The UK is seeing stagnant social network user growth. But while reach remains huge, marketers should look at how their target markets are spread across platforms because this is where the real change is happening.
Social networks won’t see significant user growth in the UK from here on in. However, there will be considerable changes in terms of which platforms are gaining and losing users. Gen Z will be driving much of this change—it’s the only cohort that will continue to add meaningful numbers of social users through the end of our forecast period in 2026.
3 KEY QUESTIONS THIS REPORT WILL ANSWER
Which platforms will add, and lose, the most users in the UK this year?
How much growth can we expect to see in social user numbers overall?
How are Gen Z’s social habits shaping the wider landscape?
WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? Our latest forecast for social network users in the UK, looking at the changing platform hierarchy—and what it could mean for advertisers.
KEY STAT: Changes in the social network hierarchy are being driven by Gen Z. Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok remain the most popular platforms for this cohort, but there’s user growth across the board, even for Facebook.
Here’s what’s in the full report
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Key Points
Engagement Gains Importance Amid Slowing User Growth
The Social Platform Hierarchy Is in Flux
User Growth Is Slowing or Declining Across the Board
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The UK is seeing stagnant social network user growth. But while reach remains huge, marketers should look at how their target markets are spread across platforms because this is where the real change is happening.