While we’re all familiar with Facebook and its advertising power, there are so many recent developments that marketers need to keep an eye on. If you’re asking yourself these questions:

“Is running ads still worth it?” “What’s up with reach?” “Should I change course?”

Then our list of Facebook stats will give you some clarity and help iron out your Facebook marketing strategy for 2022.

Facebook demographic statistics

Facebook’s audience is diverse and anything but one-size-fits-all. To kick things off, let’s zero in on the most important social media demographics of Facebook users:

1. Users ages 25-34 years represent Facebook’s largest audience

Despite the platform’s reputation as a seemingly “older” network, 26.4% of the platform’s user base is made up of millennials. That said, over one-third (36%) of Facebook’s audience are 45 or older.

2. 73% of college-educated Internet users are on Facebook, as are 70% of people earning more than $75k a year

Facebook’s highly educated and big-spending audience is notable for advertisers. This signals opportunities for brands looking to earn sales on high-ticket products.

Facebook usage statistics

Given the buzz around competing networks, it might not seem like Facebook is booming right now. But the latest Facebook stats signal that the platform is about as active as ever. That said, new competition and surprise growth from other social media platforms could ultimately halt its growth long-term.

3. Facebook currently boasts over 2.89 billion monthly active users

Although adoption has certainly slowed down, there’s no denying the platform’s status as the market leader in social media. Facebook is on track to pass the 3 billion monthly user threshold, representing the first social network to do so.

4. 70% of Facebook users claim that they visit the site daily, with 49% checking the platform  “several times per day”

This data highlights how the platform earns repeat attention from users, beating out the likes of Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.  Perhaps a shock to critics, the concept of frantically checking Facebook throughout the day is alive and well. You can analyze customers and their behavior on the platform by conducting a deep Facebook analysis and finding out where you stand with your audience based on the data you get.

5. The average Facebook user spends 33 minutes per day on the platform

Facebook usage has held steady since about 2019, although it has seen a 6-minute fall over the past five years total. Keep in mind that social usage per platform is pretty much flat. More networks mean more fighting for audience attention. As a result, the average social consumer spreads their usage time around more evenly.

6. Facebook’s widespread mobile usage is staggering, with 98.5% of users accessing via mobile (and 81.8% doing so exclusively)

No surprises here: Social media and smartphones go hand in hand. That said, this data is noteworthy for crafting both Facebook posts and ads.

7. Two-thirds of adult users consume news through Facebook (and nearly one-third do so regularly)

Twitter might have the reputation of being the “breaking news” platform but Facebook remains a go-to source for news next to YouTube, according to the report below. This speaks to the importance of timely content that informs users, builds community and creates meaningful discussion. Make sure to align with Facebook best practices to prioritize positive proactive content over clickbait.

8. Facebook’s new user growth rate is the second-lowest of all social platforms (only 0.8% in 2021)

This is definitely the most concerning of all our Facebook statistics for advertisers and marketers. Rapid growth on TikTok and slowdowns on Instagram show that younger audiences are moving the needle for social networks.

9. Facebook is still the most-used network among marketers (93%)

Food for thought: marketers have to remind themselves that Facebook is still a priority network for social-savvy brands looking to sell. According to this survey, marketers spend most of their efforts on Facebook compared to Instagram.

Facebook ad stats

Fact: Facebook ads remain a staple of marketing regardless of user growth. Heck, Facebook’s ad revenue saw a 56% increase during 2021 alone (reaching a total of $28.6 billion). As social ads grow, organic reach gets harder to come by, meaning optimization and strategy are key to seeing meaningful returns.   Social media is poised to surpass paid search if this confirms that Facebook is at the forefront of making it happen.

11. The Philippines (109.6%), Vietnam (94.6%) and Mexico (94.1%) are among the countries with the largest Facebook ad audience reach

This Facebook stat speaks to Facebook’s wide audience reach, including its international ad-buying power for consumers outside of the US.

12. There are over 10 million active advertisers on Facebook as of 2020

Don’t let anyone tell you Facebook ads are dead. Between the revenue noted earlier and the fact that this number has been rising fairly consistently YoY, ads aren’t going anywhere yet.

13. The average CTR for FB retail ads increased by 6% YoY (up to 1.32%) in 2020

Interest factoid from this report: while Instagram currently has a higher CPC than Facebook ($0.86 vs. $0.57), Instagram is also seeing better conversion rates than their parent company (8.07% vs. 6.57%).

Given how folks on Marketplace are eager to buy, ads fit right into their journey as customers. Still, this survey is disappointing for the future of Stories-based ads (0.4%).

Facebook engagement statistics 

The Facebook algorithm has been a source of irritation for many marketers. Thankfully, the platform itself has actually shed some light on what people are seeing and what helps increase reach.

15. The majority of content seen by Facebook users comes from friends and people followed (54.4%)

From recommended content to ads and beyond, this data highlights just how much the average consumer’s attention span is being pulled.

16. 86.5% of content viewed on Facebook contains no links

Posts that take people off Facebook hurt their exposure. That’s why it’s important to use images, videos and anything else that keeps people on the platform.

17. Compared to Instagram organic brand engagement on Facebook is down (0.27%), but ahead of Twitter (0.07%)

Brands looking to grow on Facebook have an uphill battle if they’re relying on organic content alone, however, data shows that engagement is high on Facebook compared to Twitter. Making use of engagement-worthy posts like employee advocacy content, polls or contests will make sure you reel in the benefit of this stat.

Facebook feature stats (video, Stories, Messenger) 

So, what sort of content should you post? What features are growing and what’s stagnant? To wrap things up, we’ll review some Facebook stats that break down some of the platform’s key features.

18. Facebook video (in-feed) is the most popular type of video content on the platform (51% of users), slightly less than Live and Watch combined (57%).

Live and Watch are growing, but they don’t reach the engagement that traditional Facebook video receives.

19. Facebook Messenger is on track to surpass 3.2 billion mobile users by the end of 2022

When we talk about Facebook, Messenger is often forgotten, but it’s integral to the platform and represents the app’s most-used feature according to this report from Statista.

20. Over 1 billion people use Stories across Facebook’s family of apps (including Instagram)

Finally, Facebook Stories followed Instagram and became one of the platform’s most popular features, according to the social media giant.

What do these Facebook statistics mean to you?

Now more than ever, it’s time to put your Facebook presence under the microscope. No matter what you’re doing on Facebook, there’s no denying it’s a priority platform with a big base and tons of potential. Engagement through ads, organic posts, and everything in-between is extremely valuable. We hope these Facebook stats can help guide your strategy in the right direction. With these takeaways and a better understanding of your priority Facebook metrics, you’ll be closer to scoring the reach your brand deserves.