Social Media

Social Media in India - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Last Updated: April 1, 2023
ind
Welcome! Here at OOSGA, we've combined insights from our partners across various markets and our own hands-on experience to bring you this brief. If you are interested in partnering with us on social media marketing & research within India, let us know!

Outlook

How does social media look like in India?

As the most populous country with the second-largest number of internet users globally, India’s internet market is both highly attractive and competitive. Although only 43% of Indians have internet access, a robust social media user base reportedly spends approximately 2.6 hours daily on social media platforms.

In recent years, India’s social media landscape has experienced significant shifts, including the government’s ban on major Chinese apps due to a border dispute with China. Consequently, TikTok is no longer accessible in India, and individuals with ties to China have sought alternatives to WeChat.

A notable development occurred in 2022 when the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEIT) in India established a three-member grievance redressal committee, despite opposition from tech companies. Following the committee’s formation, social media firms must comply with the government’s content moderation decisions, a move widely seen as part of the government’s attempts to exert control over social media companies.

Interestingly, according to a study published by the Oxford University, there is around 54% of Indian go to social media channels to find “truthful” information. The same figure for the global average is just 37% and the US is at 29%.

Another emerging trend is the growth of social commerce in India. A study by Bain & Company predicts that social commerce in India will witness a compound annual growth rate of 55-60% between FY 2020-2025, expanding the current market size from $1.5-2 billion to $16-20 billion.

Over the next decade, India is anticipated to become the largest market for social media advertising spending outside of China and is poised to be the fastest-growing market worldwide.

Table of Contents
Internet Population|% of Population
Mobile cellular subscriptions|Per 100 Peopel

Demographics

How are users distributed in India?

Throughout 2022, on average there are about 470.1 million active social media users in India on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 4.2 % in 2021-22 . This represents about  33.4 % of the total population. These social media users on average spend about 2.6 hours on social media and each on average have accounts on 8.6 platforms.

% of Total Social Media Users|Note: Meta's figure as reference, 2022

Main Drivers Behind Using Social Media?

Source: Survey by GWI. Users in India that are aged 16-64 years old

What Kinds of Accounts Do Users Follow?

Source: Survey by GWI. Users in India that are aged 16-64 years old

The Platforms

What Kinds of Platform is Used in India?

In India, WhatsApp holds the title as the social media platform with the largest user base, closely followed by other Meta-owned platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, according to 2022 data. However, a large user base doesn’t necessarily correlate with usage. A recent consumer sentiment survey conducted by AXIS My India in January 2023 revealed that 35% of users considered Facebook their most frequently used social media platform, the highest in the country.

Similar to other countries where SMS messaging plans are not widely accessible or there’s a limited user base for Apple’s iMessage system, WhatsApp has emerged as the primary mode of communication for many citizens.

During the pandemic, strict social distancing measures prevented India’s 1.3 billion-strong population from engaging with others in-person, leading more people to turn to digital channels—specifically, WhatsApp—to stay connected with friends and family. This shift in behavior is also why WhatsApp’s search interest (measured by Google Trends) surpassed Facebook in mid-2021.

In India, WhatsApp’s dominance is unrivaled, with no clear competitors in sight. The introduction of WhatsApp Business and continuous enhancements to its commerce features have prompted many business owners to adopt the platform as their primary means of managing customer relationships. In January 2023, WhatsApp also announced it will even provide access to users that don’t have access to the internet, with servers and other relevant resources setup by volunteers.

Most Used Platforms (% of Internet Users)|Note: 2022
Most Loved Platforms (% of Internet Users)|Note: 2022
Platform Figure (% of Population)|Source: OOSGA Analytics; eMarketer, Napoleon Cat, Facebook, ByteDance, Microsoft | Note: No LinkedIn Data Prior to 2019/8
Explore Social Media in Other Countries

Facebook Overview in India

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1%, there is now around 448.8 million Facebook users in India . With male users account for around 72.99% and female users account for around 27.01%.

Facebook Users | Unit: a Thousand People
Facebook User Growth | % of Population
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People
As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated
User Growth By Age | Unit: % of its Associated Age Bracket
Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country

Instagram Overview in India

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.2%, there is now around 252.41 million Instagram users in India . With male users account for around 72.74% and female users account for around 27.26%.

Instagram Users | Unit: a Thousand People
Instagram User Growth | % of Population
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People
As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated
User Growth By Age | Unit: % of its Associated Age Bracket
Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country

TikTok Overview in India

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of %, there is now around TikTok users in India . With male users account for around  and female users account for around .

TikTok Users | Unit: a Thousand People
TikTok User Growth | % of Population

LinkedIn Overview in India

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.14x, there is now around 96.79 million LinkedIn users in India.

LinkedIn Users | Unit: a Thousand People
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People

Reference

  • Internet & Cellular Subscription:World Bank, ITU
  • Currency Exchange: Based on IMF data in 2023/1
  • Demographics: UN Population Database
  • Social Media Behavior: GWI, Hootsuite 2022 Digital Report
  • Meta, LinkedIn Data: Napoleon Cat Stats
  • Data Calculation & Regression:OOSGA.org
  • Analysis:OOSGA Analytics
  • Note: The data for monthly platform usage and the data for the most frequently used platforms are sourced from different research, hence there may be discrepancies in the numbers as both are estimated rather than real figure.
Author: Consumer Research

Our CR team is dedicated to keeping a pulse on the ever-evolving demographics and behavior of consumers globally. We stay informed on the latest trends and developments across major economies to ensure that we are providing the most up-to-date insights for our clients

Connect with CR Team