Facebook probably needs no introduction; nonetheless, here is a quick history of the company.
The world’s biggest and most-famous social network was launched by Mark Zuckerberg while he was a student at Harvard University, in early 2004. TheFacebook, as it was then known, was originally intended to serve a digitised version of the ‘face books’ held by Harvard’s various colleges, which were paper directories containing images and personal information about students.
Initially limited to Harvard, Facebook expanded to include students at other elite US universities, before branching out to all universities and high schools in the US and Canada. In 2006, it was finally decided to open the site up to the general public.
Over the years Facebook has expanded to include multimedia content and sharing content initially posted by others on Facebook or elsewhere. All stuff that seems rudimentary to us now, but at the time were pioneering innovations from Facebook and other members of that first post-MySpace wave of social networks.
Private message functionality eventually became standalone app, Facebook Messenger, though is still part of the desktop site. Users can also upload pictures and tag those that appear on them. These photos go on the user’s profile, which is full of information about their life, connections and events.
It is around these purported interests that Facebook segments its audiences for its core revenue generator: advertising. The sheer number of Facebook users around the world means that the app offers one of the most comprehensive and diverse advertising audiences of the digital age.
As Facebook has grown up, so has its audience. What was once a website (and then app) for teenagers has become more and more a place for people of all ages, but mainly those age above 25 years old. Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok have become the new “cool” apps for teenagers.
To maintain a hold of the each age demographic, Facebook has made smart acquisitions over the last decade. It acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for $16 billion. It also acquired Oculus for $2 billion in 2014, and is now in the leader in the low-cost VR market, which Zuckerberg sees as the gateway to Facebook’s “metaverse”.
We have collected data and statistics on Facebook. Read on below to find out more.
Facebook Key Statistics
- Facebook generated $134.9 billion revenue in 2023. Approximately $71 billion came from the Facebook app
- $61.2 billion of Facebook’s revenue is generated in US & Canada, despite only 8.9% of users being based in that region
- In 2023, Facebook had an net profit of $39 billion
- Facebook has been downloaded over five billion times
Want to learn more about the most popular social apps? Our Social App Report includes financials, usage, demographics and benchmarks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
Social App Report 2024
Facebook Overview
| Title 1 | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 4 February 2004 |
| HQ | Menlo Park, California |
| People | Mark Zuckerberg (CEO, co-founder), Sheryl Sandberg (COO), Chris Cox (CPO) |
| Business type | Public (NASDAQ:FB) |
| Industry | Social networking |
Facebook Revenue
Facebook’s annual revenue increased by 15.6% in 2023 to $134.9 billion.
Facebook quarterly revenue 2010 to 2023 ($mm)
Facebook annual revenue 2010 to 2023 ($bn)
| Date | Revenue ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.97 |
| 2011 | 3.71 |
| 2012 | 5.08 |
| 2013 | 7.87 |
| 2014 | 12.46 |
| 2015 | 17.92 |
| 2016 | 27.63 |
| 2017 | 40.65 |
| 2018 | 55.83 |
| 2019 | 70.69 |
| 2020 | 85.96 |
| 2021 | 117.92 |
| 2022 | 116.6 |
| 2023 | 134.9 |
Source: Company data, Social App Report
Facebook Revenue by Region
About 45.3% of Facebook’s revenue comes from North America. Revenue across all regions increased in 2023.
Facebook annual revenue by region 2015 to 2023 ($bn)
| Year | US & Canada | Europe | Asia-Pacific | Rest of World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 7.2 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.5 |
| 2016 | 12.9 | 6.2 | 4 | 2.4 |
| 2017 | 19.4 | 9.7 | 6.7 | 4 |
| 2018 | 26.4 | 13.5 | 9.5 | 5.4 |
| 2019 | 33.4 | 16.7 | 12.5 | 6.8 |
| 2020 | 40.5 | 20.4 | 15.4 | 7.6 |
| 2021 | 51.5 | 29 | 26.7 | 10.5 |
| 2022 | 54.5 | 25.7 | 23.4 | 12.7 |
| 2023 | 61.2 | 30.8 | 26.9 | 15.8 |
Source: Company data
Facebook Profit
Facebook reported $39 billion net profit in 2023, an increase on the $23.1 billion it made last year. Meta called 2023 the “year of efficiency” after cutting thousands of jobs.
Facebook annual net income 2010 to 2023 ($bn)
| Year | Net income ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.37 |
| 2011 | 0.66 |
| 2012 | 0.03 |
| 2013 | 1.4 |
| 2014 | 2.9 |
| 2015 | 3.6 |
| 2016 | 10.1 |
| 2017 | 15.9 |
| 2018 | 22.1 |
| 2019 | 18.4 |
| 2020 | 29.1 |
| 2021 | 39.3 |
| 2022 | 23.1 |
| 2023 | 39 |
Source: Company data, Social App Report
Facebook Monthly Active Users
Facebook has three billion monthly active users (MAUs). Users growth stalled in 2021, but has since picked up a little pace.
Facebook quarterly MAUs 2008 to 2023 (mm)
Facebook annual MAUs 2008 to 2023 (mm)
| Date | MAUs (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 100 |
| 2009 | 242 |
| 2010 | 482 |
| 2011 | 739 |
| 2012 | 955 |
| 2013 | 1155 |
| 2014 | 1310 |
| 2015 | 1490 |
| 2016 | 1710 |
| 2017 | 2000 |
| 2018 | 2230 |
| 2019 | 2410 |
| 2020 | 2700 |
| 2021 | 2910 |
| 2022 | 2933 |
| 2023 | 3033 |
Note: Values are taken from Q2 of each respective year. Source: Company data
Facebook Daily Active Users
Approximately two billion people access Facebook everyday, either through the main app or Facebook Messenger, or website.
Facebook quarterly DAUs 2011 to 2023 (mm)
Facebook annual DAUs 2011 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | DAUs (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 417 |
| 2012 | 552 |
| 2013 | 699 |
| 2014 | 829 |
| 2015 | 968 |
| 2016 | 1120 |
| 2017 | 1320 |
| 2018 | 1470 |
| 2019 | 1580 |
| 2020 | 1780 |
| 2021 | 1910 |
| 2022 | 1971 |
| 2023 | 2061 |
Note: Values are taken from Q2 of each respective year. Source: Company data
Facebook MAUs by Region
Even though the US & Canada is responsible for a large percentage of the revenue, it actually is the smallest region in terms of total users.
Facebook MAUs by region 2017 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | US & Canada | Europe | Asia-Pacific | Rest of World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 236 | 360 | 756 | 654 |
| 2018 | 241 | 376 | 894 | 723 |
| 2019 | 244 | 385 | 1012 | 782 |
| 2020 | 256 | 410 | 1140 | 892 |
| 2021 | 267 | 446 | 1233 | 989 |
| 2022 | 264 | 407 | 1305 | 959 |
| 2023 | 270 | 409 | 1349 | 1002 |
Note: Values are taken from Q2 of each respective year. Source: Company data
Facebook Downloads
Facebook was downloaded 553 million times in 2023, which is very impressive for an app that has been around for over a decade.
Facebook annual downloads 2017 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 660 |
| 2018 | 710 |
| 2019 | 682 |
| 2020 | 540 |
| 2021 | 416 |
| 2022 | 449 |
| 2023 | 553 |
Sources: Appfigures, AppMagic
Facebook Age Demographics
Facebook’s age demographics are still consistently getting older as the app itself ages, but a majority of users are still under 35.
Facebook age demographics 2024 (%)
| Age bracket | Percentage of users |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | 23.3 |
| 25-34 | 31.1 |
| 35-44 | 20.1 |
| 45-54 | 11.9 |
| 55-64 | 7.6 |
| 65+ | 6 |
Sources: Datareportal, Meltwater, WeAreSocial
Facebook Gender Demographics
Facebook’s gender demographics skewer slightly male, although not as heavily as some other social networks like Twitter.
Facebook gender demographics 2024 (%)
| Gender | Percentage of users |
|---|---|
| Male | 56.5 |
| Female | 43.5 |
Sources: Datareportal, Meltwater, WeAreSocial
Facebook Device Demographics
The majority of Facebook users access the app by mobile-only, with only 1.3% still using the desktop only website.
Facebook users by device type 2024 (%)
| Device type | Percentage of users |
|---|---|
| Desktop only | 1.2 |
| Desktop and mobile | 14.3 |
| Mobile | 84.5 |
Sources: Datareportal, Meltwater, WeAreSocial
Facebook Page Content Types
While once known as the social hub of the internet, Facebook has transitioned into more of a news/meme page for people, with links and photos rising to prominence.
Facebook pages by content type 2024 (%)
| Content | Percentage of posts |
|---|---|
| Photos | 32.7 |
| Videos | 18.6 |
| Links | 45.9 |
| Status | 2.8 |
Source: Locowise via Datareportal
Facebook vs Social Apps: Users
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Facebook FAQ
How many US adults have used Facebook?
69% of US adults have used Facebook at some point (Pew Research Center)
How many US teens have used Facebook?
42% of US teens use Facebook, but only 2% would choose it as their favourite app (Piper Sandler)
What percentage of digital ad revenue is produced by Facebook?
Facebook was estimated to have won 23.5% of US digital ad revenue over 2020 (eMarketer)
How many Facebook profiles are fake?
11% of Facebook accounts are duplicates and 5% to be fake
How many Facebook users use Groups?
1.8 billion Facebook users use groups every month; over 10 million groups exist
How many people use Facebook Marketplace?
800 million monthly active users are on the Marketplace (TechCrunch)
How often do brands post a day on Facebook?
Brands post an average of 2.37 posts per day (Hootsuite/We Are Social)
How many people use Facebook as a news source?
36% of US Americans use Facebook as news source, or 54% of Facebook users (Journalism.org)
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