Social Media Statistics 2026: 45+ Trends, Users & Marketing Insights

Explore key social media statistics covering user behavior, engagement, demographics, commerce, advertising performance, and platform trends to better understand audience preferences and build smarter, data-driven marketing strategies.

45+ Social Media Statistics and Trends to Know in 2026

Over the past two decades, social media has transformed from niche online communities into a global network of over 5.8 billion users [Estatístico]. What started as a way to stay in touch has become a powerful driver of communication, commerce, and culture.

Aqui está um facto engraçado:

The average social media user scrolls through about 300 feet of content on their phone every day, that’s roughly the height of The Statue of Liberty! That’s how deeply social platforms are now stitched into our daily lives, reshaping how we connect, learn, and buy. [Fonte]

Mas com as plataformas a multiplicarem-se, as funcionalidades a evoluírem e o comportamento dos utilizadores a mudar a cada dia que passa, como é que se mantém à frente da curva?

As respostas estão nos dados. E para compreender o que esses dados realmente significam para os profissionais de marketing, este blogue é o seu guia de referência sobre o que está a funcionar, o que está a desaparecer e o que está para vir no mundo das redes sociais.

So, whether you are planning your next campaign, refining your content strategy, or just love a good stat fix, let us break down the numbers that matter.

Quantas pessoas estão a utilizar as redes sociais?

As redes sociais são agora uma constante mundial. A partir de outubro de 2025, 5,66 mil milhões de pessoas são activos nas plataformas sociais, o que é 68,7% da população mundial. Isto não é apenas generalizado; é quase universal entre os utilizadores da Internet, com 94,2% de utilizadores da Internet now on social media.  [Statista]

Here’s how the market has evolved and what it means in real numbers:

  1. Os utilizadores das redes sociais aumentaram 4.87% em termos homólogos, adding an average of 7.8 new users every second. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  2. Over the past decade, the growth has been remarkable from over 2 billion users in 2015 to 5.66 billion today. Social media adoption has more than doubled in ten years. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
Ano Utilizadores em mil milhões Crescimento anual (%)
2025 5.31 +5.4%
2024 5.04 +5.9%
2023 4.76 +3.0%
2022 4.62 +10.0%
2021 4.20 +13.2%
2020 3.71 +7.2%
2019 3.46 +8.1%
2018 3.20 +14.7%
2017 2.79 +20.8%
2016 2.31 +11.1%
2015 2.08
  1. O tempo médio diário gasto nas redes sociais é de 2 hours and 21 minutes.  [Statista Daily Uses Stats]
  2. Um utilizador típico visita ativamente 6.75 social platforms per month. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  3. O mundo gasta coletivamente mais de 15 mil milhões de horas per day on social media. [DataReportal]
  4. China (1,1 mil milhões), Índia (491 milhões) e EUA (253 milhões) are the top three countries by total social media users. [World Population Review]

Social media penetration by country:

País Penetração nas redes sociais
Arábia Saudita 111.2%
EMIRADOS ÁRABES UNIDOS 109.7%
Coreia do Sul 95%
Singapura 90.6%
China 90.3%
Malásia 85%
Hong Kong 84.4%
Países Baixos 83.3%
Canadá 82.1%
Filipinas 81.9%
  1. As redes sociais continuam a crescer. De mais de 5,4 mil milhões de utilizadores em 2025, prevê-se que o número ultrapasse 6.6 billion users by 2030. [Statista SM Platforms]

With billions logging in daily and spending hours across multiple platforms, the real question becomes, where are they actually spending that time, and how is that time turning into sales?

Que plataformas estão a ganhar a atenção dos consumidores em 2026?

Social media isn’t just where people scroll it’s where they discover, engage, and shop. For marketers, this shift is critical. This year, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are not only driving traffic but also influencing real buying behavior.

Here are the key signals that show where consumer attention and buying intent is strongest:

  1. Geração Z leans into TikTok (55%) while Millennials prefer Facebook (52%). [SocialPilot TikTok Trends Report 2025]
  2. As per Our TikTok Trends Report 2025 analysis of 1.5 million posts, TikTok isn’t just a content platform, it’s a discovery engine. With 1.59 billion monthly users and 135M in the U.S. alone, TikTok is where Gen Z now searches, shops, and sets cultural norms.
  3. The US social commerce market reached $87 billion in 2025, growing 21.5% year-over-year, and is projected to surpass $100 billion in 2026 on its way to $150 billion by 2029.  [Capital One Shopping Research]
  4. 48% of Gen Z consumers prefer discovering products through short-form videos like TikTok and Instagram Reels. [HubSpot State of Consumer Trends 2024]
  5. O Instagram é a plataforma preferida para 60% of users for product research, and 37% use it to actually shop. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  6. 87% de vendedores say social selling has positively impacted their business. [HubSpot State of Sales Report]
  7. As vendas através das redes sociais representam atualmente 17.11% of all online sales. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  8. 67% of social media users have purchased something after seeing it in a brand’s social media post. [LendingTree Consumer Survey, December 2025]
  9. 35% of social media users shop on social platforms at least once a week. [Morning Consult, 2025]
  10. Os telemóveis continuam a dominar: $577.6 billion in US mobile ecommerce sales in 2025, making up over 44% of all ecommerce sales. [Capital One Shopping eCommerce]
  11. O social é o ponto de partida: 14% of consumers begin their online shopping journey on social media. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  12. TikTok Shop captured 18.2% of total US social commerce in 2025, generating $15.82 billion in sales, a 108% year-over-year increase. [Capital One Shopping Stats]

Now that we know where consumers are spending and spending money, let’s break down who’s actually driving this behavior.

Quais são as principais tendências demográficas na utilização das redes sociais?

  1. As redes sociais continuam a ser dominadas por públicos mais jovens, com over 70% of users globally falling between the ages of 18 and 34. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  1. Gen Z (ages 18–24) alone makes up 36.2% da base de utilizadores do TikTok, enquanto O maior grupo demográfico do Instagram tem entre 25 e 34 anos, contabilizando 29.7% of U.S. users. [Statista US users]

Nota: Visual discovery platforms like Pinterest and Instagram attract a higher share of female users, while networks like X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky are more male-dominant. Platform demographics continue to evolve as new features attract more diverse user segments.

Como é que as pessoas utilizam as redes sociais na sua vida quotidiana?

People across the globe collectively spend mais de 15 mil milhões de horas every day on social media, proof of how deeply integrated these platforms have become in how we connect, consume, and communicate. [DataReportal]

Vejamos os comportamentos específicos que moldam a forma como os utilizadores interagem com as plataformas sociais todos os dias:

  1. 50.2% of social media users primarily use platforms to keep in touch with friends and family. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  2. Globally, users spend over 27 hours per month on the YouTube mobile app.  [Statista time stats]
  3. The average Bluesky visit lasts 10 minutes and 35 seconds, compared to 12 minutes on X. [ExplodingTopics, citing SimilarWeb data, November 2024]
  4. 57% of LinkedIn traffic comes from mobile devices.  [LinkedIn Business]
  5. 82-85% do Pinterest usage is on mobile. [Pinterest Business]
  6. Instagram users spend an average of 30 minutes daily on the app. [Statista Instagram Avg Time]
  7. Snapchat users also spend an average of 30 minutes per day on the app. [Snap Inc. investor report]

Now that we know how embedded social media is in everyday routines, the next step is understanding what truly captures users’ attention and keeps them engaged.

Que tipo de conteúdo gera mais envolvimento?

Em 2026, o vídeo continua a dominar, e o conteúdo de formato curto está a liderar o processo. Quer se trate de clips do TikTok, Instagram Reels ou YouTube Shorts, os utilizadores estão a interagir mais com formatos dinâmicos e envolventes.

  1. Posts with videos on Instagram get 49% more engagement than photo posts. [SocialPilot TikTok Trends Report 2025]
  2. On LinkedIn, video drives 3-5x more engagement than other formats. [StoryKit Article]
  3. Educational creators on TikTok see engagement rates of up to 9.5%. [SocialPilot TikTok Trends Report 2025]

Nota: Engagement rates vary widely by platform. Instagram leads due to interactive content formats, while TikTok and Pinterest benefit from personalized, discovery-driven use.

More than format, user behavior across platforms reveals what truly hooks attention:

  1. TikTok leads for entertainment, 79,6% de utilizadores seek funny or engaging videos. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  2. Instagram dominates visual sharing, 69,8% de utilizadores post photos or videos. Facebook remains a hub for connection, 72.1% use it to message friends and family. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]

Como é que as empresas vão utilizar as redes sociais em 2026?

Social media has evolved into more than just a marketing channel, it’s now a core business engine. Over 87% of businesses report that social media has positively impacted their business. [HubSpot State of Sales Report]

Here are more business-driven stats:

  1. Facebook Marketplace is used by over 250 million sellers globally. [Meta official]
  2. 90% de utilizadores do Instagram follow at least one business account, and 61% use the platform to discover new products. [Meta official]
  3. LinkedIn is home to over 67 million companies, and 4 out of 5 users drive business decisions. [LinkedIn official]
  4. TikTok helped small and medium-sized businesses generate $14.7 billion in 2024 alone. [TikTok SMB Impact Report]
  5. According to SocialPilot’s 2025 TikTok Trends Report, business accounts that post weekly, especially with 31–60 second videos, outperform peers, achieving up to 2.11% reach and 3x more engagement than horizontal formats._
  6. Pinterest drives 33% more referral traffic to ecommerce sites than Facebook. Pinterest delivers 2x higher ROAS than other digital platforms. [Pinterest Business]
  7. Snapchat+ subscription revenue reached approximately $500 million annually. [Snap Inc. investor report]
  8. YouTube is used by 51.6% of marketers primarily for brand awareness, with 43.3% reporting improved product visibility. [HubSpot State of Marketing Report]

With social platforms now central to sales, service, and storytelling, the question is no longer, if your business should be online, but how effectively you’re using it.

Quais as plataformas que oferecem o melhor alcance e ROI dos anúncios?

O YouTube lidera com o maior alcance potencial de anúncios, com 2,54 mil milhões de utilizadores, seguido de perto por Facebook at 2.28 billion. [Meta official / YouTube Advertising]

Eis as principais estatísticas de publicidade que vale a pena conhecer:

  1. Instagram’s ad revenue hit $71 billion by the end of 2025, with Reels between 60–90 seconds driving 24% more shares. [Statista Insta Ads]
  2. Pinterest delivers 2x higher ROAS than Facebook and Instagram ads and reaches 340 million people via advertising. [Pinterest Business]
  3. TikTok’s total global ad revenue is projected at $33.1 billion in 2025, up from $23.6 billion in 2024, with a 67% click-through rate on traffic campaigns.  [Statista TikTok Ad]
  4. LinkedIn ads increase purchase intent by 33%, making it ideal for high-value B2B conversions. [LinkedIn Audience]
  5. Snapchat’s ad reach hit 709 million users, and its advertiser base more than doubled in Q4 2024. [Snap Inc. investor report]
  6. X (formerly Twitter) is expected to generate $2.26 billion in global ad sales in 2025, marking its first year of ad revenue growth since Elon Musk’s acquisition. [Reuters]

From massive reach to laser-focused B2B targeting, social platforms in 2026 aren’t just ad spaces, they’re business growth ecosystems.

O que se segue nas redes sociais? Tendências a seguir

Social media is already moving fast, but what’s coming next will challenge marketers to be sharper, faster, and more data-informed. With audiences fragmenting, AI reshaping creation, and commerce blending directly into content, the next wave is about smarter strategy, not more platforms.

1. Ascensão dos conteúdos gerados por IA e geridos pelos criadores

  • 93% de comerciantes plan to increase or maintain investment in video content, especially short-form and AI-enhanced formats. [HubSpot State of Marketing Report]
  • AI tools are reshaping content creation, recommendations, and campaign automation across every major platform.

2. O comércio social está a tornar-se o padrão

  • Prevê-se que o mercado de comércio social dos EUA exceda $150 billion by 2029. [Capital One Shopping Research]
  • 67% of social media users say they’ve purchased a product they discovered in a brand’s social media post. [LendingTree Consumer Survey, December 2025]

3. A fragmentação está a conduzir a comunidades de nicho

  • O utilizador médio visita 6,8 plataformas mensais, seeking more tailored content experiences. [DataReportal Global Digital Report 2025]
  • Plataformas emergentes como Bluesky e Discórdia estão a atrair públicos que procuram ligações mais estreitas e menos ruído algorítmico.

4. As mensagens são o novo canal de marketing

  • WhatsApp Business e Mensageiro estão a ser cada vez mais utilizados no atendimento ao cliente, na descoberta de produtos e em ofertas personalizadas.
  • Private, one-on-one interactions are increasingly dominating engagement strategies.

5. O ROI, a atribuição e a eficiência dos gastos com publicidade estão no centro das atenções

  • As CPMs and CPCs rise, marketers are doubling down on performance analytics, attribution tracking, and channel-specific ROI.
  • Ad budgets are shifting from broad reach to high-intent micro-targeting.

Conclusão

The aforementioned social media statistics are more than just numbers, they are signals. They show where your audience is, what they care about, and how they are interacting with brands in 2026. Whether you are planning your next campaign, testing ad formats, or rethinking your posting strategy, this data gives you the clarity to act with confidence.

A gestão eficaz de todas estas informações requer a ferramenta certa. É aí que entra a SocialPilot's social media management tool fits in, bringing scheduling, analytics, collaboration, and reporting together so you can turn trends and insights into real growth.

So go ahead, turn those stats into strategy and let us help you scale it.

Perguntas mais frequentes

Qual é o número total de utilizadores de redes sociais em 2026?

Em outubro de 2025, existiam 5,66 mil milhões de utilizadores de redes sociais em todo o mundo, o que representa quase 68,7% da população mundial.

Que plataforma de redes sociais terá a taxa de envolvimento mais elevada em 2026?

TikTok leads with an average engagement rate of 4.07%, making it the most interactive platform in terms of likes, comments, and user participation.

Porque é que as estatísticas das redes sociais são importantes para os profissionais de marketing?

They help marketers make informed decisions, spot trends early, understand user behavior, and back up strategies with data, not guesswork.

Com que frequência devem as empresas analisar os dados das redes sociais?

Idealmente, o desempenho deve ser revisto semanalmente para as campanhas activas e mensalmente para o planeamento estratégico. As plataformas em tempo real exigem uma reflexão em tempo real.

As pequenas empresas podem beneficiar das estatísticas das redes sociais?

Absolutely. Understanding stats like user demographics, platform usage, and ad performance help small businesses target better and scale smarter without wasting budget.

Sobre o autor

Foto de Om Prakash Jakhar

Om Prakash Jakhar

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