Social media usage share in Germany 2017, by age

The share of social media users in German was highest among the 14-39 years age groups, though 40-49-year-olds were not far behind. While user rates are traditionally expected to be high among younger demographics, especially those born after social media emerged on the world stage, older age groups are also becoming increasingly familiar with it.

Socially acceptable

The leading social media platforms in Germany, including those primarily known for being a messaging service, are YouTube, WhatsApp and Facebook. Among social media apps downloaded in the Google Play Store, to name one example, the most popular one was Instagram, owned by Facebook. In fact, Facebook usage numbers were generally high in Europe, though this was not the case for Instagram, when comparing to other countries in the world.

Rising user numbers

Social network user numbers in Germany are predicted to continue rising in the 2020s, moving towards 50 million users. The same can be said for the user penetration rate regarding social media.