Social Media

Social Media in Sweden - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Last Updated: March 2, 2023
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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 Sweden, let us know!

Outlook

How does social media look like in Sweden?

Supported by a 94.5% internet penetration rate and more than 95% of smart phone usage in Sweden, the usage of social media in Sweden is very matured. In a survey published by The Swedish Internet Foundation, it also shows almost all internet users are active on social media and around 84% of Sweden’s internet users use social media daily.

In the same study, we also see about 94% of internet users aged 8 or older and 88% of the entire population aged 16 or older have used social media in the past year. The use of social media has not changed from the previous year for both groups.

However, social media usage tends to decrease among people born in the 1920-1950. Meanwhile, the use of social media has increased among the youngest internet users, the 10-year-olds. This may be due to their growth and reaching the age of 8-12 in the survey, compared to the previous year when they were aged 8-11. No significant changes in social media use have been observed among other generations.

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

Demographics

How are users distributed in Sweden?

Throughout 2022, on average there are about 9.5 million active social media users in Sweden on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 11.2 % in 2021-22 . This represents about  90.8 % of the total population. These social media users on average spend about 2.03 hours on social media and each on average have accounts on 6.6 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 Sweden that are aged 16-64 years old

What Kinds of Accounts Do Users Follow?

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

The Platforms

What Kinds of Platform is Used in Sweden?

Social media usage in Sweden remains unchanged compared to 2021 with Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram still being the largest platforms. However, there has been a slight decrease in the usage of platforms like Flashback, Reddit, Twitch, and Youtube. There have been no major changes in social media usage among internet users in general.

Among younger children born in the 2000s, the usage of social media is on the rise, particularly Snapchat. The increase in usage is likely due to the fact that these children are now aged 8-12 and therefore able to access these platforms. Roblox is also becoming increasingly popular among these younger children, coming in second after YouTube.

Women are more likely to post their own content on social media compared to men, with Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok seeing the largest differences. These platforms are widely used to both participate in and share others’ content. In contrast, TikTok and YouTube are mainly used to consume others’ content and not post as much of their own.

Around 40% of users follow brands or companies on social media, with Instagram and Facebook being the most popular platforms for this activity. People born in the 90s are the most likely to follow brands or companies on social media, which is in line with the platforms they most commonly use. Fewer people follow brands or businesses on platforms such as Tiktok, Snapchat, Youtube, and other social media sites.

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 Sweden

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.09%, there is now around 8.75 million Facebook users in Sweden . With male users account for around 47% and female users account for around 53%.

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 Sweden

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.21%, there is now around 6.07 million Instagram users in Sweden . With male users account for around 43.83% and female users account for around 56.17%.

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 Sweden

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.07%, there is now around 3.2 million TikTok users in Sweden . With male users account for around 0.445 and female users account for around 0.555.

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

LinkedIn Overview in Sweden

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.09x, there is now around 4.76 million LinkedIn users in Sweden.

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

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