Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has surged in popularity and worldwide use.
By the end of 2026, TikTok is expected to reach 2.263 BILLION users, almost coming shoulder to shoulder with YouTube.
It’s no secret that TikTok is one of the leading platforms in the world, but how does it fare against YouTube and other social media platforms?
Well, we’ve compiled a list of 100+ surprising TikTok data and statistics to help you understand just that.
Most Important TikTok Statistics in 2026
- Monthly Active Users: TikTok has approximately 1.04 billion monthly active users worldwide and around 2 billion somewhat active users, showing insane growth since its launch in 2016.
- Revenue Growth: TikTok’s ad revenue is projected to reach $33.1 billion in 2026, up from ~$23 billion in 2024. In-app purchases have also grown significantly, with total consumer spending hitting nearly $1 per user in the U.S.
- Global Ranking: TikTok ranks as the 5th most popular social media platform globally, following Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
- Top Country by Users: Indonesia leads with around 165 million active TikTok users, the highest of any country followed by U.S and Brazil .
- User Demographics: TikTok’s user base is approximately 54% male and 45% female. A majority of users (69.3%) are between 18 and 34 years old, with Gen Z (ages 18-24) as a core demographic.
- User Engagement: Users spend an average of about 58 minutes per day on TikTok, highlighting its highly engaging content format.
- App Downloads: TikTok has been downloaded more than 4.92 billion times across all devices since its launch.
Total TikTok User Statistics Over The Years
Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has had tremendous growth, reaching 133 million active users within just 1 year in 2017.
From 2017 until the end of 2023, TikTok has grown by 298 million users on average per year, with a 58.3% increase year by year.
| Year | Number of Active TikTok Users (Millions) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,263 million (expected) |
| 2024 | 2,051 million |
| 2023 | 1,920 million |
| 2022 | 1,500 million |
| 2021 | 1,000 million |
| 2020 | 700 million |
| 2019 | 500 million |
| 2018 | 271 million |
| 2017 | 133 million |
Year-over-Year Growth:
- 2018: Increased by 138 million users (104% growth from 2017).
- 2019: Increased by 229 million users (85% growth from 2018).
- 2020: Increased by 200 million users (40% growth from 2019).
- 2021: Increased by 300 million users (43% growth from 2020).
- 2022: Increased by 500 million users (50% growth from 2021).
- 2023: Increased by 420 million users (28% growth from 2022).
- 2024: Increased by 131 million users (7% growth from 2023).
- 2025 (expected): Increased by 212 million users (10% growth from 2024).
However, by mid 2023, TikTok had slowed down a bit in growth perhaps due to U.S. Senate hearings and data privacy concerns, but forecasts show it’s slowly rebounding from its trough.
It is on track to become the world’s most widely used social media application if TikTok’s growth remains stable over the next few years.
Short Recap of TikTok’s History
- 2016: TikTok, originally launched as Douyin in China by ByteDance, quickly gained popularity.
- 2017: ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, a popular lip-syncing app, and merged it with TikTok, expanding its global reach.
- 2018: TikTok became one of the most downloaded apps worldwide, growing its user base in several countries.
- 2019-2020: TikTok reached over 2 billion downloads globally, with strong user growth in India and the U.S.
- 2020: TikTok faced a ban in India, losing its 200 million users there, but continued to thrive globally, with around 100 million app installs in India via VPNs.
- 2024: TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is valued at over $225 billion, and TikTok remains one of the most popular apps, despite facing challenges, including bans in U.S. universities.
TikTok User Statistics in The United States
The United States was one of the biggest consumers of TikTok until Indonesia took the first spot in 2024, but the number of American TikTok users isn’t too far behind with some estimates reaching 170 million, whereas more conservative estimates are at 117 million for 2026.
Number of Active TikTok Users in The U.S
In 2023, TikTok shared news that they reached 150 million users, but most likely it is exaggerated and taking duplicate accounts into consideration.
| Year | Estimated Number of Users (in millions) | Growth % |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 35.7 | – |
| 2020 | 65.9 | 84.6% |
| 2021 | 86.9 | 31.8% |
| 2022 | 94.1 | 8.3% |
| 2023 | 102.3 | 8.7% |
| 2024 | 107.8 | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 113.2 | 5.0% |
| 2026 | 117.1 | 3.4% |
| 2027 | 121.1 | 3.4% |
According to conservative estimates, TikTok’s active user base is expected to reach 121.1 million by 2027.
TikTok User Growth in the U.S
When TikTok did not face any censorship and restrictions, til 2022, TikTok surged in popularity in the United States, but as of 2026, year by year growth is averaging around 3%, mostly due to restrictions and talk of outright banning of the app in the U.S. However, Donald Trump has yet to approve and offiliaze the ban.
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100836/number-of-us-tiktok-users/
TikTok User Demographic in the U.S
- 5.5 percent are between the ages of 0 and 4.
- 9.5 percent are between the ages of 5 and 12.
- 6.5 percent are between the ages of 13 and 17.
- 9.2 percent are between the ages of 18 and 24.
- 13.6 percent are between the ages of 25 and 34.
- 13.3 percent are between the ages of 35 and 44.
- 12.2 percent are between the ages of 45 and 54.
- 12.4 percent are between the ages of 55 and 64.
- 17.8 percent are between the ages of 65 and above.
According to the latest data, Gen Z is the most active user of the TikTok app, followed by millennials.
Despite being a fairly new social media platform and application, TikTok is quite popular among older demographics with 53% of the total number of users being over the age of 30.
TikTok Gender Distrubition in U.S
Most surprisingly, TikTok has 54.5% female users and 45.6% male users in the U.S, a stark contrast to the world’s gender distribution where male users are 54.8% and female users at 45.2%.
Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-united-states-of-america
Global TikTok User Statistics
When it comes to the world scene, here are some interesting stats for TikTok globally.
Monthly Active Tiktok Users
| Year | Active Users (in millions) | Yearly Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 465.7 | N/A |
| 2021 | 655.9 | 40.84 |
| 2022 | 755.0 | 15.11 |
| 2023 | 834.3 | 10.50 |
| 2024 | 900.7 | 7.96 |
| 2025 | 955.3 | 6.06 |
Over the past 5 years, Tiktok has had an impressive growth in monthly active users globally, but every year its growth seems to be plateauing, and in a few years, it might reach its peak before stabilizing.
Please don’t confuse this stat with the previous stats where TikTok was expected to have over 2.263 billion users in 2026. This stat is active monthly users on the TikTok platform!
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1327116/number-of-global-tiktok-users/
TikTok Users by Country
At the end of 2024, the countries with the largest TikTok audiences include Indonesia, the United States, and Brazil, each with over 100 million users.
Until recently the U.S. had the most number of TikTok users, but it was dethroned by Indonesia in 2024.
Brazil is not too far behind and is expected to overtake the U.S. in the next few years and place second.
| Rank | Country | Number of TikTok Users 2024 (in millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indonesia | 165.1 |
| 2 | United States | 137.9 |
| 3 | Brazil | 111.3 |
| 4 | Mexico | 81.1 |
| 5 | Vietnam | 69.2 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 64.0 |
| 7 | Philippines | 58.3 |
| 8 | Russia | 56.5 |
| 9 | Thailand | 53.6 |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 44.3 |
The stats above are not monthly active users, but the estimated number of somewhat active TikTok accounts based in the specified country.
Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-october-global-statshot
Global TikTok Penetration Percentage
Interestingly, if you rank the usage of TikTok based on the percentage of the population, the U.S. ranks 23rd.
| Country/Territory | Share of Population |
|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 128.3% |
| Saudi Arabia | 120.3% |
| Malaysia | 107.3% |
| Vietnam | 89.4% |
| Chile | 88.4% |
| Thailand | 86.6% |
| Mexico | 83.9% |
| Indonesia | 79.9% |
| Colombia | 73.1% |
| Philippines | 72.9% |
| Israel | 67.9% |
| Argentina | 65.7% |
| Brazil | 63.6% |
| Singapore | 61.5% |
| Turkey | 59.7% |
| Ireland | 54.3% |
| Egypt | 52.9% |
| Morocco | 50.7% |
| South Africa | 49.9% |
| Romania | 49.9% |
| Russia | 49.1% |
| Greece | 46.2% |
| United States | 44.8% |
| France | 44.2% |
| Australia | 44% |
| Spain | 43.9% |
| New Zealand | 43.4% |
| United Kingdom | 42.5% |
| Portugal | 40.4% |
| Italy | 39.8% |
| Kenya | 39.3% |
| Netherlands | 38% |
| Canada | 37.9% |
| Sweden | 37.4% |
| Belgium | 36.8% |
| Bulgaria | 36.4% |
| Norway | 36.4% |
| Hungary | 35.7% |
| Croatia | 35.5% |
| Poland | 32.6% |
| Germany | 30.5% |
| Austria | 29.4% |
| Taiwan | 29.3% |
| Switzerland | 29.3% |
| Worldwide | 28% |
| Denmark | 27.2% |
| Nigeria | 25.6% |
| Japan | 23.7% |
| Czechia | 21.5% |
| South Korea | 15.1% |
Surprisingly, the United Arab Emirates takes the first spot when measuring the percentage of population basis. It may show higher than 100% but it’s most likely due to people having multiple accounts and other brand/accounts, the total overall number of TikTok accounts based in UAE.
Countries like Saudi Arabia (120.3%) and Malaysia (107.3%) have also seen impressive growth in TikTok usage, while others like South Korea (15.1%) and Japan (23.7%) exhibit relatively lower adoption rates compared to their global counterparts.
Source: TikTok penetration in selected countries and territories 2024 | Statista
TikTok Users vs Other Social Media Platforms
As of April 2024, the most popular social networks worldwide by monthly active users are led by Facebook with 3.065 billion users, followed by YouTube (2.504 billion) and Instagram (2 billion). Other notable platforms include WhatsApp, TikTok, and WeChat, each with over 1 billion active users. The list also features Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Snapchat, and Douyin, with significant user bases in the hundreds of millions.
| Social Network | Number of Users (in millions) |
|---|---|
| 3,065 | |
| YouTube | 2,504 |
| 2,000 | |
| 2,000 | |
| TikTok | 1,582 |
| 1,343 | |
| Facebook Messenger | 1,010 |
| Telegram | 900 |
| Snapchat | 800 |
| Douyin | 755 |
| Kuaishou | 700 |
| X/Twitter | 611 |
| 598 | |
| 554 | |
| 498 |
Some reports and stats can vary from each other, the number above for monthly active users for TikTok is a moderate estimate for 2024. According to latest 2025 numbers and stats, you could argue TikTok has surpassed Instagram and WhatsApp, thus ranking as the 3rd most widely used social media platform.
Source: Biggest social media platforms by users 2024 | Statista
TikTok User Statistics by Demographics
Here are additional TikTok statistics for worldwide demographics.
By Age
Globally, TikTok is mostly used by younger audiences, and the percentage of users above the age 34, is barely 25%, a big contrast to the U.S. where TikTok is also relatively popular with older people.
| Age Range | Percentage of Users | Estimated Number of Users |
|---|---|---|
| 18-24 years old | 34.8% | 522.0M |
| 25-34 years old | 34.0% | 510.0M |
| 35-44 years old | 15.7% | 235.5M |
| 45-54 years old | 4.1% | 61.5M |
| 55+ years old | 3.7% | 55.5M |
By Gender
On average, there are more male users than female users on TikTok across all age groups, especially more among Gen Z and millenial users.
| Age Group | Female (%) | Male (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 15.9% | 18.9% |
| 25-34 | 14.9% | 19.1% |
| 35-44 | 6.9% | 8.8% |
| 45-54 | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| 55+ | 3.7% | 3.7% |
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1299771/tiktok-global-user-age-distribution/
TikTok Engagement Statistics
Social media is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. Over the years, we’ve been spending more and more time on social media and the data below reflects that aspect of TikTok’s user retention and engagement.
How Much Time People Spend Daily on TikTok
The average daily time spent on TikTok has consistently increased over the years. From 2019 to 2024, the time grew from 27 minutes to 58 minutes per day. The most significant growth occurred between 2019 and 2020, with an increase of 40.9%.
| Year | Average Daily Time Spent on TikTok | Change Over Previous Year | Growth in Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 27 minutes, 24 seconds | – | – |
| 2020 | 38 minutes, 36 seconds | +11 minutes, 12 seconds | 40.9% |
| 2021 | 45 minutes, 18 seconds | +6 minutes, 42 seconds | 17.3% |
| 2022 | 52 minutes | +6 minutes, 42 seconds | 14.8% |
| 2023 | 55 minutes, 48 seconds | +3 minutes, 48 seconds | 7.3% |
| 2024 | 58 minutes, 24 seconds | +3 minutes, 36 seconds | 6.5% |
In subsequent years, the growth slowed, with smaller increases ranging from 6.5% to 17.3%. The data shows a steady rise in user engagement on the platform over the five years, but the growth is plateauing.
Source: https://whatsthebigdata.com/average-time-spent-on-tiktok/
How Much Time People Spend on TikTok Monthly
According to stats and surveys from 2023, the Anglo-sphere countries on average spent the most amount of time on TikTok every month, with UK coming in 1st and US and Australia coming in 2nd and 4th respectively.
| Region | Time Spent Monthly per User (Hours) |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 49.29 |
| United States | 45.37 |
| Mexico | 45.01 |
| Australia | 42.13 |
| Canada | 38.47 |
| France | 38.38 |
| Argentina | 38.33 |
| Indonesia | 38.26 |
| Germany | 37.38 |
| Worldwide | 34.00 |
| Singapore | 33.23 |
| Russia | 31.47 |
| Brazil | 30.10 |
| Turkey | 29.25 |
| South Korea | 25.06 |
Source: Time spent on TikTok 2023 | Statista
How Much Time Americans Spend on TikTok Monthly
The data below shows that the majority of U.S. teens spend between 0 to 3 hours on TikTok daily, with 22% of teens spending 2-3 hours, and another 22% spending 0-15 minutes per day. The proportion decreases as the time spent on the platform increases.
| Time Spent Daily | Proportion of US Teens |
|---|---|
| 0-15 minutes | 22% |
| 15-30 minutes | 5% |
| 30-60 minutes | 10% |
| 1-2 hours | 20% |
| 2-3 hours | 22% |
| 3-4 hours | 10% |
| 4-5 hours | 5% |
| 5+ hours | 8% |
Source: U.S. teens daily time spent on TikTok 2022 | Statista
Engagement and Reach Rate For TikTok
How many people does an TikTok video or post reach on average? Well here are the numbers:
- TikTok’s overall engagement rate by followers is 2.65%
- TikTok’s engagement rate by views is 4.07%
- Education category has one of the highest engagement rate – 4.90% engagement rate
Engagement rate is calculated based on the sum of likes, comments, shares, and saves of a post or video divided by the total number of followers and multiplied by 100.
Engagement rate by the number of followers:
- 1K – 5K followers: 35.45% engagement rate
- 5K – 20K followers: 24.24% engagement rate
- 20K – 100K followers: 13.72% engagement rate
- 100K – 1M followers: 9.37% engagement rate
- Over 1M followers: 4.33% engagement rate
Because we generally care about our friends, family, and people within our social circles more, it’s not a surprise that engagement rates for TikTok accounts that have less than 5000 followers have significantly higher engagement rates compared to big brands and influencers whom.
Accross the board, engagement rates for TikTok is much higher than Instagram and most other comparable social media platforms, making TikTok one of the better platforms for promoting one’s brand and run advertisements.
Source: Referwo, SocialInsider, Phlanx.
TikTok Revenue Statistics
TikTok has had notable jumps in revenue, especially between 2019 and 2020. By 2026, TikTok is expected to make over
Total Revenue & Net Profits
Total ad revenue grew sharply during 2020 and 2021 but took a slump for 2 years before showing signs of growth again. Ad revenue is expected to grow to $53.95 billion by the end of 2027.
| Year | Revenue (Billion USD) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 44 |
| 2022 | 11.64 |
| 2023 | 18.04 |
| 2024 | 23.58 |
| 2025 | 33.12 |
| 2026 | 43.96 (expected) |
| 2027 | 53.95 (expected) |
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1305708/tiktok-ad-revenue/
Surprisingly, TikTok’s net ad revenue is insanely high, they keep about 60% of total revenue in their own pockets.
| Year | Net Ad Revenue (Billion USD) |
| 2020 | 1.14 |
| 2021 | 3.88 |
| 2022 | 9.89 |
| 2023 | 14.15 |
| 2024 | 18.49 |
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1344972/tiktok-net-ad-revenue-worldwide/
In-App Purchases
Social media platforms have been pushing for in-app purchases for a few years, but TikTok stands out as an outstanding example of how it should be done. By the end of 2024, TikTok generated over $1.123 billion in revenue from its platform via the shop feature, but most importantly TikTok’s in-app purchase revenue is not on a linear growth, but it’s an exponential one!
| Quarter/Year | Revenue $ (Millions) |
|---|---|
| 2018 Q1 | 4.57 |
| 2018 Q2 | 3.79 |
| 2018 Q3 | 7.00 |
| 2018 Q4 | 10.50 |
| 2019 Q1 | 14.18 |
| 2019 Q2 | 22.67 |
| 2019 Q3 | 34.98 |
| 2019 Q4 | 73.39 |
| 2020 Q1 | 143.38 |
| 2020 Q2 | 230.34 |
| 2020 Q3 | 274.36 |
| 2020 Q4 | 286.16 |
| 2021 Q1 | 285.98 |
| 2021 Q2 | 382.11 |
| 2021 Q3 | 407.01 |
| 2021 Q4 | 606.34 |
| 2022 Q1 | 603.28 |
| 2022 Q2 | 616.66 |
| 2022 Q3 | 652.66 |
| 2022 Q4 | 671.57 |
| 2023 Q1 | 654.19 |
| 2023 Q2 | 725.12 |
| 2023 Q3 | 765.58 |
| 2023 Q4 | 818.71 |
| 2024 Q1 | 803.15 |
| 2024 Q2 | 843.40 |
| 2024 Q3 | 932.31 |
| 2024 Q4 | 1,123.34 |
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377090/tiktok-worldwide-in-app-revenues-quarterly/
Interesting TikTok Statistics
How Many Times Has TikTok Been Downloaded
TikTok has had the most amount of downloads in 2021 and 2022, but its download rate is decreasing and will likely decrease even more in the foreseeable future.
| Year | Downloads (Millions) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 748.33 |
| 2019 | 794.93 |
| 2020 | 998.00 |
| 2021 | 1,070.58 |
| 2022 | 1,022.73 |
| 2023 | 926.18 |
| 2024 | 670.48 |
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377008/tiktok-worldwide-downloads-quarterly/
Most Popular Categories On TikTok
As a platform specifically designed for short-form video content, TikTok’s most popular categories are as follows and it’s not a big surprise why the type of categories most suited for short-form video are popular.
- Dance Challenges
- Comedy and Skits
- Lip-syncing and Music
- Fashion and Beauty
- Food and Cooking
- Fitness and Health
- DIY and Life Hacks
- Pets and Animals
- Education and Tutorials
- Vlogging and Personal Stories
Most Followed TikTok Accounts
| Rank | Creator & Description | Followers (millions) | TikTok Profile Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khaby Lame – Italian content creator famous for simplifying life hacks in a humorous, non-verbal way. | 162.4 | @khaby.lame |
| 2 | Charli D’Amelio – American dancer and social media personality who rose to fame through her viral dance videos. | 156.8 | @charlidamelio |
| 3 | MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) – American philanthropist and YouTuber known for his massive challenges and charitable donations. | 110.2 | @mrbeast |
| 4 | Bella Poarch – Filipino-American singer and TikTok star famous for her lip-sync videos and music releases. | 94.2 | @bellapoarch |
| 5 | Addison Rae – American dancer, actress, and singer who became famous for her dance videos and has since ventured into acting. | 88.6 | @addisonre |
| 6 | Kimberly Loaiza – Mexican singer and social media personality known for her music, vlogs, and family-related content. | 83.2 | @kimberlyloaiza_ |
| 7 | Zach King – American social media magician known for his ‘magic vines’ and visual illusions in short-form videos. | 82 | @zachking |
| 8 | Domelipa – Mexican content creator popular for comedic skits, lip-sync videos, and collaborations with other influencers. | 76.8 | @domelipa |
| 9 | Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – American actor, former wrestler, and entrepreneur, known for his roles in action films and as a motivational figure. | 76.2 | @therock |
| 10 | CZN Burak – Turkish chef known for his unique and visually appealing cooking videos, often featuring large meals and smiles. | 75 | @cznburak |
Other Interesting Facts About TikTok
If you are interested in trivial facts and statistics about TikTok, then here are some numbers.
- Despite being banned, TikTok had around 100 million app installs in India in 2020. It’s believed that most of those who used TikTok before the ban continue to access it via a VPN.
- TikTok had 200 million users in India prior to its ban.
- The app is available in over 40 languages.
- The Chinese version of TikTok has 752 million monthly active users.
- ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is valued at over $225 billion as of 2024.
- TikTok was the most downloaded free app on iPhones in 2022.
- TikTok is facing bans at universities across the United States.
Sources: CNN, GeeksforGeeks, Statista, Alconost, Reuters.
Countries Where TikTok is Banned
Despite becoming a global application used by billions, TikTok however has been banned in a lot of countries, mainly due to privacy/data concerns, geopolitics, and adverse effects on the younger population.
Here are the countries where TikTok has been either banned or restricted so far.
Europe
- European Commission and European Council: In February 2023, both institutions banned TikTok from official devices, citing security concerns.
- NATO: In March 2023, NATO announced a ban on TikTok on all NATO-issued devices, also citing security concerns.
- Several countries, including European Union institutions, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom, have banned or restricted TikTok on official or work devices due to concerns over data privacy and national security.
- Albania: In December 2024, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced a nationwide ban on TikTok, citing concerns over the platform’s role in promoting violence among children.
- Russia: TikTok is limited and restricted by censorship due to Russian and Ukraine war.
Africa
- Senegal: In August 2023, Senegal blocked TikTok following the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.
- Somalia: On August 21, 2023, Somalia’s communications ministry announced a ban on TikTok, Telegram, and the betting platform 1XBet, citing the spread of propaganda and indecent content.
Asia
- Afghanistan: Banned in 2022 by the Taliban for content deemed contrary to Islamic laws.
- China: TikTok is blocked in mainland China and Hong Kong for national security reasons.
- India: Banned in 2019 and again in 2020 due to security concerns amid tensions with China.
- Iran: TikTok is banned due to both the platform’s own restrictions and Iranian government censorship.
- Kyrgyzstan: Banned in 2023 due to concerns about its effects on children’s development.
- Philippines: A bill proposing a TikTok ban was filed in 2024, and the military banned its use on government devices.
- Taiwan: Banned TikTok from government devices in 2022 over concerns of Chinese influence.
- Vietnam: Imposed content restrictions and censorship on TikTok, especially related to sensitive political issues.
Sources: Censorship of TikTok – Wikipedia, Al Jazeera, Africanews, Euronews
Final Thoughts
To say that TikTok has been quite successful over the years would be an understatement. Since its launch in September 2016, TikTok has become one of the top 10 social media platforms in the world with the possibility of overtaking Instagram and YouTube by late 2026, or 2027.
Due to TikTok’s rising influence, a lot of countries that may be biased against China have enacted laws and restrictions to curb TikTok’s growth and influence under the guise of data and privacy concerns, but as of 2026, the TikTok platform doesn’t seem to show any signs of decline and is expected to increase in popularity and use in the next few years, with overall revenue and profits following suit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some commonly asked questions and answers to them.
Do China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan use TikTok?
China has its own version of TikTok that is not connected with the rest of the world, called Douyin. As of 2026, Douyin has around 755 million monthly active users.
Hong Kong and Taiwan however have a different legal framework separate from China and they do use TikTok. While TikTok is not necessarily banned in Hong Kong, it’s not available for download in the region, so people have to use a VPN or a non-Hong Kong account to download the app.
Taiwan has about 5 million users and according to latest sources, about 1/5 of the population uses the TikTok app.
Why don’t Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea use TikTok that much?
There are several factors, but Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea don’t use TikTok as much because they have their own local social media platforms that are used widely by the population.
However, it’s also worth mentioning that these countries are also wary of the Chinese government and Chinese companies on a fundamental level, hence there is some form of bias and prejudice against using TikTok.
Is TikTok more popular than Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, X, or YouTube?
TikTok is gaining ground quite rapidly, but its expected ~2.26 billion user base in 2026, is a few hundred million users shy from either beating Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, and YouTube. So no, TikTok is not more popular than Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, or YouTube as of 2026 if we’re considering the number of users globally.
However, TikTok is more popular than X, formerly Twitter, by a wide margin, and also in certain regions such as South East Asia, and Latin America, TikTok is more popular.
In addition, TikTok is significantly more popular among Gen Z demographics when compared to the other social media platforms.
How many TikTok users are there in 2026?
Predictions and forecasts are estimating about 2.263 billion users by the end of 2026, just about a 10% growth rate compared to the previous year.
Why do USA, UAE, Brazil, and Indonesia use TikTok so much?
USA is a cultural hub open to new technologies, so it’s not surprising Americans, old and young, are using TikTok despite having other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
UAE is another country with a rapidly developing IT and technology sector, and it’s one of the countries with the highest smartphone penetration rates.
Brazil and Indonesia on the other hand have a relatively younger population, so due to a massive worldwide cultural trend, TikTok has become widely popular.