25 Twitter Statistics on Users and Tweets

Twitter has been among the most prominent social media networks since its launch in 2006. The microblogging platform has evolved over the years, and given the increasing importance of social media marketing, brands have had to modify their strategies accordingly. As these Twitter statistics show, while its user growth has tapered off in recent times, the platform’s unique content format has kept it relevant from a marketing perspective. 

Twitter Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

• The monthly number of active Twitter users is 353 million.
• The average number of tweets per day is half a billion.
• Advertising services account for 86% of Twitter’s total revenue.
• Twitter was the 16th most searched term worldwide in 2020.
• Nearly 70% of Twitter’s audience is male.
• Top 10% of Twitter users in the US account for 92% of all tweets.
• Twitter users are 120% more likely to message brands directly.
• 57% of users report discovering new small businesses on Twitter.
• Twitter ranks as the second most popular for B2B marketers with 86%.

The Latest Twitter Usage Statistics

1. As of Q4 2020, there were 192 million monetizable daily active Twitter users.

The company reported a 5 million increase in DAU from Q3 when there were 187 million reported. Compared to Q4 in 2019, when there were 152 million, year-on-year growth was 40 million, totaling 192 million. In the same year, Twitter started reporting only “monetizable” users. The metric is based on the number of users on Twitter whose accounts were authenticated and had access via the app or the website. Meaning they were exposed to paid ads.

(Variety, Statista)

2. Twitter stats show the average number of tweets per day is half a billion.

The latest data points to about 6,000 tweets per second. If we compared the number to Twitter usage in 2007, we could see the number of daily tweets at that point didn’t exceed 5,000. Nowadays, the number of tweets per minute corresponds to over 350,000, which translates to a number of tweets per day of over half a billion. Data for February 20th, 2021, points to a whopping 750 million tweets.

(Internet Live Stats)

3. The number of monthly active Twitter users is 353 million.

There is no way to calculate the exact number of total Twitter monthly users, as only logged-in audiences are reported, and the current number is over 350 million. Most tweets can be accessed without logging in, and the data suggests the number of anonymous visitors exceeds half a billion. An explanation is that many people use Twitter as a news website to learn about the latest events. Twitter users statistics suggest the total number of Twitter users is up to 3 times higher than the number of logged-in users, up to a stunning billion.

(Global Digital Overview)

4. The first tweet was sent on March 21st, 2006.

The first-ever tweet was posted by the company’s co-founder and CEO, Jack Dorsey, on March 21st, 2006. The platform’s limit for a tweet was 140 characters at the time, which was later expanded to 280. Twitter trivia reveals the tweet was simply “just setting up my twttr”. That was not a typo, as the prototype company was actually called Twttr and changed the name before going public.

(Internet Live Stats)

5. Twitter was the 16th most searched term worldwide in 2020.

Once again, Twitter was ranked among the top 20 search queries worldwide. Twitter statistics from 2020 point to a 27% YOY increase in the number of total searches. The US elections were probably one of the most significant reasons for the boost, with former president Trump’s campaign heavily focused on the platform. Many people worldwide consider Twitter a news source, and it attracted much controversy during the elections.

(Global Digital Overview)

6. Twitter was ranked the world’s 11th most visited website in 2020.

An analysis of the total website traffic ranked Google as the most visited website worldwide. In the same report, Twitter was ranked 11th with 4.1 billion total visits,1 billion of those unique. The average time per visit was 15 minutes, 57 seconds, and the average number of pages per visit stood at 4.83. Twitter traffic stats from Ahrefs show similar results — 1.2 billion, but the ranking is much higher, placing the platform at 4th place.

(Global Digital Overview, Ahrefs, SimilarWeb)

7. Mobile devices account for 80% of Twitter usage.

Twitter is a great avenue for mobile marketing, with 4 out of 5 users accessing it on mobile devices. The short-form nature of tweets means it is much easier to create and consume content on the platform while on the go. As a result, Twitter statistics show that mobile plays an even more critical role in this social network than it does in other digital marketing methods.

(Business of Apps)

8. The record for the Twitter app downloads was set in June 2020 with 677,000 daily downloads.

The latest data points to Twitter apps being downloaded over 50 million times in Q2 of 2020 only. The record of daily downloads was set in June 2020, when the app was downloaded 677,000 times worldwide. The 40 million US daily users were also a new record for the platform. The number of app downloads is higher for Android users and just a month after the report, in July 2020, Twitter hit a mark of 1 billion total installs on the Play Store. 

(Axios, TechCrunch, Sensor Tower, Android Police)

9. Twitter is 16th on the list of most-used social platforms as of 2021.

Twitter statistics by year show that with 353 million monthly active users, the social network only ranked in the 16th position as of 2021. Facebook is still the obvious leader with over 2.7 billion users. Apart from the usual suspects like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, some other networks that rank above Twitter include WeChat, Tik Tok, Telegram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

(Global Digital Overview, Statista)

10. The average monthly time spent on Twitter was 5.6 hours for Android users in 2020.

The bite-sized nature of the content of Twitter is the primary reason an average session time on the platform is shorter than on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. While Twitter usage stats point to an average of 3 minutes and 39 seconds spent per session, an average monthly time on the platform was estimated at 5.6 hours. Note that this research is based on Android users only.

(Global Digital Overview)

11. Twitter traffic statistics show more than three-quarters of traffic is direct.

The largest portion of traffic on Twitter is direct, accounting for 76.73% of the total. Another 12.42% comes from search engines, while social media accounts for 5.25%. Various websites include referral links to Twitter accounts and posts, the leading one being Yahoo News. The BBC, Eksi Sozluk, Wikipedia in English, and interestingly, Onlyfans are the largest referral sources for Twitter traffic. The overall percentage of traffic from referrals is 4.85%.

(SimilarWeb)

12. 59% of people who log into Twitter do so to catch up on the news. 

Catching up on the news is the most commonly cited reason for logging, proving that the network has moved from being a platform to get social updates toward a source of news for many users. In fact, 15% of US users already use the network as their regular news source. The figure is likely to be higher in locations where traditional news media is not very developed or faces restrictions.

(Journalism)

Interesting Facts About Twitter in the US

13. Twitter user count in the US suggests 69.3 million.

As of January 2021, the US is still reported as the leader in the number of Twitter accounts. It was ranked first with 69.3 million people. Japan was second with 50.9 million, then India third with 17.5 million. The UK and Brazil follow with over 16 million users each. 

(Statista)

14. Top 10% of users in the US account for 92% of all tweets.

Twitter use statistics reveal that the platform has 2 distinct categories of US users in terms of activity — the extremely prolific and those who rarely post anything. This was especially evident in 2020 when campaigning and social activism voices never seemed louder. An analysis showed that only 10% of active Twitter users posted 92% of all tweets. Overall, users were reported to have higher education levels and to be younger than the platform’s non-users.

(PewResearch)

15. 90% of US citizens have heard of Twitter in 2020.

Twitter seems to be universally influential among US citizens, even though the platform’s penetration rate among the same group is not as great. The latest Twitter statistics reveal a staggering 90% of Americans aged 12 and above are aware of Twitter.

(Statista)

16. Nearly 70% of the most prolific accounts in the US identify themselves as Democrats.

The research also examined the political affiliation among the most prolific Twitter accounts. Twitter fun facts reveal that 10% of users are accountable for 92% of tweets. Democrats were a dominant group within, accounting for 69%. The group was more active, with the average Democrat in the 10% most prolific tweeters producing 157 tweets in a month on average, compared to 79 for the average Republican.

(PewResearch)

Twitter Trending Statistics – Accounts, Topics, Hashtags

17. The most prolific account on Twitter has over 50 million tweets.

The second-largest convenience chain store in Japan started using Twitter differently than their biggest competitor. They have created Akiko, their mascot, and are promoting what is known as cute culture. The account goes under @akiko_lawson name and ranks first in posting with more than 50 million tweets. The Twitter account with the most tweets has 4,889,236 followers.

(Trackalytics)

18. PlayStation has the most followers among brands on Twitter.

When it comes to brands on Twitter, the first two places go to gaming industry giants. PlayStation is the brand with the largest audience of over 21 million followers. Xbox is ranked second with over 15.5 million, while SpaceX is catching up with 14.9 million. Twitter follower statistics point to SpaceX, Tesla, Binance, Netflix, and Bitcoin as the fastest-growing brand profiles on the platform. 

(SocialBakers)

19. The “Face With Tears of Joy” is the most popular emoji of all time on Twitter.

This grinning face with tears on the eyes’ sides is generally used to show that something is hilarious or pleasing to the user. There are over 3,000 emojis currently in the Unicode Standard. According to Twitter stats, 3 out of 4 emojis used in tweets are positive, reflecting a state of joy. This share of positive emojis increases even further, by about 1.9%, on Fridays and Saturdays.

(Emojipedia, emojitracker)

20. @BarackObama is the most popular account on Twitter.

Former US President Barack Obama boasts the biggest number of Twitter followers — over 130 million. Twitter followers statistics further show Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Rihanna also have over 1,000,000 followers. Another interesting detail is that Donald Trump’s often controversial account was ranked 6th with close to 90,000 followers. It was permanently blocked on January 8th after the riot in the Capitol.

(Social Blade)

21. A tribute tweet honoring the legacy of Chadwick Boseman is the most liked ever.

The star of Black Panther, worldwide famous actor Chadwick Boseman, lost the battle with cancer in August 2020. The last post on his official Twitter account is respectfully honoring his legacy, as fans across the globe mourned. Twitter facts show the tweet has become the most liked in history, with 7.6 million likes. In 2020, another dark tweet was second with 4 million likes, Barack Obama’s tweet about the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. The second most liked ever is Joe Biden’s tweet that got 4.2 million likes, just after he was sworn as the new US president in January 2021.

(Business Standard, Twitter)

22. The two most retweeted tweets were promising awards to random reposts.

In January 2019, a Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa posted a tweet celebrating his custom-fit apparel brand ZOZO having a successful holiday season. The tweet was a money giveaway, as he promised to give a million yen to each of 100 randomly chosen people. Stats about Twitter show it had a stunning 4.4 million retweets. Later that year, on December 31st, he posted another giveaway, promising the same amount to 1,000 people. He got 3.8 million retweets.

(BrandWatch)

23. #COVID-19, #BlackLivesMatter, and #StayHome were the most used hashtags in 2020.

Trending hashtags on Twitter directly reflect the state of the world and popular topics. As the global pandemic marked last year, 2 out of the 3 most used hashtags state precisely that. Twitter hashtag stats show #COVID-19 was the top used in 2020, and #StayHome was ranked third. As the largest part of the platform’s users is from the US, the social justice movement following George Floyd’s tragic death ranked #BlackLivesMatter the second most tweeted hashtag of the year.

(Twitter)

24. There were over 2 billion gaming tweets in 2020.

2020 was an unprecedented year for the gaming community worldwide. Streaming services had an incredible increase in both the number of hours and views. Gaming fans showed appreciation and connected via this platform with a 49% YOY increase in unique authors. Twitter stats reveal there were over 2 billion tweets about gaming in 2020, which means the overall number was 75% up from 2019. It was the sixth most followed topic on Twitter.

(Twitter)

25. K-pop-related tweets set a record by topic with 6.7 billion in 2020.

The cultural phenomenon of K-pop is widely known as having passionate fans all over the world. The community is among the most global ones too, and there were over 300 related topics to follow. Twitter trends stats for 2020 show the most mentioned artists were BTS, NCT, EXO, BLACKPINK, and GOT7. Ranked by the tweet volume, the most significant markets were Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, and the US.

(Twitter)

26. In a scandal from July 2020, 130 VIP Twitter accounts were hacked.

The company has been involved in several scandals throughout its history, including the one where Russian bots were reportedly meddling in US elections 2016s. Over 50,000 Russia-linked accounts reached over 675,000 Americans on Twitter. Statistics about Twitter show the latest scandal happened in July 2020 when hackers compromised 130 VIP accounts. Just some of the hacked account owners were Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, even the official Uber account, among many others.

(BusinessInsider, The Guardian, Inverse)

Twitter Financial Stats

27. Advertising services account for 86% of total Twitter revenue.

In their financial report for 2020, the company reported that 86%, or $3.2 billion of its revenue, came from their advertising services on the platform. Twitter advertising statistics show a 7.1% increase in the segment, compared to 2019. Apart from targeted ads, 14% of Twitter’s annual revenue came from data licensing and other services they offer.

(Investopedia)

28. Total annual revenue for Twitter in 2020 reached $3.7 billion.

The company reported a significant net loss during the last financial year of a staggering $1.1 billion. The primary reason was charges related to provision for income taxes, as the company stated in their financial report. Twitter stats show the total annual revenue for 2020, however, was $3.7 billion, up 7.4% from 2019.

(Investopedia)

29. Twitter’s net worth is $52.05 billion as of March 2021.

When we examine the company’s current financial position, net worth is estimated at $52.05 billion as of March 2021. Net worth for companies is also called shareholders’ equity and is the value of all assets minus the liabilities they owe. At over $50 billion, this value marks an all-time high for the company. 

(MacroTrends)

30. When Twitter banned Donald Trump’s account, the company’s shares plunged 12%.

Former US President Trump’s account was permanently banned on January 8th, 2021. The suspension of his account happened under charges of violating the company’s Glorification of Violence policy. Twitter’s stock price immediately fell by 12.3%, meaning $5 billion was erased from Twitter’s market capitalization. Twitter followers stats reveal Trump’s account had close to 89 million followers at a time. 

(AA)

31. Twitter has acquired a newsletter platform, Revue, as of January 2021.

Twitter’s latest acquisition is a newsletter platform called Revue. Aimed at publishers and writers, the platform will continue to be an independent brand. This long-form writing will support writers by compensating them by the number of conversions to paid subscribers. 

(Axios)

Demographics of Twitter Users

32. Nearly 70% of Twitter’s audience is male as of January 2021.

In terms of the platform’s overall user base, men are found in much larger numbers on Twitter than women. Data shows that as many as just over two-thirds of global users, or 68.5% are men. Within the US, users are slightly more balanced, with 61.6% men and 38.4% women on the platform, also as of January 2021, according to stats on Twitter gender demographics. 

(Statista, Statista)

33. 54% of US users on Twitter are white.

Research from 2020 examined various aspects of user demographics in the US, including their racial and ethnic identification. The data reveals that over half of US accounts belong to white users. Hispanic population comes in next with 20%, followed by Black, accounting for 12%. Asian adults are the least prominent group with 9%.

(Journalism)

34. Twitter demographics show that males in the 35-49 age range are the largest advertising audience. 

The latest report on Twitter’s demographics shows that at 19.6%, men aged 35-49 are the platform’s largest advertising audience. For the same age group, women account for only 8.8%. For the 25-34 group, male audiences have an 18.7% share. Women in the same age range account for 7.9% of ad-targeted profiles.

(Global Digital Overview)

35. The least popular age groups on Twitter are 13-17 and 50+.

As of January 2021, the results for Twitter age demographics remain similar to previous periods. The social network is the most popular among adults in the 35-49 age range with 28.4% users. It is closely followed by the 25-34 age range users, accounting for 26.6% of total users. People aged 18-24 come in third with 25.2%. Twitter seems to be least popular for 13-17-year-olds, with 7.8% of users and people over 50, who account for 12%.

(Statista)

36. Twitter has the highest penetration rates in Saudi Arabia.

When we compare Twitter advertisements’ reach to the overall population numbers, Saudi Arabia holds first place with 45.3%. Japan follows closely with 45.1% ad penetration rates. Singapore, the UK, Ireland, and the US follow. On a global level, the percentage is 5.8% and is reported the lowest in Vietnam with only 1.6%.

(Global Digital Overview)

Relevant Twitter Statistics for Businesses

37. Twitter saw a 62% YOY increase in daily video views and 95% over 18 months.

Twitter has fast emerged as another important platform for sharing videos, offering another valuable avenue for brands to connect with potential customers. Data suggests that video views have registered a 62% year-over-year growth on the platform. The company states an increase in views over 18 months is a whopping 95%.

(Twitter, Social Media Today)

38. Tweets including 1 or 2 hashtags have 21% higher engagement than those with 3 or more.

Hashtags are an essential aspect of tweets and originate from this platform. Their main aim is to connect communities with similar interests, and thus posts including them have more visibility. Twitter hashtags statistics, however, show that you shouldn’t go overboard either, but rather be moderate and include 1 or 2. Engagement rates for such tweets are 21% higher than for those including 3 or more hashtags.

(business2community)

39. Tweets that include images get 89% more likes.

People are visual creatures, and meaning, users will react more to tweets that include images. Stats confirm this, pointing to 89% more likes for such tweets. If you’re using Twitter for promoting your business, don’t skip on adding images in your posts!

(business2community)

40. Tweets posted during the weekend have higher CTR than the ones during the week.

Twitter is, above all, a social network, a place where users will spend their free time. For this reason, users are more likely to engage during the weekends. Tweets posted on Mondays and Wednesdays have the lowest CTR. Twitter marketing statistics show the increase starts on Fridays and is the highest during the weekends. Understanding your audience and posting when they are more likely to engage will significantly affect your reach. 

(business2community)

41. Twitter users are 120% more likely to message brands directly.

Twitter is the place for communication between users and brands. Instant communication often results in tweets about brands users are currently enjoying or have complaints about. Research showed that the platform’s users are 120% more likely to reach out to brands directly than other major social media platforms. Twitter users statistics show over 70% also admitted if a brand has an active presence on Twitter, it makes them more trustworthy and human. Bear in mind, prompt responses are expected.

(Twitter)

42. Nearly 60% of users report discovering new small businesses on Twitter.

All social media platforms are important for small business promotion, and as we’ve stated, Twitter is a great platform to connect directly with your current and potential customers. Nine out of 10 users have engaged in a conversation with small businesses on the platform. Not only do users tend to communicate more, but the platform serves as a discovery channel as well. Twitter user statistics show 57% report having discovered new small businesses through the platform.

(BigCommerce)

43. 70% of users retweet businesses’ posts because they like the content.

To be successful in your followers’ engagement and not appear spammy, there is a rule Twitter itself suggests. The golden ratio of 80/20 is the key, as the company claims. So for best promotion, you ought to do so only 20% of the time directly. The vast majority of time should be invested in driving interaction with your followers, posting interesting unrelated content, etc. People should relate to your brand, and Twitter follower stats show 70% of users will retweet posts only if they like the content.

(BigCommerce)

44. In 2020, Twitter ranked as the second most popular platform for B2B marketers.

While a widespread belief suggests that Twitter is applicable only in B2C marketing, research shows that B2B marketers also rely on the platform to reach their customers. Twitter can be a great way to share regular business updates and content with others, meaning Twitter’s popularity among B2B marketers is as high as it is among B2C marketers, ad agencies, and social media marketing companies. Twitter statistics show, right after LinkedIn, it ranks second for 86% of B2B marketers.

(2020 B2b Research)

45. An average CPC for Twitter costs $0.38.

Note that different sources give different figures for these metrics, so it helps to conduct your own research before committing funds to any platform. The research should also cover an understanding of the user base, as an expensive platform might be more suited to your needs because it matches your targeted audience segment. An average CPC is estimated at $0.38. CPM, on the other hand, totals $6.46 per 1,000 impressions.

(WebFX)

46. Twitter users are 78% more likely to post about brands.

As we’ve mentioned in the previous statistic, the relationship between users and brands seems to thrive in the fast-paced environment of Twitter. Twitter user stats show in comparison to other social media platforms, they are a whopping 78% more likely to post about brands. Perhaps one of the reasons is the shortest lifespan of any other social media posts, so they get pushed down the feed quickly.

(Twitter)

FAQs

Source

• Variety
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• Internet Live Stats
• Global Digital Overview
• Global Digital Overview
• Ahrefs
• Similar Web
• Business of Apps
• Axios
• TechCrunch
• Statista
• SimilarWeb
• Journalism
• Statista
• Pew Research
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• Trackalytics
• Social Bakers
• Emojipedia
• Emojitracker
• Social Blade
• Business Standard
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• Business Insider
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• Inverse
• Investopedia
• MacroTrends
• AA
• Axios
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Twitter
• Social Media Today
• Business2community
• Twitter
• Big Commerce
• B2B Content Marketing 2020
• WebFX
• Sensor Tower
• Android Police

By Branka Vuleta