X (Twitter) Statistics and Usage Trends

X (Formerly Twitter) is a fast-paced place for discussions. These X (Twitter) statistics can help marketers and brands better reach their audience.

X (Twitter) Statistics: User Demographics and Numbers

X (Twitter) is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. With over 619 million monthly active users worldwide, it is no surprise that it is also a very influential platform.

In 2023, Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed its name to X. While Twitter’s acquisition was seen as a controversial move at the time, X continues to show growth and changing trends in its user base.

Understanding key Twitter statistics is useful for both casual Twitter users and marketers, as the social media platform is an ideal environment for businesses who want to implement a content marketing strategy.

X (Formerly Twitter) User Statistics

This section will cover demographic and behavioral differences within X (Twitter) usage for a more comprehensive image of the platform.

Understanding general social media statistics will provide marketers a better perspective of how X as a platform compares to other rival sites.

Global User Base

X (Twitter) is one of the top social media platforms in the world. A large portion of Twitter’s user base is active on both a daily and monthly basis, with the distribution of users differing from country to country.

Total Number Of Active Users Worldwide

X (Twitter) has 619 million monthly active users worldwide in 2024.

While it isn’t in the top 5 most used social media sites, it ranks among the likes of TikTok and Snapchat due to the size of its user base.

The 2024 numbers also increased by over 300 million from last decade’s user base numbers, which grew from 30 million monthly active users in 2010 to 330 million monthly active users.

Daily And Monthly Active Users

When it comes to its daily active users, X (Twitter) had 237.8 million daily active users worldwide in 2022, according to the latest X (Twitter) stats.

The 237.8 million daily active users currently active on X (Twitter) represent around 38% of the user base, in comparison to its 619 million monthly active users worldwide.

Countries With The Highest Number Of Users

The top 10 countries with the highest number of X (Twitter) users include the USA, Japan, India, Brazil, Indonesia, the UK, Turkey, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.

Thailand: 14.6 million monthly active users

USA: 95.4 million monthly active users

Japan: 67.5 million monthly active users

India: 27.3 million monthly active users

Brazil: 24.3 million monthly active users

Indonesia: 24 million monthly active users

UK: 23.1 million monthly active users

Turkey: 18.6 million monthly active users

Saudi Arabia: 15.5 million monthly active users

User Demographics

The demographics of X (Twitter) users are an important part of the platform’s usage statistics because they can affect a content marketing plan’s effectiveness and advertising revenue spending efficiency.

Age Distribution Of X Users

The primary user age group on X is 25 to 34 years old, comprising 36.6% of all users.

This is closely followed by the 18 to 24 age range at 34.2%, which means that the average user belongs to the Gen Z and Millennial age groups.

X remains popular with younger users due to its enduring image as a thought-sharing platform.

Gender Distribution Of X Users

The majority of X (Twitter) users are male, making up 63.1% of users, or more than half. In contrast, female users make up only 36.9% of X (Twitter) usage.

This disparity in gender can affect the target audience or social network that any marketer or business owner wants to connect with to grow their business.

Education And Income Levels Of X Users

Twitter stats show that more X users have a higher educational attainment compared to the general US population.

42% of adult X (Twitter) users have at least a Bachelor’s degree, which is 11 points higher than average.

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of X (Twitter) users with an income of $75,000 or higher is greater than the general population at 41% vs 32%, respectively.

User Behavior

The behavior of X users worldwide includes topics like:

  • The average time spent daily
  • What type of device they use to access the platform
  • The distinction between users who actively tweet versus those
  • who primarily consume

Average Time Spent On X Per Day

Average X users worldwide spend around 32 minutes per day on this social network. If the average person spends 2 hours and 23 minutes on social media, then X accounts for 22% of daily usage.

Percentage Of Users Accessing X Via Mobile

The amount of internet users who access X (Twitter) using the iOS/Android app skyrocketed to 80% in 2022, compared to 20% of desktop users.

This shift in consumer behavior can be leveraged by marketers. For example, it can influence a marketing campaign to primarily target mobile users with vertical video ads instead of desktop-focused horizontal ones.

Users Who Tweet Daily Vs. Content Consumers

Low-volume tweet posters on X reported less time spent on the platform, with 8% saying they visited the site only once or twice and 16 percent saying they visited it occasionally.

On the other hand, more high volume tweet posters visited the site either occasionally (28%) to too many times to count (21%). It’s not surprising that more active users spend more time on the platform.

X (Formerly Twitter) Usage Statistics

After analyzing user statistics above, the following section will discuss stats like tweet volume, engagement, hashtag use, and how influencers on X affect the overall landscape of the social media platform.

Tweet Volume And Engagement

The number of tweets on the platform and their respective engagement rates are a primary source of growth for active users. This includes tweets per day and the likes, retweets, and replies on each one.

Number Of Tweets Sent Per Day

There are around 500 million tweets sent out per day. On a smaller scale, this means there are nearly 6,000 tweets sent out per second!

Average Number Of Tweets Per User Per Day

The average user in 2016 tweeted around 4.2 times per day.

In contrast, the average total number of tweets per user was 100 tweets or below, with only a comparatively small number of users racking up higher numbers.

Tweet Engagement Rates (Likes, Retweets, Replies)

Engagement rate statistics go a level deeper than other user statistics, and count user actions like likes, retweets, and replies. The average engagement rate on X (Twitter) stands at around 0.029%.

Hashtag Usage And Trending Topics

Hashtags on X (Twitter) have typically been used as a quick way to jump into a popular topic or conversation between other users.

Understanding how they affect reach and engagement is crucial to crafting an effective content strategy.

Most Popular Hashtags And Topics

The most popular hashtags and trending topics on X will depend on the region you’re in and what day, week, and month you are accessing the platform on.

Popular hashtags in July 2024 include #RIPCartoonNetwork with 83.7 thousand posts, while Popular topics include Lewis Hamilton (an F1 driver) and House of the Dragon (a TV series).
In general, the most popular hashtags and topics at any given time will include things like the following:

  • Current events
  • Pop culture
  • Popular entertaining content
  • Promoted tweets
  • Social activism

Impact Of Hashtags On Reach And Engagement

Hashtags are a surefire way to get a tweet noticed by users who do not follow an account, but may follow a specific topic or hashtag.
Twitter stats show that tweets with hashtags get twice as much engagement as those that do not.

However, be sure to not include too many hashtags, as studies show that tweets with 3 or more hashtags get 21% less engagement than those with 1-2 hashtags.

Verified Accounts And Influencers

While most users on X use the platform with a basic account, there are many daily active users who use X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue).

Premium subscribers get access to premium features like the following:

  • Text formatting
  • The ability to edit posts
  • Longer post

The platform has found that premium subscribers spend around 3 times as much time on the platform as basic account holders.

Number Of Verified Accounts

One of the benefits of being part of the X Premium follower base includes having a verified account, which is the blue check mark beside a person’s username or display name.

In 2022, there were around 424,000 verified users. However, this number increased by over 200 thousand to around 640,000 in 2023.

Most Followed Accounts And Their Influence

The most followed accounts on X include a wide range of people, from X’s current owner Elon Musk to political leaders, popular musicians, and sports icons.

Here are the top 10 most followed X accounts.

  1. Elon Musk: 189 million followers
  2. Barack Obama: 131 million followers
  3. Cristiano Ronaldo: 112 million followers
  4. Justin Bieber: 110 million followers
  5. Rihanna: 108 million followers
  6. Katy Perry: 106 million followers
  7. Narendra Modi: 99 million followers
  8. Taylor Swift: 95 million followers
  9. Donald Trump: 87 million followers
  10. Lady Gaga: 83.2 million followers

While the majority of these premium users are from the US, Cristiano Ronaldo and Narendra Modi stand out as representative of the influence and popularity of athletes and politicians, respectively.

X (Formerly Twitter) For Business And Marketing

X (Twitter) is not only used to tweet, retweet, and connect with friends, but is also a platform for marketers to reach out to their target audience.

Small businesses who don’t know where to start can hire a social media agency to handle their X account and improve its reach and engagement.

Business Presence On X

Businesses, whether they are large corporations or smaller start-ups, typically have accounts on X for multiple reasons.

Some use the platform to market to customers, while other businesses use it for different strategies.

Percentage Of Businesses Using X For Marketing

Currently, 82% of B2B businesses use X as a part of their marketing strategy.

This high percentage is no surprise, as over 79% of X users follow brands or businesses, making the platform a huge marketing opportunity.

Most Successful Brand Accounts And Strategies

One of the most successful brand accounts is Wendy’s. Their X account is well known for primarily interacting with other users and brand accounts in humorous ways.

For example, their official account is known for reacting to tweets from McDonald’s and Hardees by making fun of them, which would amuse X users and encourage more to follow their account.

Wendy’s currently has 3.7 million followers on X, with its unique strategy allowing them to post both interaction-first tweets and promotional content with these tweets still feeling organic to followers.

Advertising On X

Besides the brand accounts on X, there are businesses that utilize ad spend on Twitter ads to reach more users.

This is a win-win for both X and the business, as it generates revenue for X while generating leads.

Total Advertising Revenue

Twitter’s revenue was around $4.73 billion in ads from its daily active users.

This is projected to decrease in future years, due to some companies’ skepticism concerning Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.

Average Cost Per Engagement For X Ads

The primary draw of Twitter for businesses are the monetizable monthly active users. These users are defined as those who have physically logged in, but aren’t “bot,” or fake, accounts.

Despite the risk of advertising to active bot accounts, X’s base of over 200 million daily active users is still promising for businesses and brands who wish to interact more with their target market.

To reach X’s monetizable monthly active users, the average cost per engagement is around $0.26 to $0.50 for the first interaction on an ad and $1.01 to $2 for each follow on a promoted account.

Effectiveness Of Different Ad Formats

Tweet ads with a photo or video are ideal because 97% of people focus on visuals on X. Having a visual will ensure that people are more likely to pay attention to the same ad rather than scroll past it.

Video ads are very effective, but only if they are 15 seconds long or less. Any ad that runs longer runs the risk of being skipped or people getting bored with it.

Customer Engagement And Service

Many brands and businesses use X as a channel for customer communication. The platform is specifically used for customer service and other concerns.

X As A Platform For Customer Interaction

Around 82% of consumers strongly prefer brands contacting them in response to a complaint tweet, which can potentially lead to repeat purchases and increased brand satisfaction.

Best Practices For Customer Service On X

Quick response time is one of the best implementable practices for a brand’s social media strategy.

Replying quickly makes the customer feel like their complaint is taken seriously.

Another good customer service strategy is to use X’s direct messaging feature. This is especially useful when asking for potentially personal or sensitive info from a customer to help resolve an issue.

X (Formerly Twitter) And Its Societal Impact

Whether you are part of the over 200 million daily active users, or a marketer who uses the platform to earn, there is no denying that X is a highly influential platform that can affect fields like pop culture, society, and politics.

X And Politics

X is used by many government offices and can function similarly to a customer support role. However, there are many politicians and pundits who use the platform to spread their personal beliefs and messages.

Influence Of X On Political Discourse

X is widely-used for political discourse. One study in 2022 showed that 1/3rd of all tweets by US adults were political.

An interesting observation to note here is that most of the political tweets that were reviewed as part of the study were from users aged 50 and above.

This can give insight into the demographics of users who post political tweets.

Use Of X By Politicians And Government Officials

X is no stranger to politicians and government officials using it to connect with their constituents. To provide an example, the second most followed account after Elon Musk is former US President Barack Obama.

One plausible reason for this is the large number of Americans on X, which makes it a cheap and efficient platform for reaching out to constituents.

Impact Of X On Elections And Political Campaigns

X was a very active site for political discourse in the months leading up to both the 2016 and 2020 elections, with a study from Princeton University finding that X slightly hurt former President Donald Trump’s vote shares in both elections.

Even in the months leading up to the 2024 elections, X has featured plenty of political discourse.

X As A News Source

Apart from the political sector, X also has a strong foothold in the media sector. Many of X’s daily active users rely on the platform for up-to-date news consumption.

Percentage Of Users Relying On X For News

Half of users on X say that they regularly get news on the platform, while 25% of X users say that they predominantly use the platform to get news.

Speed And Spread Of News On X

A study conducted from 2019 to 2021 showed that news consumers on X got their news faster and spread between circles faster than real time news from the radio.

Challenges Of Misinformation And Fake News On X

While there are many advantages to the lightning-quick speed of information and news transfer on X, the spread of fake news is an unfortunate downside.

Three MIT scholars found that fake news spreads on the platform three times faster than real news. One of the major reasons for this is people quickly retweeting a story that ends up being false.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about X (Twitter) marketing statistics, demographics, and trends with these quick questions.

What Is The Difference Between Daily Active Users And Monthly Active Users On X?

Daily active users have to use X at least once a day, while monthly active users only have to use it once a month. The 237.8 million daily active users make up 38% of the 619 million monthly active users.

How Has The Recent Name Change From Twitter To X Affected User Engagement?

Engagement on the platform notably decreased after the name change.
After Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed its name to X, most of the highly active users’ post frequency decreased by 25% compared to the previous year.

5 months after the purchase and name change, over 60% of X users said they would take a break from using the platform.

Which Industries Have The Highest Engagement Rates On X?

The three industries with the highest engagement rates on X are Sports (0.08%), Education (0.06%), and Non Profit (0.05%). These are higher than the median 0.029% engagement rate for X.

How Does X Compare To Other Social Media Platforms In Terms Of User Demographics?

When it comes to age group, X is neither younger nor older than the average, with older Gen Z to younger Millennials making up the majority of its users.

When comparing gender demographics, X is more heavily skewed towards men than other platforms.

What Are Some Best Practices For Businesses Looking To Increase Their Reach On X?

One of the best practices to increase reach is to improve the quality of ads. Always include a visual with the ad, and ensure that video-based ads are shorter than 15 seconds.

Another way to increase reach is to interact with other X users as if the business was an individual. Focus on making a genuine connection rather than purely selling.

Conclusion

X (formerly Twitter) is an important social media platform that has shaped much of the modern internet era. It has grown over the last decade and continues to do so.

X is a platform where people connect with each other through tweets and retweets, while businesses, politicians, and public figures use it to make themselves easy to reach out to.

While there have been recent controversies and setbacks due to the recent changes in ownership and name, the platform’s user base is still poised to grow and improve.

Keeping up to date with the latest statistics and trends will make your X user experience better, whether you are a marketer or a general user.

Ready to Leverage Social Media to Connect with Your Audience?

Get Your Free Social Media Plan