.

3. 77% of Internet users are active on at least one Meta platform

Out of 4.6 billion global Internet users, 3.59 billion people use at least one Meta app every month: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or WhatsApp. Many use more than one.

Source: Statista

4. Facebook’s annual revenue increased by 2,203% over 10 years

In 2012, Facebook earned $5.08 billion USD. Now? $117 billion USD in 2021, which is up 36% from 2020. Most of Facebook’s revenue is from advertising, which totaled $114.93 billion USD in 2021.

5. Facebook is the 7th most valuable brand in the world

Apple holds the top spot with an estimated brand value of $263.4 billion USD. Facebook follows huge brands like Amazon, Google, and Walmart to land in 7th place for 2021 with a brand value of $81.5 billion.

6. Facebook has been researching AI for 10 years

In October 2021, Facebook announced it was rebranding to Meta, which is now the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more. In Mark Zuckerberg’s words, the rebrand is to allow the company to become “metaverse-first, not Facebook-first.”

(Psst. No idea what the metaverse is but afraid to ask? Here’s what we know so far.)

And they’re certainly betting the future on artificial intelligence. Will the metaverse live up to Zuckerberg’s projection as the future of humanity? Time, and social media, will tell.

7. Over 1 billion Stories get posted every day across Facebook apps

The Stories format continues to grow in popularity across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 62% of users say they will use Stories even more in the future.

Facebook user stats

8. 79% of monthly users are active daily

This figure has remained consistent throughout 2020 and 2021 even with the combined 18.2% growth rate of users for those years. Nice.

9. Over 72% of Facebook users also use YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram

The figures come in at 74.7% of Facebook users also frequenting YouTube, 72.7% using WhatsApp, and 78.1% using Instagram.

There are considerable overlaps in other popular social networks, such as 47.8% of Facebook users also being on TikTok, 48.8% on Twitter, and 36.1% on Pinterest.

Having a strong cross-platform campaign strategy will ensure you deliver the right message on each platform.

10. Facebook is the favorite social platform of the 35-44 demographic

Instagram takes the top spot among audiences under 25, but Facebook is the favorite social network for these demographics below:

• Male internet users, 25-34: 15.9%
• Male internet users, 35-44: 17.7%
• Female internet users, 35-44: 15.7%
• Female internet users, 45-54: 18%

(Facebook currently limits its gender reporting to male and female.)

11. 72% of Facebook users don’t trust it to protect their privacy

… but they use it anyway. Importantly, this figure is much higher than 2020 when only 47% of users felt Facebook didn’t do enough to keep their data private.

Facebook ranks first in usage but last in trust. To us marketers, that’s something that just makes sense, right?

Source: Washington Post/Schar School

12. There are 329 million Facebook users in India

India comes in first for user count. The United States is second with 179 million users. Indonesia and Brazil are the only other countries with over 100 million users each.

But, quantity isn’t everything…

13. 69% of Americans use Facebook

The US population reached 332 million people in 2022, meaning 54% of all Americans have a Facebook account (including actual infants). Infants aside, 69% of Americans over 18 are on Facebook, including 77% of people ages 30-49.

14. 79% of Canadians over 15 use Facebook

Despite other countries having a higher total user count, Canada ranks among the highest in reach with 79% of people over age 15 — 27,242,400 people — using the social network. Comparatively, India’s 329 million users account for only 49.6% of the total Indian population of 662 million people who are 15 or older.

On their own, reach percentages aren’t indicative of when Facebook marketing is “worth it.” It’s always important to be aware of the most popular social platforms among your audience and ensure you’re on them.

15. Partisan gaps as high as 23% show up for every social platform, except Facebook

For Americans under age 50, Democrats are more likely to use most social media platforms. The largest Democrat-Republican gap is on Instagram, where 23% more Democrats report using the platform.

Some have less significant differences, but Facebook is the only platform to have an equal share of Democrats and Republicans reporting they use it regularly.

Source: Pew Research

For many brands, this won’t have an impact. But if your target audience tends to lean conservative, you’ll likely find a more successful footing on Facebook compared to other platforms.

16. 57% of Americans say Stories make them feel like part of a community

People love Stories. They feel more authentic than other social content formats, according to 65% of Americans who say they feel closer to family and friends after watching them.

Facebook usage stats

17. Users spend an average of 19.6 hours a month on Facebook

That comes in second only to YouTube’s 23.7 hours a month and substantially more than Instagram’s 11.2 hours per month. This Facebook statistic is for Android users only but it’s still indicative of industry patterns.

Almost 20 hours a month equals one week a month at a part-time job. So, if your content isn’t getting results, it’s not for lack of attention. Change it up. Try something new. Invest in audience research. Then, use what you learn to create what your people really want to see.

18. People spend 33 minutes a day on Facebook

To social media managers, that’s nothin’, right? Well, to the normies out there, it’s a lot. Time per day has declined since 2017 as more competitors emerged, though importantly, people are still spending the most time on Facebook.

The most users + the most time spent = still the most opportunity for marketers.

Source: Statista

19. 31% of Americans regularly get their news from Facebook

While that’s declined from 36% in 2020, it’s still much higher than any other social network. YouTube comes in second with 22% of Americans regularly getting their news there.

Source: Pew Research

As a society, we’re all still deciding exactly how much power and responsibility social media companies should have over shaping our understanding of events.

But as marketers? Hot dang! Facebook isn’t just an app anymore, it’s a seamless part of our lives. People expect to hear about important events on Facebook and the latest news from their favorite brands. (And which neighbor left their garbage cans out on the curb for an extra day, too.)

20. 57% vs. 51%: Users learn more life skills from social media than university

Globally, 57% of social media users say they’ve learned more about life from social media than being at university.

While information accuracy on social media continues to be a challenge for all platforms, users report wanting to engage with learning opportunities more on social media than in traditional school environments. This is a great opportunity for brands to highlight educational content in creative ways.

21. 81.8% of users only use Facebook on a mobile device

Most users — 98.5% — use Facebook on their mobile device, but 81.8% of people strictly access the platform via mobile. Comparatively, only 56.8% of all Internet traffic is from mobile devices.

This is likely driven by user growth in mobile-first regions, such as Asia and parts of the developing world. It underlines the importance of designing your content and ads with a mobile-first strategy.

22. 1.8 billion people use Facebook Groups every month

While popular before 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic drew more people into Groups. Both as a way to connect with others during social distancing measures — especially for women who more often bear the weight of caregiving responsibilities — and for medical professionals to collaborate and educate others.

Facebook is investing in new Groups features in 2022, such as sub-groups within a Group, member awards, and live chat events.

Facebook stats for business

23. People are 53% more likely to buy from a business using live chat

Facebook allows businesses to add Facebook Messenger live chat to their websites to improve customer service and conversions.

Though a powerful feature, it’s limited to only Facebook Messenger. Expand your capabilities by using a multi-platform live chat solution, like Heyday, which can bring all customer communication from Facebook, Google Maps, email, WhatsApp, and more into one unified inbox for your team.

24. Facebook will be able to translate 100s of languages in real-time

Imagine writing your social content in one language and being able to confidently rely on Facebook to accurately translate it to a global audience. It’s a closer reality than you think, with Meta announcing the AI-driven project in February 2022.

With 50% of people having a native language not in the 10 most common, increasing your communication capabilities is always a smart move.

Source: Meta

25. The average organic reach of a Facebook Page post is 5.2%

Organic reach has steadily declined each year, ending 2020 with 5.2%. In 2019, it was 5.5% and 7.7% in 2018.

Organic Facebook content should still be a big part of your strategy for your existing audience. But, yes, it’s true: You’ll need to couple that with Facebook ads to see positive growth.

26. Facebook removed 4,596,765 pieces of content in 2021 due to copyright, trademark, or counterfeit reports

That’s a 23.6% increase compared to 2020. Reports of intellectual property violations have steadily risen since 2019, though Facebook continues to develop detection and enforcement tools to keep it at bay.

Source: Facebook

Facebook ad stats

27. Cost-per-click is up 13% vs. 2020

The average Facebook ads cost-per-click was 0.38 USD in 2020, lower than previous years largely due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic — but it rallied back in 2021 with an average CPC of 0.43 USD.

In general, Facebook ad costs tend to be lower in the first quarter of each year and reach a peak approaching the last quarter and holiday shopping season, as seen with September 2021’s average CPC of 0.50 USD.

28. Facebook US ads are expected to surge 15.5% year-over-year in 2022

eMarketer predicts US ad revenue will top $58.1 billion in 2022, which would be a 15.5% increase from 2021. 2020 had an unusually high growth rate due to the surge in e-commerce demand as a result of pandemic lockdowns affecting in-person sales.

Source: eMarketer

29. Facebook’s potential advertising reach is 2.11 billion people

Meta claims their total advertising audience is 2.11 billion people, or 72.5% of their total 2.91 billion monthly active users.

Since Facebook is the most populous social platform, it’s also the one with the highest potential ad reach. Again, for marketers serious about growth, Facebook isn’t optional.

30. Facebook ads reach 34.1% of the global population over age 13

Put into perspective, that 2.11 billion person ad reach is over a third of Earth’s entire teen-and-up population. Wowza.

But with high reach comes high potential for wasted ad spend. Ensure you’re optimizing your Facebook ads strategy regularly so you’re not just payin’ n’ prayin’.

31. Facebook ads reach 63.7% of all Americans over age 13

An impressive reach for American-focused companies, but not the only one. Facebook also reports these potential local advertising audiences as a percentage of total population over age 13:

• Mexico: 87.6%
• India: 30.1%
• United Kingdom: 60.5%
• France: 56.2%
• Italy: 53%

(Plus more. The full list is in our Digital 2022 report.)

32. 50% of consumers want to discover new products through Facebook Stories

People love the Stories format and they make effective ads because of that. 58% of consumers say they’ve visited a brand’s website from a Story ad and 31% have browsed a Facebook Shop.

Give the people what they want. If you’re not already investing in Stories ads, hop to it.

Facebook shopping stats

33. Facebook Marketplace has 1 billion monthly active users

Launched in 2016, Facebook Marketplace has quickly replaced old standards of local buy-and-sell, like Craigslist and even location-specific Facebook Groups. Marketplace achieved 1 billion monthly users in early 2021, just over four years after launch.

34. There are 250 million Facebook Shops worldwide

Facebook’s newest e-commerce feature, Shops, launched in 2020. It allows small businesses to feature product catalogs on their Facebook and Instagram profiles, and for followers to purchase in-app. It also allows brands to easily create ads from their products to attract new customers.

One million users regularly buy from Facebook Shops every month. Brands are seeing huge results, including some seeing 66% higher order values via Shops than from their websites.

Facebook is actively rolling out support for Shops in Facebook Groups as well as Live Shopping and product recommendations. Big things are coming for Facebook social commerce in 2022.

35. Facebook Marketplace ads reach 562 million people

Unlike other listing sites, like eBay, Facebook Marketplace allows businesses (and consumers) to list items for free, including vehicles, rental properties, and more. Boosted listings can reach a potential audience of 9.1% of the world’s population over age 13.

36. 33% of Gen Zers would consider buying digital-only art

NFTs. Crypto. Virtual assets selling out immediately, like a $4,000 Gucci bag or a virtual home selling for $512,000. (Are we all gonna get priced out of the virtual housing market, too? C’mon!)

Economic dystopia aside, NFTs are, well… kinda hot. And smart? Many in the younger generation are treating digital content like traditional investments. Musician 3LAU has even promised NFT-owners future royalties.

If you own one of my NFTs today,

You’ll get to own rights in my music,

Which also means you’re entitled to cashflows from that music…

Soon.

— 3LAU (@3LAU) August 11, 2021

Not all marketers should jump on the NFT bandwagon, but consider the impact of the rise in their popularity for your brand. Facebook has strict policies on who gets to sell digital assets on their platform, but expect that to loosen in future years as the metaverse expands.

Facebook video stats

37. Facebook Reels are now in 150 countries

The company announced the formerly U.S.-only Reels feature is available in 150 countries as of February 2022. Brought over from sister network Instagram, the format of Facebook Reels is largely unchanged but has exciting new creator tools.

To attract creators to Facebook Reels, a bonus program is in effect offering up to $35,000 per month to creators depending on their view counts. Facebook’s version of Reels also features ad revenue sharing and the ability for followers to “tip” creators in-app.

38. Facebook beats out TikTok for short-form video with 60.8% of user share

It’s easy to think TikTok would be in the top spot for short videos, but YouTube claims that with 77.9% of Americans over 16 using the platform to watch short videos. Perhaps surprisingly, Facebook comes in second with 60.8% of the user share. TikTok trails in third with 53.9%.

The definition of short-form video is under 10 minutes, although many Facebook videos are much shorter, including the traditional Reel-style which range from 15 to 60 seconds.

Source: eMarketer

39. Facebook is second to YouTube in live video with 42.6% of user share

Predictably, YouTube is the preferred platform for live video chosen by 52% of users. Like with short videos, Facebook is a close second with 42.6% of users.

Interestingly, Facebook becomes the first place choice for live video for ages 25-44.

If you’re not already, ensure your livestreaming software allows you to stream to multiple platforms simultaneously to capture the most viewers.

Manage your Facebook presence alongside your other social media channels using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule posts, share video, engage your audience and measure the impact of your efforts. Try it free today.

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