Social network profile ownership by age UK 2015-2020

91 percent of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) between the ages of 35 to 44 had their own social network profile as of 2020, according to Ofcom. While those aged between 65 and 74 years or older are the least likely to have their own profile, the share of people in that age group on social media increased from 35 percent in 2015, to 59 percent in 2020.

Is Facebook losing younger users?

Just as the monthly number of Facebook visitors aged 55 years or older grew by 2.4 million from March 2016 to 2018, there were 400,000 fewer visitors aged from 18 to 34 years old. Instagram attracted approximately 1.7 million additional users in the same age range, while Snapchat attracted an additional 5.4 million visitors aged 18 to 24.

Age and gender profile of Facebook users

As of 2021, the number of female Facebook users in the UK is higher than the number of male Facebook users across all age ranges. Those aged 25 to 34 years make up the largest group, at over 12 percent.

Share of respondents who had their own social network profile in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2015 to 2020, by age*

Characteristic	16-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74
2020	88%	89%	91%	86%	73%	59%
2019	97%	93%	90%	85%	70%	-
2018	94%	92%	87%	81%	72%	51%
2017	95%	96%	86%	75%	60%	43%
2016	96%	90%	81%	7%	59%	48%
2015	92%	90%	81%	74%	51%	35%

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Release date

April 2021

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2015 to 2020

Number of respondents

2,166**

Age group

16 years and older

Special properties

All who go online

Method of interview

Telephone interview

Supplementary notes

* The original survey question was: "I'd now like to ask you some questions about social media - so using websites or apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and YouTube. Do you have a social media profile or account on any sites or apps?" single coded.
** Results for 2016 are weighted. Respondent numbers for previous years are as follows: n (2010) = 1,489; n (2011) = 1,369; n (2012) = 1,381; n (2013) = 1,272; n (2014) = 1,609; n (2015) = 1,458; n (2016) = 1,553; n (2017) = 1,206; n (2018) = 1,570.
Data for years previous to 2013 were published earlier by the source.
The source indicates that, "The way in which the question was asked of adults was amended between 2012 and 2014, which could account for some of the differences shown."

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