Social Media Demographics UK 2025

UK adults spend an average of 1 hour and 48 minutes a day on social media.

That’s nearly 13 hours a week, offering a solid window for brands to connect with their target audience. Success requires a clear understanding of each network’s users.

This includes the basics, like the age, gender and behavioural demographics on social networks in the UK. You’ll also want to gather deeper insights on what UK audiences expect from brands like yours.

UK social media demographics: key stats you need to know

In the UK, social media platforms attract large audiences across age groups and daily social media usage is high.

Before we delve into the particulars of each social network, it’s worth viewing the broader picture of UK social media trends.

54.8 million people in the UK use at least one social media platform. That’s 79% of the total population.

On average, time spent on social media is declining. UK users spent 11% less time on social media than the previous year. Note that this is an average. Some social media users are using the platforms far less frequently, while others are using them far more.

Using data collated from social media usage reports on Statista and Data Reportal, here’s a breakdown of age cohorts across LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook:

• 18–24: 22.9%
• 25–34: 32.6%
• 35–44: 16.3%
• 45–54: 15.2%
• 55–64: 7.9%
• 65+: 5.3%

In short, social media use in the UK still skews young. Half of all users are under 35, though older demographics are well represented.

Why understanding UK social demographics matters

Any effective digital marketing strategy starts with knowing your audience. With nearly 80% of the UK population on at least one social media platform, there’s a wealth of data to uncover valuable insights.

According to Sprout Social’s UK Index, British people place a high value on authenticity, cultural relevance and timeliness in brand communications. This means your content needs to reflect these values and what they mean to different demographics.

What feels culturally relevant and timely to a 19-year-old university student differs greatly from what resonates with a 43-year-old parent of two. Yet both demographics are highly active on social media and expect content that speaks to them. This is why understanding demographics is essential.

Getting it right allows you to:

• Craft content that resonates with specific communities
• Adjust your strategy based on what your community wants
• Choose influencers whom your target demographic connects with

Both the challenge and the opportunity lie in uncovering how and where your target demographic uses social media.

Platform-by-platform breakdown for UK

Ready to dive into each major social media platform? Let’s break it down.

1. Facebook demographics in the UK

The UK has a total of 39.5 million Facebook users. That’s around 60% of the total population. It’s well past the explosive growth stage seen on TikTok, but the good news is that usage is still going strong. That’s particularly true in social commerce, where new features are added every day.

That said, it’s less popular among Gen Z and younger millennials.

The average amount of time UK users spend on the app is 39 minutes per day. The 18- to 24-year-old cohort spends as little as 15 minutes per day, preferring the greener pastures of TikTok and Instagram.

Here’s a breakdown of Facebook user demographics:

• 18–24: 18.4%
• 25–34: 24.7%
• 35–44: 19.5%
• 45–54: 14.5%
• 55–64: 12%
• 65+: 10.9%

It skews older than other platforms, but that could be a good thing. Older millennials and Gen X, who make up around half of Facebook users, have the highest median disposable income per household in the UK. So, if you have high-ticket products or luxury items, Facebook might be your best bet.

For more detailed insights, Sprout Social’s Facebook Analytics tool has you covered.

2. Instagram demographics in the UK

The UK has a total of 33.4 million users. That’s 48.2% of the total population and 56.3% of the eligible population (over the age of 13). Even better, Instagram use in the UK far exceeds the global average.

Brits spend an average of 53 minutes per day, or around six hours a week, on the platform. That’s nearly double the global average of 29 minutes per day, making it clear that the UK has a strong appetite for Instagram content.

Most UK Instagram users are Gen Z and Millennials, but Gen Xers and Boomers are still active on the platform.

Here’s a breakdown by age:

• 18–24: 31.8%
• 25–34: 30.4%
• 35–44: 16.1%
• 45–54: 9.5%
• 55–64: 6.3%
• 65+: 5.9%

The gender distribution in the UK skews slightly female at 55%, while globally, there is a roughly 50-50 split.

Due to the visual nature of the platform, brands whose chief appeal lies in aesthetics typically do best.

Think fashion, beauty and skincare, health and wellness, as well as retail brands. Need a hand scheduling your IG content? Check out Sprout Social’s Instagram Scheduling tool.

3. TikTok demographics in the UK

There’s a strong case to be made that the UK is the TikTok capital of the world. With 24.8 million active social media users in the UK, up from 16 million in 2024, TikTok is in the rapid growth stage.

UK users spend an average of 49 hours and 29 minutes per month on TikTok, well above the global average of 34 hours.

Older demographics are also increasingly adopting the platform and, in turn, increasing the buying power of the average TikTok user in the UK.

Here is a breakdown:

• 25–34: 31.8%
• 18–24: 24.4%
• 35–49: 19.5%
• 45–54: 12.9%
• 55+: 11.4%

Interestingly for brands, most users are scrolling, not posting. Despite a global user base of 2 billion, users post only 34 million videos per day. This means less competition and a better chance for brands to cut through.

Like Instagram, TikTok is a highly visual platform, but there are some slight differences in the overall vibe. These differences alter which content rises to the top of the algorithm. Fashion and beauty shine, but technology and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands also do exceptionally well.

Take a look at some stats:

• CPG campaigns on TikTok delivered 2X greater ROAS than average.
• Fashion brands on TikTok achieve a median ROAS of 2.5x.
• Nikon led an innovative co-creation-centred TikTok campaign that achieved a 17% bump in brand awareness.

4. LinkedIn demographics in the UK

LinkedIn has one billion users globally, with 44.6 million in the UK. That’s a huge chunk of the country’s total population.

LinkedIn is exceptional in that, age and gender notwithstanding, its user base is largely homogeneous. It is a platform designed for white-collar professionals, and people use LinkedIn for career-related purposes only.

Here’s an age demographic breakdown of UK users:

• 18–24: 23.7%
• 25–34: 45.2%
• 35–54: 25.8%
• 55+: 5.4%

We can see that the bell curve skews slightly young, but the meat of it lies in older Gen Z and millennials. Men slightly outnumber women, making up 55% of the total UK user base.

5. YouTube demographics in the UK

Understanding YouTube user demographics in the UK is easy.

If your audience is between 13 and 85 years of age and has internet access, it’s almost certain they use YouTube. For this reason, you can expect that the number of monthly active users on YouTube follows the population distribution in the UK, which is approximately:

• 0–18: 20.8%
• 18–24: 8.3%
• 25–34: 13.5%
• 35–49: 19.3%
• 50+: 38.0%

YouTube has a total of 54.8 million active users in the UK, against a total population of 68.3 million. As you’d expect in a case of mass adoption, the gender split is razor-thin: 50.1% male vs. 49.9% female. However, men use the platform 12% more than women, despite UK women spending more time online overall.

Given its ubiquity, virtually all demographics are represented. In that sense, you can think of YouTube as the opposite of the hyper-specialised LinkedIn. YouTube delivers content for every niche imaginable.

6. X (formerly known as Twitter) demographics in the UK

As of 2025, X has 22.9 million users in the United Kingdom, making it one of the least-used social media platforms in the country. This marks a 10.7% decrease in its UK user base over the last 12 months, equating to a loss of 2.73 million users. While 10% have left, 33% of UK users have considered leaving, citing changes to the platform in recent years.

That said, its heavily male-skewed user base (65.8% and 34.2% female) offers specificity for male-focused brands. Cryptocurrency, sports betting and supplement brands typically excel on X, as do male-focused fashion brands like OddBalls.

Source: X

Age-related data specific to the UK is not currently available, but here is X’s global age breakdown:

• 18–24: 34.2%
• 25–34: 36.6%
• 35–49: 19.7%
• 50+: 7.0%

For detailed insights, check out Sprout Social’s Twitter Analytics tool.

How to use demographic insights to improve your UK strategy

With the data above under your belt, it’s time to use it to craft your social media marketing strategy.

1. Prioritise platforms based on your audience

Once you understand where your audience is most likely to spend their time, it’s time to lean into that platform. This doesn’t mean abandon all others. People of all ages and demographics use all platforms, but these demographics do suggest you should prioritise your investment in ads or content accordingly.

As a quick reminder:

• For Instagram, think Millennials,
• For TikTok, think Gen Z.
• For LinkedIn, think professionals of all ages.
• For X, think men.

2. Tailor voice, format and post timing

People of different ages consume social media differently. They have different preferences for content types, and they use language itself differently.

The overlap between user demographics, audience expectations and business goals can be complex and granular.

Let’s say you want to target Gen Z professionals. Remember the big debate about emojis in the workplace? Gen X and older say “nay“, but Gen Z says “slay”.

The generally accepted wisdom is that brand messaging on LinkedIn should be more dry and professional, but Gen Z brings a more casual feel to the workplace. LinkedIn content aimed at Gen Z professionals should keep this in mind.

3. Use Sprout Social’s advanced tools

Navigating the nuances of different social media platforms has never been easier.

With Sprout Social, you can:

• Schedule and publish content for different time zones and platforms.
• Surface audience insights for deep understanding.
• Test various content types to find what works.
• Optimise your post timing.

In short, Sprout makes understanding and speaking to your target audience easy.

Where Sprout fits into smarter audience targeting

Getting a general sense of the UK social media landscape is an important first step, but it won’t capture the specifics of your target audience.

Sprout Social will help you drill down to gain a deep understanding and then craft content for your audience.

Use Listening Tools to track real conversations across the UK and learn what matters to your audience. You can then use Social CRM capabilities for audience tagging, filtering and segmentation. With this data at your fingertips, Sprout’s AI can then assist you with tailoring content that resonates quickly and effectively.

Ready to master the UK social media landscape? Sign up for a free trial with Sprout Social today.