UK Social Media Statistics for Ecommerce Brands

Key Takeaways

• 49.1 million UK adults were online in May 2025 and spent an average of 4 hours 30 minutes a day on the internet, 77% of it on a smartphone, according to Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 report.
• YouTube reaches 94% of UK online adults each month, Facebook and Messenger 93%, WhatsApp 90% and Instagram 78%; Reddit has overtaken TikTok on reach at 60% against 56%, while X fell 13% in a year to 39%.
• Time tells a different story from reach: YouTube visitors average 51 minutes a day, Facebook 43, TikTok 28 and Snapchat 27, while Pinterest visitors average one minute and LinkedIn two.
• Audiences differ sharply by age and gender. Snapchat is 66% aged 18 to 34, Pinterest is 69% female, X is 60% male and the only major platform where men are the majority, and Facebook has the highest share of over 55s.
• Nine in ten UK adult internet users use at least one social platform, but only 49% now post, share or comment, down from 61% in 2024, so most of your audience is watching rather than talking.
• UK social media advertising reached £11.5 billion in 2025, up 21% and 28% of all digital ad spend, while Meta's average price per ad rose 12% in the year to June 2026; across our own clients, Facebook ads return a ROAS of just above 1.5 on new customers.

Quick Answer

The UK's most used social platforms in May 2025 were YouTube (94% of online adults), Facebook and Messenger (93%), WhatsApp (90%), Instagram (78%), Reddit (60%), TikTok (56%), X (39%), LinkedIn (38%), Pinterest (26%) and Snapchat (23%), measured by Ofcom. Time per visitor is highest on YouTube at 51 minutes a day, then Facebook at 43 and TikTok at 28, and lowest on Pinterest at one minute. Snapchat has the youngest audience, Pinterest the most female, X the most male and Facebook the oldest. UK social media ad spend was £11.5 billion in 2025, up 21%. For an ecommerce brand the practical reading is that Meta still reaches almost everyone, TikTok and Snapchat own the under 35s, Pinterest is small but intent led, and Reddit is now bigger than TikTok by reach.

Table of Contents

• The UK Social Media Audience in One Table
• Facebook Statistics
• Instagram Demographics and Statistics
• WhatsApp Statistics
• TikTok Statistics
• YouTube Statistics
• Snapchat Statistics and Demographics
• Pinterest Statistics
• LinkedIn Statistics
• X, Reddit, Threads and Bluesky
• Social Media Advertising Statistics
• Sources and How to Read Them
• How to Use These Numbers
• Why Matters Perspective
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts
• Related Articles

Most social media statistics quoted in the UK are global figures from the platforms themselves or estimates from advertising tools. This page uses the independent UK measurement instead: Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 report, which draws on Ipsos iris panel data for May 2025, and adds the platforms' own latest quarterly results where they publish them. Every figure is labelled by measure and period, because a monthly reach figure, a daily figure and a time per visitor figure answer different questions.

A note on how to read the Ofcom numbers. Online Nation 2025 measures UK internet users aged 18 and over on smartphones, tablets and computers, so it excludes children and television sets, which matters most for YouTube. Time per day is the average per visitor, not per adult. The platforms' own figures are global or regional and come from results for the quarter ended 30 June 2026; the next set is due in late October and early November 2026.

The UK Social Media Audience in One Table

Ofcom counted 49.1 million UK adults online in May 2025, spending 4 hours 30 minutes a day online on average, up 10 minutes on the year, with 18 to 24 year olds at 6 hours 20 minutes. Smartphones carried 77% of that time. Alphabet and Meta between them took 51% of all UK adult time online, with Alphabet reaching 99% of online adults and Meta 97%. The reach of each social service in the month is shown below, from Online Nation 2025.

The second Ofcom source, its Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026 release of April 2026, adds the behavioural context: 89% of UK adult internet users use at least one social media platform, rising to 97% of 16 to 34 year olds, but the share who actively post, share or comment has fallen to 49% from 61% in 2024, and the share exploring new websites fell from 70% to 56%. The audience is still there; it is just quieter.

Facebook Statistics

Facebook and Messenger together reached 93% of UK online adults, 45.9 million people, in May 2025, up 6% on the year, and 34.0 million of them visited every day. Visitors averaged 43 minutes a day, up from 39 in May 2024 and 28 in May 2023, which makes Facebook the second largest claim on UK attention after YouTube. The audience is 51% female and women account for 60% of the minutes, at 49 minutes a day. It is also the oldest of the big platforms: 35 to 54 year olds spend 50 minutes a day and over 55s 45 minutes, against 31 minutes for 18 to 34s, and Facebook has the highest share of over 55s of any of the top ten. The Facebook app was on 85% of UK adult smartphones. Messenger on its own fell 7% to 28.3 million monthly users. All from Ofcom.

Globally, Meta reported 3.60 billion daily active people across its apps for June 2026, up 3%, in its second quarter 2026 results, published on 29 July 2026, and said on the results call that Facebook has had more than 2 billion daily actives for some time. Ad impressions across the family of apps rose 14% year on year and the average price per ad rose 12%, on revenue of $60.80 billion, up 28%. For a store that means Meta's inventory is growing but not as fast as advertisers' demand for it. All of our clients have Facebook or Instagram Shops connected and they bring sales, more than TikTok, with beauty and cosmetics brands doing best on Facebook Shop, and our guide to Facebook ads costs in the UK shows what that price rise means per click.

Instagram Demographics and Statistics

Instagram reached 78% of UK online adults, 38.5 million, in May 2025, up 7%, with 22.6 million daily visitors against 19.6 million a year earlier. Visitors averaged 20 minutes a day, up from 17. The audience skews younger and female: the app was used by 82% of 18 to 34 year old smartphone users, 70% of 35 to 54s and 52% of over 55s, and by 73% of women against 61% of men, and women account for 61% of Instagram minutes at 22 a day. Source: Ofcom Online Nation 2025.

Meta does not publish UK user numbers, but said on its second quarter 2026 results call that Instagram had reached 2 billion daily actives worldwide. For a product brand the figures above are the ones that matter: Instagram is the one platform where most UK adults under 55 are present every month, and the female skew is why beauty, fashion and home brands lead there. Our guide to Instagram Shop for Shopify covers the selling side.

WhatsApp Statistics

WhatsApp is the quiet giant. It reached 90% of UK online adults, 44.2 million, in May 2025, up 2.7 million on the year, and 74% of online adults, 36.1 million, used it every day, a rise of ten percentage points in twelve months. Visitors averaged 17 minutes a day. The app sat on 92% of UK adult smartphones, with almost no difference by age: 94% of 18 to 34s, 91% of 35 to 54s and 93% of over 55s. The audience is 52% female. Source: Ofcom.

Meta said on the same call that WhatsApp peaked at 30 million messages a second during the World Cup final and that it is on track to roll out ads in the Status tab worldwide. For a store the channel is less about ads than service: One client used WhatsApp to message customers before each delivery so they could make changes, cancellations dropped by 24% and a declining retention rate reversed. Our guide to WhatsApp marketing for Shopify stores covers the costs and rules.

TikTok Statistics

TikTok reached 56% of UK online adults, 27.3 million, in May 2025, up 14% on the year, and 10.4 million a day, up 37%. Visitors averaged 28 minutes a day, rising to 49 minutes among 18 to 34s. The audience is 55% female and 39% aged 18 to 34, women account for 63% of the minutes, and the app was on 46% of UK adult smartphones, 65% among 18 to 34s. ByteDance as a company reached 81% of 18 to 24 year olds. Source: Ofcom.

TikTok's own UK figure is larger because it counts everyone aged 13 and over on every device: its UK monthly active recipients report gives an average of over 30 million for January to June 2025, and its EU report 189 million for January to June 2026. On the selling side TikTok's newsroom said in November 2025 that more than 200,000 UK small businesses sell through TikTok Shop and more than 6,000 Shop Lives are hosted daily. One coffee client's TikTok Shop reached £2,375 in sales in its first six weeks with four creators posting affiliate videos, and the lifetime value of those first time customers made a campaign with a negative ROAS of its own profitable; our TikTok Shop statistics page has the full picture.

YouTube Statistics

YouTube is the most used platform in the UK by reach and by time: 94% of online adults, 46.3 million, in May 2025, with 28.6 million visiting daily, up from 25.4 million a year earlier, and 51 minutes a day per visitor, not counting television sets. Time is strongly age graded: 1 hour 28 minutes a day for 18 to 34s, 43 minutes for 35 to 54s and 28 minutes for over 55s. The app was on 72% of adult smartphones, 84% among 18 to 34s. Source: Ofcom.

People searching for how many YouTube accounts exist will not find a published number; Google does not report account or channel counts. What Alphabet does report, in its second quarter 2026 results, is YouTube advertising revenue of $11,055 million for the quarter, up 13% from $9,796 million, and that more than 1.7 billion unique viewers watched World Cup related videos during the 2026 tournament. For UK scale, Ofcom's 46.3 million adults is the number to use.

Snapchat Statistics and Demographics

Snapchat reached 23% of UK online adults, 11.1 million, in May 2025, up 10% on the year, with 7.3 million daily visitors and 27 minutes a day per visitor. It has the youngest audience of the top ten: 66% of its UK adult visitors are aged 18 to 34 and only 7% are 55 or over, 55% are female, and Snap as a company reached 73% of 18 to 24 year olds. Source: Ofcom. Remember that Ofcom counts adults only; Snapchat's heaviest users are 13 to 17 and are not in these figures.

Snap's second quarter 2026 results reported 493 million daily active users worldwide, up 5%, 971 million monthly active users and revenue of $1,599 million, up 19%, but Europe was the one region to shrink, down 2% to 98 million daily users. Snap's advertising page claims it reaches 75% of Gen Z and Millennials across more than 25 countries and that around 80% of Snapchatters are over 18; those are Snap's own figures from its 2024 internal data rather than a UK measurement.

Pinterest Statistics

Pinterest reached 26% of UK online adults, 12.6 million, in May 2025, down 5% on the year, with 2.4 million daily visitors and the lowest time per visitor of any platform at one minute a day. It is the most female platform by a distance: 69% of visitors are women and women account for 79% of the minutes, and 39% of visitors are aged 18 to 34. Source: Ofcom. The one minute figure is an average across everyone who visited in the month, including people who arrived once from a Google image result, so it understates the regulars.

Globally the platform is growing: Pinterest's second quarter 2026 results reported 640 million monthly active users, up 11% and an all time high, 157 million of them in Europe, up 8%, and revenue of $1,180 million, up 18%, with European revenue per user of $1.35. Pinterest's company page says more than half of users think of it as a place to shop, a company claim with no stated period. For a store the lesson is that Pinterest is small in the UK but intent led: we test Pinterest ads at £20 to £30 a day for at least six weeks, and the tests that fail are usually the ones stopped too early. See our guide to Pinterest ads for ecommerce.

LinkedIn Statistics

LinkedIn reached 38% of UK online adults, 18.4 million, in May 2025, up 1%, with 4.7 million daily visitors and two minutes a day per visitor; men account for 58% of the minutes. Source: Ofcom. LinkedIn itself publishes only global and regional totals: more than 1 billion members on its about page, and on its pressroom statistics page 1.3 billion members with 430 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and about 8,200 job applications a minute. No UK member figure is published.

For a consumer brand LinkedIn is a recruitment and trade channel rather than a sales one; for a wholesale or B2B line it is where the buyers are, which is why our Shopify B2B clients post there and not on TikTok.

X, Reddit, Threads and Bluesky

X reached 39% of UK online adults, 19.3 million, in May 2025, down 13% on the year and down from 24.0 million in May 2023, with 6.9 million daily visitors and six minutes a day per visitor, down from ten in 2023. It is the only top ten platform where men are the majority, at 60% of visitors and 68% of minutes. X publishes no user figures of its own, so Ofcom's are the only UK numbers. Reddit is the mover: 60% of UK online adults, 29.4 million, up 28% on the year and 88% in two years, with 7.0 million daily visitors and four minutes a day, 59% of them from men, and reach of 71% among 18 to 24 year olds. It is now the fourth most visited social service in the UK, ahead of TikTok. Source: Ofcom.

Reddit's second quarter 2026 results reported 130.3 million daily active uniques worldwide, up 18%, 77.1 million of them outside the US, up 28%, and revenue of $805 million, up 61%. Threads reached 4.3 million UK adults, 9%, in May 2025, 2.2 million of whom also used X, and Bluesky 2.7 million; Meta said on its results call that Threads has passed 500 million monthly actives worldwide and that ads on Threads are now live globally. If your customers research before they buy, our guide to Reddit ads for Shopify stores explains how to reach them inside the communities where that happens.

Social Media Advertising Statistics

IAB UK and Oliver Wyman put UK digital advertising at £40.5 billion in 2025, up 10%. Social media was the fastest growing large channel at £11.5 billion, up 21% and 28% of the market, behind search at £17.9 billion (44%, up 6%) and ahead of video at £9.3 billion (23%, up 20%) and retail media at £3.8 billion (up 18%).

The price of that growth shows in Meta's numbers: ad impressions up 14% and average price per ad up 12% in the year to June 2026, according to its second quarter 2026 results. More demand than inventory means every brand pays more for the same reach, which is why creative matters more each year. Creator videos cut Halo Coffee's cost per sale on Meta by 27% between 2018 and 2021, and our clients normally see a Facebook ads ROAS of just above 1.5 on new customers, still profitable once first time customers' lifetime value is counted. Our guide to a good ROAS shows how to work out your own break even.

Sources and How to Read Them

• Ofcom, Online Nation 2025, published 10 December 2025, Ipsos iris data for May 2025, UK internet users aged 18 and over on smartphones, tablets and computers: report PDF. Time per day is per visitor. The report has a few internal inconsistencies, for example Facebook time is given as 42 minutes in the overview and 43 in the data tables; we use the tables.
• Ofcom, Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026, news release of 2 April 2026, fieldwork autumn 2025, 7,533 respondents aged 16 and over: release.
• Meta Platforms, second quarter 2026 results and call transcript, 29 July 2026, published on Meta's investor relations site (investor.atmeta.com). Global figures only; Meta publishes no UK or European user counts.
• Snap Inc., second quarter 2026 results, 3 August 2026: press release; Snap's advertising claims from its business site.
• Pinterest, second quarter 2026 results, 4 August 2026: press release; shopping claim from its company page.
• Alphabet, second quarter 2026 results, 22 July 2026: SEC exhibit.
• Reddit, second quarter 2026 results, 30 July 2026: press release.
• TikTok transparency reports for the UK and the EU, and its UK newsroom.
• LinkedIn about page and pressroom statistics (about.linkedin.com and news.linkedin.com); global and regional totals only.
• IAB UK and Oliver Wyman, Digital Adspend 2025, 3 March 2026: summary.

How to Use These Numbers

• Match the platform to the customer, not to the headline. Facebook reaches almost everyone and skews older; Instagram and TikTok own the under 35s; Snapchat is the youngest; Pinterest is the most female; X is the only male majority platform; LinkedIn is for trade.
• Reach and time are different budgets. Pinterest reaches a quarter of adults for a minute a day, TikTok half of adults for half an hour. Awareness buys reach; conversion buys attention.
• Most people are watching, not posting. With 49% of users active, comment counts understate your audience; judge content by views, saves and sales rather than replies.
• Company figures are global. Meta, Alphabet and Reddit publish no UK user counts, and Snap and Pinterest give Europe only, so use Ofcom for UK sizing and the companies for direction of travel.
• Check the date. Ofcom's next Online Nation is due around December 2026 and the platforms report again in late October and early November 2026; we update this page when they do.

Why Matters Perspective

Our view is that the UK numbers argue for fewer platforms done properly rather than a presence everywhere. All of our clients have Facebook or Instagram Shops connected and they bring sales, more than TikTok, with beauty and cosmetics brands doing best on Facebook Shop. We test Pinterest ads at £20 to £30 a day for at least six weeks, and the tests that fail are usually the ones stopped too early. One coffee client's TikTok Shop reached £2,375 in sales in its first six weeks with four creators posting affiliate videos, and the lifetime value of those first time customers made a campaign with a negative ROAS of its own profitable. Those three results come from matching each platform to the job it is good at: Meta for reach and shops, Pinterest for intent at low cost, TikTok for creators who sell.

Whatever the platform, the content decides the cost. Creator videos cut Halo Coffee's cost per sale on Meta by 27% between 2018 and 2021, and the same videos lifted conversion on the store itself. We are a Shopify Select partner with Verified Skills across development and marketing, and a Klaviyo, Recharge, Awin, Meta and TikTok partner. Retainer clients are billed one month in arrears and are not tied into long contracts, and development projects carry a 3 month guarantee. If you want help choosing where your budget goes, see our social media marketing agency page or email us.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people use social media in the UK?

Ofcom's Adults' Media Use and Attitudes 2026 research found that 89% of UK adult internet users use at least one social media platform, rising to 97% of 16 to 34 year olds. Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 report counted 49.1 million UK adults online in May 2025, with YouTube reaching 94% of them, Facebook and Messenger 93%, WhatsApp 90% and Instagram 78% in the month.

What is the most used social media platform in the UK?

YouTube, by reach and by time: 94% of UK online adults, 46.3 million, visited in May 2025 and spent an average of 51 minutes a day, according to Ofcom. Facebook and Messenger were a close second on reach at 93% with 43 minutes a day, and WhatsApp third at 90%.

How many people use Snapchat in the UK?

11.1 million UK online adults, 23% of the total, visited Snapchat in May 2025, up 10% on the year, with 7.3 million visiting daily and an average of 27 minutes a day per visitor, according to Ofcom. Snapchat's UK adult audience is 66% aged 18 to 34 and 55% female. Worldwide, Snap reported 493 million daily active users for the second quarter of 2026.

What are Instagram's demographics in the UK?

Instagram reached 78% of UK online adults in May 2025. Ofcom's app data shows it on 82% of 18 to 34 year olds' smartphones, 70% of 35 to 54s and 52% of over 55s, and used by 73% of women against 61% of men; women account for 61% of Instagram time at 22 minutes a day. Meta does not publish UK user numbers.

How many people use Facebook?

In the UK, 45.9 million online adults, 93%, used Facebook or Messenger in May 2025 and 34.0 million used them every day, according to Ofcom. Worldwide, Meta reported 3.60 billion daily active people across all its apps for June 2026 and said Facebook alone has had more than 2 billion daily actives for some time.

How many people use Pinterest and LinkedIn in the UK?

Pinterest reached 12.6 million UK online adults, 26%, in May 2025, with 69% of visitors female; LinkedIn reached 18.4 million, 38%, with men accounting for 58% of time. Globally Pinterest reported 640 million monthly active users for the second quarter of 2026, 157 million of them in Europe, and LinkedIn says it has more than 1 billion members, with no UK figure published.

How many YouTube accounts are there?

Google does not publish a count of YouTube accounts or channels. The reliable UK measure is Ofcom's: 46.3 million UK online adults, 94%, visited YouTube in May 2025 and 28.6 million did so every day. Alphabet reports YouTube's advertising revenue instead, $11,055 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 13%.

Final Thoughts

The UK social media audience is larger, older and quieter than the global headlines suggest. Almost every adult is on Meta's apps, YouTube takes the most time, Reddit has grown past TikTok on reach, and only half of users now post at all. The numbers reward brands that pick the two or three platforms where their customers actually spend time and make content for those, rather than spreading one budget across ten.

We will update this page when Ofcom publishes Online Nation 2026 and when the platforms report their next quarters. For what the figures mean for your store, see our guide to social commerce in the UK or email us.

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