We’re living in the social media age. Everyone knows it. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are among a few of the apps designed to grab our attention and never let it go. In the modern world, social media is inescapable.
This much is true in Australia as anywhere else in the world. So, just how many Aussies are using social media these days? The staggering numbers may shock you.
According to Meltwaters’s 2024 Global Digital Report, there are approximately 20.80 million social media users in Australia. Based on the latest Census population data, this figure equates to around 78% of the Australian population using social media in 2024.
While this is an enormous portion of the population being actively engaged on social media, the data points to a slight decline in the number of Aussies utilising social media. The report indicates the portion of Australians on social media is down 2.3% year-on-year, indicative of a slight shift away from the digital world.
Social Media usage in Australia by app
While the number of users has slightly declined year-on-year according to the report that’s not to suggest social media is any less dominant in Australia.
This year, Facebook has been Australia’s most used social media platform, with 78.2% of Aussies aged between 16 and 64 reporting using the app each month. Facebook was followed by Facebook Messenger (69.9%) and Instagram (62.4%) as Australia’s most used social media platforms.
The portion of Australians aged 16 to 64 who use the remaining social media platforms each month is as follows:
- Whatsapp (44.8%)
- TikTok (40.0%)
- IMessage (39.6%)
- Snapchat (33.0%)
- X (Twitter) (29.6%)
- Linkedin (28.9%)
- Pinterest (28.8%)
Which social media platform do Aussies spend the most time on?
While Facebook is the most popular social media site for Australians aged 16 to 64, it’s not the app with the largest average amount of time active users spend on each platform’s app. That honour goes to TikTok, which clocks a staggering 42 hours and 13 minutes of average usage time among Australians.
Following TikTok, YouTube, another video streaming service, is the social media app Aussies spend the most time on each month with 21 hours and 36 minutes. Facebook ranked third in this metric, with an average of 20 hours and 15 minutes of use from its Australian users.
The average monthly usage time for Australians aged 16 to 64 for the remaining social media platforms is as follows:
- Snapchat (17 hours and 2 minutes)
- Instagram (11 hours and 46 minutes)
- Facebook Messenger (4 hours and 43 minutes)
- Whatsapp (2 hours and 56 minutes)
- X (Twitter) (2 hours and 31 minutes)
- Telegram (2 hours and 25 minutes)
- Pinterest (1 hour and 46 minutes)
- Linkedin (1 hour and 6 minutes)
What is Australia’s favourite social media platform?
Just because Aussies spend the most amount of time on TikTok doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the nation’s favourite social media platform. According to the data, 24.2% of Australians aged 16 to 64 selected Facebook as their favourite platform.
Instagram was a close second with 19% nominating the app as their favourite, while TikTok ranked as Australia’s third favourite platform (12%).
Facebook Messenger was the favourite social media platform for 8.8% of respondents. WhatsApp (6.5%), Snapchat (3.7%), IMessage (3.3%), Reddit (3.1%), X (Twitter) (3.1%) and Pinterest (2.3%) rounded out the rest of the top 10.
