Number of SNS Users in Japan and the World

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From Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LINE, and TikTok

★ All information based on 2022/4/21 user data

The number of social network services, also known as SNS, users has surpassed 4.2 billion worldwide. In addition, the number of SNS users in Japan has reached 79.75 million and is expected to grow to 82.41 million by the end of 2022.

Social Media is more than a tool communication for people, especially for the six major SNS. The number of these major sites will continue to grow

In addition, the number of companies that uses these SNS is increasing day by day.

This article will discuss the six major SNS that has become the center of many people’s lives.

  • Ranking of the number of SNS users worldwide and in Japan
  • User features of the 6 major SNS 
  • The number of users of other popular SNS

The following is a detailed look at the number of users of social networking services in Japan.

More specifically, the number of SNS users in Japan is based on advertising data from each SNS company, so the data is closer to the current reality.

Hopefully, this article will give you a better understanding of SNS trends and their features, and maybe one day you will use it for your business.
World SNS User Ranking

SNS name

Monthly Amount of users

Facebook

2.91 billion people

WhatsApp

2 billion people

YouTube

2 billion people

WeChat

1,268.2 million people

Instagram

1 billion people

TikTok

1 billion people

Linkedin

800 million people

QQ

574 million people

Weibo

573 million people

Tumblr

546 million people

(* number of blogs)

Pinterest

444 million people

Snapchat

489 million people

306 million people

(* DAU)

Twitter

330 million people

211 million people

(* DAU)

LINE

189 million people

KakaoTalk

54.18 million people

* DAU (Daily Active Users)
* QQ is the number of smart device users

As seen from the chart, Facebook has the highest number of users with 91 billion people making it the topic SNS in the world.

It is then followed by WhatsApp and YouTube with 2 billion users, WeChat with over 1.2 billion users, and Instagram with 1 billion users, with TikTok surpassing 1 billion users in September 2021, joining Instagram.

 Since “WhatsApp” and “Instagram” are services under Facebook, three of the top five SNS users in the world are Facebook services!

Ranking of SNS users in Japan

SNS name

Monthly number of users (MAU)

LINE

90 million people

YouTube

65 million people

note

63 million people (*)

Twitter

45 million people

Instagram

33 million people

Facebook

26 million people

TikTok

16.9 million people

Pinterest

8.7 million people

Linkedin

2 million people

(*) note’s MAU is “the number of active browsers that visited note in one month” and is different from the number of registered members.

Unlike the rest of the world, Japan has Line as its largest amount of users with 90 million.

Note, a Japanese SNS that is a blog-type content sharing platform announced that it surpassed 63 million users in June 2020, indicating that it is growing rapidly.

In addition, YouTube also announced that it had more than 65 million monthly users in September 2020. This can be in response to the trend of people spending more time at home and using video streaming and video sharing services starting in 2020.

Although the number has not been updated for SNSs such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, they remain the most popular SNSs in Japan.

 
SNS Usage in Japan

According to the ” Reiwa 2 Year Communication Usage Trend Survey ” conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, SNS usage in Japan is increasing in all age groups.

In particular, the user usage rate among seniors in their 50s and above is increasing significantly, and SNS SNS has become familiar to people regardless of generation.

It can go without saying that communication between consumers and brands via SNS is becoming more important as the online shift accelerates from 2020.

Usage rate of Each SNS in Japan

Here is the usage data rates for major SNSs used in Japan.

According to the ” Survey Report on Information and Communication Media Usage Time and Information Behavior in Reiwa 2nd Year (Summary)” released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2021, usage rates of each SNS in Japan by age group are as follows:

SNS name

Utilization ratio / Usage Rate

LINE

90.3%

YouTube

85.2%

Instagram

42.3%

Twitter

42.3%

Facebook

31.9%

TikTok

17.3%

Nico Nico Douga

14.5%

Number of Facebook Users and Usage

Facebook is an SNS released on September 26, 2006.

Its founder Mark Zuckerberg was a student at Harvard University founded the company with his friends and is now reigning as the world’s largest social network.

 

Facebook Features

 

  • has the largest number of users in the world
  • has a real-name registration system, and its strength lies in its highly targeted advertising distribution based on various information such as education, work, and life stage
  • The “Facebook page” function acts like a homepage where you can post information. This can attract customers to events
  • “Shop” Function that allows tangible products to be cataloged and sold on Facebook. This contributes to attracting customers and sales to e-commerce sites
  • Main Japanese Facebook users are in their 30s and 40s. This makes it difficult to reach a younger audience
  • While the number of users is small in Japan, it’s quite the opposite globally
  • In Japan, the target audience is the older age group. Useful information for overseeing marketing

Number of Facebook Users Worldwide

Facebook has approximately 2.91 billion users worldwide (Announced in December 2021)

North American users: 262 million (9.0%)

Europe users 427 million (14.7%)

Asian users 1.278 billion (43.9%)

Others 945 million (32.5%)

Furthermore, looking at user growth rates from the past two years, it can be seen that the growth of the number of users in North America and Europe has slowed down a little while user growth has increased mainly in Asia and other regions.

In the US, Facebook is already used by more than 70% of the population. So explosive growth is not expected in the future.

Facebook is making an effort to provide an Internet environment in the African region by using satellites. The point of this is to see how much the number of users can increase in developing countries through this effort.

The number of companies using Facebook has surpassed 90 million. Also, the number of companies growing their businesses by utilizing the world’s best SNS is still increasing.

Number of Facebook Users In Japan

There are more than 26 million Facebook users in Japan. (July 2019)

The main user base is a relatively older generation, mainly in their 30s and 40s. And there is an extremely low utilization rate among teenagers.

As seen previously, Facebook has plenty of features that keeps its audience on its platform. With it being one of the oldest major SNS, it allows and has an extensive messaging function. For these reasons, not only it can be used privately, but it also allows business people to connect instead of exchanging business cards.

The “shop” function allows the users to create product catalogs and “Facebook pages” that can be used as homepages. The ability to consistently perform everything from public relations and marketing to customer attraction and sales with a single page is a major advantage, and many companies are using it.

While it may not be the most popular SNS in Japan, it is still the most used SNS in the world. Thus is it a reassuring ally in marketing to foreign countries.

Number of Instagram Users and Usage

Instagram was launched by Stanford University graduates Kevin Sistrome and Mike Krieger and is still a popular SNS with a high growth rate.

 

Although Instagram was released later than Facebook and Twitter in October 2010, it has already surpassed Twitter’s user base worldwide and reigns as a top 5 popular SNS.


 Features of Instagram
  • Specializes in posting images and videos on Facebook
  • Features that appeal to Gen Z and Millennials, such as “Stories,” “Live Streaming + Throwing,” and “Reel,” which disappear 24 hours after posting
  • Shopping function” allows users to be directed to e-commerce sites. In the addition to credit card payment function, EC platforms are processing
  • In Japan, most of the users are in their 20s and 30s, but the ratio of males exceeds 40%, making it a popular SNS for both men and women
  • Its strength allows users to appeal to their target audience with their company’s worldview, mainly through visuals, by operating an account
  • Influencers are called “Instagrammers” and with the help of Facebook, many companies can promote their brands
  • Through detailed target advertising, “brand content ads” can deliver posts as an advertisement for companies and brands

Number of Twitter Users and Usage

Twitter was released in July 2006, two months before Facebook.


Jack Dorsey is the founder and CEO of Twitter as well as the payment service Square. Although Twitter was released at about the same time as Facebook, there is a big difference in the current growth rate.


 Features of Twitter
  • Allows users to post short texts of up to 140 characters (in Japan) 
  • A major feature is the “retweet” which allows users to share tweets/posts
  • With the limit of 4 images to post, this increases for more information to be posted and cate user’s attention
  • Has real-time searchability which can be used as a tool to gather trending information enjoying it in conjunction with events
  • A campaign that is easy to follow such as the “Follow & Retweet Campaign
  • Many companies use Twitter accounts to communicate closely with users and gain fans
  • Has real-time voice service “Space
  • In Japan, female users have increased and exceeded the usage rate of men

Twitter has 330 million monthly users worldwide (as of May 2019), and the number of monthly active users worldwide has been declining since the beginning of 2018. 

In recent years Twitter has set the number of daily active users (DAU) and has worked to increase the number of daily Twitter users, resulting in continuous growth in DAU.

The number of daily active users in Q3 2021estimated be 211 million.

 

 

In April 2021, it will launch “Spaces,” a real-time voice service, to further increase the number of SNS users.

Japan is the second-largest market for Twitter after the U.S, indicating the popularity of Twitter among the Japanese.

The number of monthly Twitter users (more accurately the number of accounts) in Japan is over 45 million (October 2017).

Overwhelmingly, one of the characteristics of Twitter users are in their 20s. In 2020, percentage of female users exceeded the percentage of male users but in 2021, the ratio of men tended to increase

Twitter is actively implementing linkage with TV and events, and this unique position, taking advantage of its real-time nature, will continue to accelerate in the future.

Number of Line Users and Usage

LINE is currently the most popular SNS with the largest number of users in Japan.

 

LINE is a communication app that was released on June 23, 2011. Now it overwhelming presence than the alternate e-mail.

 

It is also expanding its user base, especially in Asia.


 Features of LINE
    • Has the largest number of monthly users in Japan and is used by a large number of people as a communication and communication tool
    • Most of the users are in their twenties, but it is also used by people in their 30s to 50s and older
    • it can be used for information transmission and communication to target users
    • One of the strengths is the distribution of advertisements to a large number of users such as “LINE Manga” and “LINE News”
    • LINE stamps can be used effective as branding to be used as brand familiarity

 

LINE has 173 million users in the four major countries (Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan) (announced in August 2021).

The number of users worldwide is announced to be 189 million (Announced in November 2021).

This shows the deep-rooted popularity of this application in the Asian region, especially in Japan.

The main messenger apps are “KakaoTalk” in South Korea and “WeChat” in China, and Facebook’s “WhatsApp” is the most used worldwide.

The number of LINE official accounts is 15.96 million (August 2021).

Many companies have gained a lot of fans through operating on their LINE account as a tool for transmitting the information. The number of companies entering the market is increasing since LINE is the top SNS in Japan.

* “LINE @” and “Official Account for Enterprises” have merged as “Official LINE Account” in April 2019.

LINE has more than 90 million users in Japan ( Announced in April 2022).

Used by both younger and older generations in Japan, LINE is extremely popular than any other major SNS.

It is possible to deliver information daily through a LINE account. Along with “LINE STAMPS,” companies can brand themselves in people’s everyday lives.

 

Number of Youtube Users and Usage

Youtube is the world’s largest video-sharing service developed and operated by YouTube in the United States.

YouTube was acquired by Google Inc. in 2006 and is now affiliated with Google’s services.


 Features of YouTube
  • World’s most popular video distribution platform
  • In Japan, users are between the ages of 13 to 50s
  • Live donation and donation bottom makes it possible to acquire fans and create a community.
  • YouTubers with followers have a wide variety of categories from entertainment to specialized topics
  • The social environment is changing with a surge of celebrities adding youtube to their SNS
  • Channel Membership makes it possible for Youtubers to create content exclusively for subscribers
  • Now being owned by Google, it makes it possible to have video advertisements using big data
  • Vertical video ads were placed that appeal to Generation Z and Millennials

As of April 2022, more than 2 billion users worldwide.

It is the most popular video-sharing service in the world, with 80 languages ​​in 100 countries and 1 billion hours of viewing every day.
With support for 80 languages in 100 countries and 1 billion hours of viewing each day, it is the world’s most popular video-sharing service.

Another feature of the service is that it can be used free of charge.
The service is also characterized by the fact that it is free to use.

YouTube is popular in Japan, with over 65 million users. (September 2020)

In Japan, it has become a popular SNS for people of all ages, from teens to 50s.

Users can easily watch uploaded videos on smartphones, tablets, game consoles as well as on laptops and PCs. Youtube can also be played on TV via Bluetooth connections.

Youtube is a service that is familiar to people and has a very active user base with 500 hours worth of video uploaded every minute as of February 2020.

There are many influencers called “Youtubers” who are always uploading content.

At the same time, “influencer marketing” allows companies to promote their products and services with the help of YouTubers. This promotional segment increases awareness among consumers to promote sales.

Youtube added, “Shorts” which are short-form videos as well as the “Shop Function” which allows products to be directly bought on the site.

Number of tiktok Users and Usage

TikTok is a video-sharing service released in 2017.

Developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, it is now a video platform used worldwide.


 Features of TikTok
    • A video sharing service where users can create and post short movies of 15 seconds to 3 minutes in length
    • Users can efficiently collect information and enjoy videos in their daily free time
    • Anyone can easily make high-quality edits
    • Highly accurate recommendation functions allow users to find videos that they like
    • In Japan, the main users are bewteen teens and those in their 20s. There is a high reach toward the younger generation
    • TikTok ads are displayed on the entire screen of a smartphone, providing users with a highly immersive experience

 

As of April 2022, more than 1 billion users worldwide are using TikTok.

The maximum length of videos posted was limited to 1 minute but will be limited to 3 minutes in 2021. This allows for higher quality and unique videos in the future.

Another feature of TikTok is that it’s free from registration to use.

The number of TikTok users in Japan is over 16.9 million. (October 2021)

The main user base is mainly in their teens and 20s which makes it popular among the younger generation.

In recent years, celebrities such as entertainers and models have also entered the market.

Number of Users of Other SNS
Video / Image Posting

[Worldwide] Number of monthly users of Snapchat: 498 million (January 2021)

Snapchat is an app that allows you to share videos and images. The main difference between other SNS is that videos and images automatically disappear after viewing it.

Users who send images and videos for a limited time before they are no longer viewable.

This allows users to not worry about past content and the number of monthly active users of Snapchat around the world has grown steadily

As the current generation is becoming digital, services like Snapchat has allowed users to easily post content that attracts attention and is becoming popular.

 

[Worldwide] Number of monthly users of Pinterest: 444 million (September 2021)

[Japan] Number of monthly users of Pinterest: 8.7 million (April 2022)

Pinterest is an image collection tool that allows users to collect and view images from the Internet on pin them on their boards.

Its appeal allows users t collect images according to their interests, such as food or fashion. Users can share and spread these interests by repinning. This is equivalent to Twitter’s retweet.

[Worldwide] Weibo monthly users: 573 million (as of November 2021)

Weibo is an SNS developed by SINA that was released in 2009. This SNS has gained popularity, particularly in China.

This SNS is easy to use since it combines features of Twitter and Facebook. It is so popular that it is indispensable for inbound and cross-border marketing to China. However, since its mainly used in China, opening a corporate account and operating on Weibo might be difficult without having no prior knowledge.

Business Community

[Worldwide] LinkedIn monthly users: 800 million (see March 2021
[Japan] Number of monthly users of LinkedIn: 2 million (see March 2021)

LinkedIn is one of the world’s largest business-focused SNS.

Users can create a business-specific profile and use it to discover and acquire peers, business partners, and new customers in a similar industry.

LinkedIn is useful as a business SNS because it is actively used globally for job searches, job applications, recruits, and business messaging.

Blog Type

[Japan] Number of monthly users of note: 63 million (June 2020)

(*) the number of monthly users of note announcement is “the number of active browsers who visited note in one month” and is different from the number of registered members.

Note is a blog-type platform that allows users to embed images, videos, SNS posts, etc., with text.

The Corporate Plan allows users to acquire their domain name and customize the site, so it can also be used as a company website.

It also has links to various e-commerce platforms such as “BASE,” “Shopify,” and “Makeshop,” and its strength is that it can be used to attract customers and generate sales online.

[Worldwide] Tumblr monthly users: 546 million (see April 2022)

Tumblr is a blog service that allows users to post text, videos, images, music, and other content.

Tumblr is one of the world’s leading blogging services, allowing users to follow their favorite blogs to receive updates, register them as favorites, and reblog them (equivalent to retweeting on Twitter).

Messenger type

[Worldwide] WhatsApp monthly users: 2 billion (February 2020)

WhatsApp is the world’s largest instant messenger app that allows you to exchange messages in real-time.

It is a popular messenger app used all over the world because it can be used for free and there is no advertisement display on the app.

Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, and like Instagram, WhatsApp is now a Facebook-owned service.

[Worldwide] WeChat monthly users: 1,268.2 million (April 2022)

WeChat is an app that combines SNS and messenger, which are mainly used in China. It is easy to understand if you imagine it as a Chinese version of LINE + Facebook + Twitter.

Individuals, as well as companies, have opened accounts to communicate with users.

Since world-famous SNSs such as Twitter and Facebook are not available in China, WeChat is a very useful communication tool for connecting with people.

[Worldwide] Number of monthly users of KakaoTalk: 54.18 million (as of November 2021)

KakaoTalk is a messenger app that is mainly used in South Korea.

KakaoTalk is the Korean version of LINE, and its ability to allow up to five people to talk simultaneously makes it a tool that can be used for a wide range of purposes, from daily communication to teleconferencing.

In South Korea, Kakao Talk is used by many people as a national SNS.

Can SNS by used by companies contribute to sales?

Are companies using SNS improving their business performance?

Raccoon Co., Ltd. the operator of “Super Delivery,” which connects apparel and general merchandise manufacturers with retailers, surveyed its member retailers and found that 65% of all retailers reported an increase in the number of customers coming to their stores as a result of their use of SNS.

On the other hand, the data also shows that 23% of respondents actively ignore posts sent out by corporate brands.

It is important to recognize and consider various methods when developing a marketing strategery for these SNS.

Summary

The number of SNS users is announced every month since the growth of SNS users changes rapidly, it is necessary to check the numbers regularly.

When creating a marketing strategy, be sure to keep in mind the various features, their target audience, and services they offer.