UK Social Media Outlook 2023

The Platform Hierarchy Is Shifting, Driven Largely by Gen Z User Habits

Report by Bill Fisher  | Jan 30, 2023

Worldwide Social Media Outlook 2023

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Our data and analyses across 6 regions: US, Canada, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and UK

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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
Gen Z Will Be the Biggest Driver of User Growth
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
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.
Topics
Social Media Usage
Social Media Ad Spending
United Kingdom
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
Gen Z Will Be the Biggest Driver of User Growth
Sources
Media Gallery

Executive Summary

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

  1. Which platforms will add, and lose, the most users in the UK this year?
  2. How much growth can we expect to see in social user numbers overall?
  3. 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.

UK Gen Z Social Network Users, by Platform, 2021-2026 (millions)
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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.

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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Key Points
  3. Engagement Gains Importance Amid Slowing User Growth
  1. The Social Platform Hierarchy Is in Flux
  2. User Growth Is Slowing or Declining Across the Board
  3. Gen Z Will Be the Biggest Driver of User Growth
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

UK Gen Z Social Network Users, by Platform, 2021-2026 (millions)UK Social Network Users on the Top 4 Platforms, 2021-2026 (% of social network users)
UK Social Network Users on the Bottom 3 Platforms, 2021-2026 (% of social network users)UK Social Network Users, 2021-2026 (millions, % change, and % of population)
UK Social Network User Growth on Twitter*, Snapchat, and TikTok, 2021-2026 (% change)UK Social Network Users, by Generation, 2021-2026 (millions)

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Download
Report
The One-Pager
Spreadsheet
Deck
Share
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
Gen Z Will Be the Biggest Driver of User Growth
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
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.
Topics
Social Media Usage
Social Media Ad Spending
United Kingdom
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
Gen Z Will Be the Biggest Driver of User Growth
Sources
Media Gallery
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authors

Bill Fisher

Contributors

Peter Newman
Senior Forecasting Analyst
Karin von Abrams
Principal Analyst
Debra Aho Williamson
Principal Analyst
Ruoyan Zeng
Associate Forecasting Analyst