43 Trending Canadian Social Media Statistics [2024 Update]

The latest Canadian social media statistics reveal that more than half of Canadians are registered to at least one social media platform. 

You name it:

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. 

They’re among the most popular social media platforms in Canada. And they’ve impacted the lives of Canadians and will continue to do so in the future.

That’s why we decided to look into all the social media statistics we could get our hands on.

Let’s dive right in.

Fascinating Social Media Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

• 83% of Canadians have a Facebook account.
• Facebook has the highest percentage of daily users (77%), followed by messaging apps (69%), Instagram (69%), and YouTube (64%).
• Facebook is the top market leader, accounting for 55.34% of all social media platform usage.
• YouTube is the second most popular social media platform in Canada, with 64% of adults having an account.
• Twitter is the fourth most popular social media platform in Canada.
• LinkedIn is mostly popular with self-employed Canadians.
• Only 10% of Canadians use TikTok.

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General Canadian Social Media Statistics 

1. There were 35.32 million internet users in Canada in January 2020.

(Source: Datareportal)

Canadian social media stats show the total number of internet users in Canada in January 2020 was 35.32 million, a 947,000 increase from 2019. This was a rise of 2.8%, with internet penetration at an impressive 94%.

At the same time, almost every internet user has an account on at least one social media platform.

2. By 2025, 81.5% of Canadians will be using social media according to Canadian social media statistics from 2021.

(Source: Statista)

Looking at Canada social network penetration statistics, data from January 2021 reveals the share of Canadians accessing social media will be 81.5% in 2025. That’s a significant rise from 66.8% in 2019 and 67.2% in 2020. 

3. Facebook had 25.45 million users in Canada in December 2020.

(Source: Napoleon Cat, Statista)

Facebook had the highest number of users in December 2020, when 25.45 million Canadians used the social network.

Here are the other top social media platforms in Canada by the number of Canadians using social media in December 2020:

• Instagram 14.83 million
• Messenger 19.62 million
• Linkedin 17.74 million

4. Facebook is the most visited among social media websites in Canada, with 55.34% of all visits in October 2020. 

(Source: Statista)

Facebook was an undisputed social network leader when it comes to social media usage in Canada. 

Here’s the full social media market share in Canada:

• Facebook 55.34%
• Pinterest 24.83%
• Twitter 13.42%
• YouTube 22.3%
• Instagram 1.21%
• Reddit 1.14%
• Tumblr 1.1%
• Other  0.73%

5. 83% of online Canadians have a Facebook account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

According to a survey conducted in 2020, these are the most popular social media platforms in Canada. 

Here’s the percentage of people online who have accounts on each. It gives us a good sign of how the state of social media in Canada has changed from 2017 to 2020:

• Facebook 83%, a 1% drop from 2017
• YouTube 64%, a 5% rise from 2017
• Instagram 51%, a 14% rise from 2017
• LinkedIn 44% a 2% drop from 2017
• Twitter 42%, unchanged
• Pinterest 40%, a 2% rise from 2017
• Snapchat 27%, a 5% rise from 2017
• Reddit 15%, a 6% rise from 2017
• TikTok 15%, added to the 2020 survey as it gained users outside of China
• Tumblr 9%, a 2% drop from 2017

6. Mobile social media use in Canada stands at 96%.

(Source: Statista)

Social media statistics for Canada point out that more than 40% of all online traffic is mobile. But when it comes to social media, virtually all usage is done on mobile devices.

Facebook visits account for more than a half of mobile social media use and the app in the lead. It has almost three times as many visits as Pinterest, the second most visited platform on smartphones and tablets.

7. Canadians spend an average of 138 minutes a week on social media.

(Source: Statista)

As the use of social media in Canada in 2020 was mostly mobile, with the devices always on hand, the minutes of scrolling, liking, and commenting go by fast. Altogether, Canadians spend 138 minutes on average on social networks.

8. Daily usage is the highest on Facebook, with 79% of users visiting at least once a day.

(Source: Niagara Knowledge Exchange)

Daily usage of social media by the platform in Canada looks like this:

• Up to 79% of Facebook users visit the platform daily. Out of those, 48% visit several times, and 30% once a day. 
• 61% of Instagram users use the app every day.
• 60% of Snapchat users visit daily.
• Reddit is visited by 57% of its users every day, even if only 9% of people use it.
• 48% of YouTube users visit the platform every day. 
• 45% of Canadian Twitter users use the app daily.
• 40% of Tumblr users visit daily.
• 28% of Pinterest users visit every day.
• 20% of LinkedIn users are daily visitors.

9. Canadian social media marketing spending amounted to US$1.69 billion in 2019.

(Source: Statista, Statista)

Social media has long since taken a prominent place among the most popular marketing tools, alongside content marketing. Social media advertising spending reached US$1.69 billion, and it’s projected to rise to US$2.2 billion by 2024.

Social media brand engagement statistics for Canadian users reveal 20% of respondents have engaged with brands on Snapchat, and another 29% on YouTube.

10. Around 70% of Canadian YouTube users use the platform as their top learning source.

(Source: MobileSyrup)

A study conducted at Toronto’s Ryerson University discovered that seven in ten Canadian YouTube users use the platform as their top learning source. It’s a lucrative business, too, with 15% of monetized channels generating more than $50,000 a year in revenue. 

What’s more: 

12% generate over $75,000, 9% over $100,000, and 6% over $150,000. This is huge!

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Social Media Demographics in Canada 

11. 86% of Canadian women use Facebook.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Looking at Canada social media use by gender and the most used social media in Canada in 2021, women use Facebook more than men – up to 86%, compared to 81% of men. The use for all Canadians is 83%, a tiny decline of 1% from 2017.

12. 71% of women report using WhatsApp of FB Messenger.

(Source: Statista, Social Media Lab)

Messaging Apps are the second most prevalent form of online socializing with Canadians (65%). Around seven in ten women reported using messaging services such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, compared to six in ten men.

13. Instagram gained 14% new male users between 2017 and 2020, but women still use it more.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

According to recent social media users statistics, Instagram is another platform that women use more than men. 59% of women use the app, compared to 43% of men. The male population is warming up to it more, as new users’ growth numbers are a bit higher for men, up by 14% from 2017, and 13% for women.

14. 48% of men have a LinkedIn account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

On the fifth most popular platform in Canada, you can find more men than women.

Around 40% of the female population uses this social network, compared to 48% of men.

15. 43% of men have a Twitter account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

The social media popularity of Twitter is roughly the same as in 2017, but the number of male users rose by 3%. This is another platform men like more than women, as 43% of them say they have the account, compared to 41% of women.

16. Women dominate Pinterest, with 55% having an account, compared to 24% men.

(Source: Statista, Social Media Lab)

Pinterest is the platform where the gender gap is most visible. Highly visual and very much homemaking- and shopping-oriented, it appeals to women more. Up to 55% of Canadian women reported using Pinterest in 2020, while only 24% of men did. However, the gap has narrowed by 7% since 2017.

That being said:

The gap is even wider on the global level, where 77% of users are women, 14% are men, and 9% are unspecified.

17. Canadian women are more likely to use Snapchat, with 31% having an account.

(Source: Statista, Social Media Lab)

Canadian social media statistics reveal there are 8.15 million Snapchat users. 31% of female social media users online report having an account, whereas only 23% of male respondents use Snapchat. Out of those registered on the platform, 54.5% are women, and 45.2% are men.

18. Reddit is more likely to be used by men, with 18% having an account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Around 15% of online Canadian adults have a Reddit account, a 6% increase from the figure in 2017. 18% of men use Reddit, compared to 13% of women. The gap has remained the same while the number of users has grown.

19. 10% of Canadian men are on Tumblr. 

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Tumblr showed a twist in gender statistics. In 2017, women were almost twice as likely to be on the platform (13% vs. 7%). In 2020, 10% of men had a Tumblr account, compared to 9% of women. 

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Canada Social Media User Age

20. Young people are leaving Facebook for other platforms.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

When it comes to Facebook demographics for Canada, 93% of people aged 25 to 34 had an account in 2020, a slight decline from 94% in 2017. But the platform recorded a drastic drop in the group from 18 to 24, which went from 95% down to 84%.

21. 80% of Canadians under 34 use messaging apps.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

The adoption rate for messaging apps goes down with age and is lowest in the group of over 55, at 51%. In the 18 to 34 group, the rate is unsurprisingly high, at 80%.

22. Instagram use by Canadians under 25 recorded a 22% growth rate between 2017 and 2020.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Canadians aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to have an Instagram account, with the adoption rate for the platform at 89%. Millennials have an adoption rate of 76%.

All age groups saw significant growth between 2017 and 2020, between 11% and 14%. However, it was the under 25 group that had an astonishing growth rate of 22%.

23. LinkedIn shows the lowest adoption rate, 35% in the youngest group of users.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

While it’s a platform with quite high adoption rates in general, LinkedIn has the lowest adoption rate among users under 24, around 35%. For Canadians over 55, it’s around 40%, which is still high compared to other social media platforms.

24. Canadians under 25 use Twitter the most, with 65% having an account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

The youngest age group has the highest Twitter adoption rate (65%), followed by Canadians aged 25 to 34 (54%). Only 27% of those older than 55 have a Twitter account. 

25. The largest user group on Pinterest is 18-to-24-year-olds, with 78% having an account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Those over 55 have the lowest adoption rate, only 30%. The largest user group is people aged 18 to 24, which has a 78% adoption rate, followed by Canadians aged 25 to 34, with a 49% rate.

26. Snapchat shows a 9% to 12% growth in both major age brackets.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Snapchat saw a growth of 12% in users in the 18 to 24 group between 2017 and 2020. There was also a smaller increase of 9% in the 35 to 44 group. 

27. Reddit users are mostly young, with the 18 to 24 group having an adoption rate of 41%.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

The largest user group and the largest growing user group at the same time is 18-to-24-year-olds, with an adoption rate of 41%. It’s followed by the 25-to-34-year-olds group, with 30%. The platform has recorded a 13-14% growth in both groups.

28. 55% of 18-to-24-year-olds have TikTok. 

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Youth social media statistics for Canada show people aged 18 to 24 have the highest TikTok adoption rate, more than 55%. The group of 25–to-34-year-olds shows a rate of 17%, and the figure falls under 10% for those over 35.

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Canadian Social Media Statistics by Income Level

29. Between 80% and 86% of all income groups use Facebook.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Facebook adoption is high and consistent in all income brackets, media consumption statistics for Canada confirm, with little change between 2017 and 2020. Those unemployed or self-employed use Facebook the least, 78% and 79%, respectively. In contrast, full-time and part-time workers use the platform the most, 87%.

30. Unemployed Canadians use messaging apps the least, only 56%.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Education doesn’t play a role in the frequency of use when it comes to messaging apps, but the use rises with household income. Those earning less than $20,000 have an adoption rate of 57%, while the higher earners who make over $120,000 in household income have an adoption rate of 71%.

Employed Canadians use these apps more than the unemployed, with the rate being 72% for full-time, 70% for part-time, and 67% for self-employed people.

31. Instagram use ranges consistently from 47% to 55% across all income levels.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Users of Instagram are consistent across all income brackets, ranging from 47% to 55%.

The group earning $60,000 to $79,000 has seen the biggest increase in users since 2017, a full 20%. 

What’s more:

There was also a significant growth among those with a Master’s or Ph.D. (19%). Full-time and part-time workers are more likely to have Instagram accounts, 58%, and 64%, respectively, than the self-employed (48%), or unemployed (39%).

Still, the use for the self-employed group has recorded an increase of 22% since 2017.

32. LinkedIn has the highest adoption rate among highly educated Canadians, 79%.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Social networking on LinkedIn increases with the level of education. Click To Tweet

So, the least likely to use it are those with some school (24%) or with a high school diploma (25%). 

On the other hand:

Those most likely to use this network are Canadians with a professional degree (67%) and a Doctorate (76%). Full-time employees have an adoption rate of 55%, and self-employed of 53%. 

Interestingly, LinkedIn is least popular among the unemployed (29%).

33. Twitter is most popular with Canadians that have a college degree, with 40% of respondents having an account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

According to statistics, Canada Twitter is used the most by those who earn between $60,000 and $100,000 (47%), and those with a college degree (40%).

34. Pinterest tends to do better in households making over $40,000, with an adoption rate of 47%. 

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Pinterest use increases with household income all the way until the highest income group, where it stagnates. It is most popular with those earning from $40,000 to $59,000. The self-employed and the unemployed have the lowest number of users, 32% and 37%, respectively.

35. Snapchat has the lowest use among the unemployed, 16%.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

The adoption rates of all income groups use Snapchat range from 23% to 34%. Education plays no role in using this platform either, as those with a high school diploma, Bachelors, or a Doctorate use the app in equal measures (32-33%).

Now:

Canadians employed full or part-time use the app more than the unemployed, who have an adoption rate of only 16%. Those working full time have an adoption rate of 33%, part-time employees 43%, and the self-employed 18%.

36. Reddit is mostly used by the full-time employed, who have a 21% adoption rate.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Reddit is twice as common with those employed than with the unemployed or self-employed. 

Full-time and part-time workers had a 9% higher adoption rate in 2020 than in 2017.

Around 21% of full-time workers and 20% of part-time workers use Reddit.

The self-employed have an adoption rate of 11%, and the unemployed of 8%. Since the sample was too small, income levels are not conclusive.

37. TikTok is mostly used by part-time employees, with an adoption rate of 28%.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

Only 19% of Canadians who work full-time use TikTok, compared to 28% of part-time workers. That’s more than twice as many as the unemployed (8%) or the self-employed (7%). The adoption rate based on annual income or education is inconclusive due to the small overall sample.

38. Tumblr is equally popular among full-time and part-time employees, with 13% having an account.

(Source: Social Media Lab)

The number might be the same for both groups, but part-time employees now use Tumblr less (7%) than in 2017 (20%). The adoption rate based on annual income or education is inconclusive due to the small overall sample.

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Social Media Addiction Statistics

39. Spending more than two hours a day on social networks leads to depression in adolescents.

(Source: CMAJ)

Using social media for over two hours a day can lead young people to depression. Higher suicide rates have also been linked to teenagers spending too much time online, especially if they don’t socialise in person. Those also spending a lot of time on non-screen activities are somewhat protected, though social media still heavily affects self-reported happiness, Canadian social media statistics reveal.

40. Up to 81% of Canadian students said they have been using social media to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Source: CBC)

Female students are more likely to have problems with excessive social media use, a study from June 2020 found. Still, over eight in ten students reported using social media platforms as a coping mechanism as the pandemic set in. 

The thing is:

A strong need for connection limited by lockdowns and social distancing played a big role in the increase of the use of social networks and apps. While this behaviour may work in the short-term, it can be a road to online addiction if not properly balanced with offline activities.

41. Around 41% of Canadians are spending more time on social media since the beginning of the pandemic.

(Source: Statistics Canada)

 In contrast, only 3% say they are spending less time. The increase is most prominent in younger Canadians, with a 57% increase in 15-to-34-year-olds. The older generation of over 65-year-olds increased their use by 18%.

42. Canadians spent 36% more time on social media in 2020 than they did in 2019.

(Source: Comscore)

Daily engagement for all forms of communication rose significantly in 2020. Here are the changes in numbers: 

Emails had 14% more visits, with 17% more time spent on this activity. Instant messaging apps had 31% more visits, with 31% more time spent on them. Social networks had 21% more visits in 2020 than in 2019.

Finally, music content had an increase of 33% in visits, and people spent 31% more time listening to this type of content. 

43. 46% of Canadians use free streaming video services more than before the pandemic.

(Source: Statistics Canada)

Online video streaming services have been another coping mechanism. Up to 46% of Canadians have increased the use of such platforms. The group aged 15 to 34 has the most visible rise, with 68% using free streaming services, educational platforms, or online information services.

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In Conclusion

There’s a record number of social media users in Canada. About 80% of the population will use social networks by 2025. In 2020, social media became another tool of combating the loneliness of social distancing, as online parties, office meetings, dates, movie nights, and even concerts become a thing. 

However:

Social media statistics show the medium is a double-edged sword, increasing the numbers of contacts and interactions and decreasing the real-life meet time. In turn, this causes happiness levels to drop. 

Key takeaway:

The balance between social media and face-to-face social life is going to be an interesting thing to observe over the next couple of years. 

Who knows which trends will stay and which will go out of fashion once social distancing is over?