Something SUPER special happened in 2016.
It was the story of how an app with two names became the fastest growing social media app of all time, TikTok (for a global audience) and Douyin (for China).
In fact, in less than four years, TikTok has amassed over 3 billion downloads and penetrated a third of all social media users on this planet.
It took Facebook and Instagram almost a decade to reach a user base of this size; It looks like TikTok really knew how to edit the social media growth playbook.
In this statistical overview you will find out:
- The number of TikTok downloads
- History of TikTok user growth rate
- Social media ranking: 7th place on TikTok
- Demographics of TikTok users
So, without further ado, here's a roundup of the most interesting and impressive stats about this social media sensation.
Let's dive into:
TikTok Stats (Editor's Picks)
- Active TikTok users:TikTok has 1 billion monthly active users.
- Market Durchdringung:There are 4.8 billion internet users, 20.83% use video sharing service Bytedance.
- Number of downloads:TikTok was downloaded 3 billion times and was the most downloaded non-gaming app in the first 6 months of 2021, reaching 383 million installs from January to June 2021 alone.
- Outperform the competition:Considering it was only launched in 2016, TikTok was the seventh social media app in 2021. TikTok has surpassed Twitter, Telegram, Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat in monthly active users.
- Company valuation:TikTok's parent company (Bytedance) reached a valuation of $280 billion in August 2021.
- User Growth Rate:TikTok saw its global user base grow by 1,157.76% between January 2018 and July 2020; The United States recorded a user growth rate of 787.86% over the same period. India is the largest contributor to TikTok installs with 611 million downloads so far.
- Obligation:TikTok is the most engaging social media app with an average session duration of 10.85 minutes, twice as long as Pinterest at #2 with 5.06 minutes. In 2019, time spent on TikTok was 68 billion hours.
- Influencer Earnings:TikTok creators have up to 100 million followers and make up to $5 million a year. Popular content categories include Entertainment, Dance, Jokes, Fitness/Sports, and DIY.
- US market penetration:The number of monthly TikTok users in the US has already surpassed 100 million, accounting for 37.36% of the 267.6 million mobile internet users in the US, an increase of 800% in 20 months.
- US demographics:TikTok Gen Z penetration is highest in the United States. 47.4% of active users were between 10 and 29 years old. However, US adults using TikTok have grown 5.5 times over the past 18 months, with a female-to-male gender ratio of 2:1.
- US average time on app:As of March 2020, Americans ages 18 and older spent an estimated 1.43 billion hours on TikTok.
When was TikTok created?
TikTok/Douyin was originally launched in September 2016 by parent company Bytedance in the Chinese app market; 100 million users amassed in one year. TikTok, the international version, had a September 2017 launch date following its acquisition of video-sharing startup Musical.ly.
Douyin kept its Chinese starting name and now the twin apps are available in 141 countries and work in 39 languages through the App Store and Google Play.
Monthly number of active TikTok users
How many people are on TikTok?
According to the parent company Bytedance, TikTok currently has 1 billion monthly active users.

In fact, these user numbers make the app one of the fastest growing apps in terms of market share it has captured since 2016.
Let's break these numbers down.
Global TikTok User Penetration Statistics:
- TikTok has 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs).
- Of the 4.8 billion internet users worldwide, 20.83% use TikTok.
- Of the 4.48 billion active social media users, 22.32% use TikTok regularly.
Despite dizzying entanglements with the Trump administration, where threats of nationwide bans have surfaced over potential security risks, the US has been a key area of growth in both revenue and users.
Let's look at the current number of specific US users.
How many Americans use TikTok?
- As of August 2020, TikTok's official monthly US user count is 100 million (based on quarterly usage), an 800% increase from the company's January 2018 figures.
- According to eMarketer estimates, TikTok has 73.7 million monthly active users in the US (and is expected to reach 88.7 million by 2024).
- 31.1% of US social media users access their TikTok account at least once a month. For comparison, U.S. usage penetration for Instagram and Snapchat is 53.9% and 40%, respectively.
- 37.36% of the 267.6 million mobile internet users in the US access TikTok at least once a month.
- TikTok has 50 million daily active users in the US, which means 18.68% of Americans with mobile internet users log in every day.
- TikTok Gen Z penetration is high in the US, with 37.3% using the social media platform at least once a month.
- Americans 18+ will spend 1.43 billion hours on TikTok by March 2020.
- On average, US adult users spend 33 minutes per day on TikTok, ranking second behind Facebook in daily engagement at 35 minutes.
Sources: CNBC1,CNBC 2,Politically,link back,BancoMeuCelular,WorldoMeter,Intelligent Insights
Official TikTok number of downloads
How many downloads does TikTok have (App Store and Google Play)?
According to SensorTower estimates, the total number of downloads for TikTok reached 3 billion, making it the most downloaded app in the first and second quarters of 2021. TikTok is the first non-Facebook app to reach the 3 billion download mark.
Worldwide TikTok Download Stats:
- Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has been downloaded 3 billion times and reached 383 million installs in the first half of 2021.
- From Q1 2020 to Q2 2021, TikTok achieved 1.36 billion downloads.
- In March 2020, TikTok also broke another record for the highest quarter-over-quarter spending growth, reaching $535 million in the second quarter of 2021 alone.To use:SensorTowers estimates for TikTok downloads include data on Douyin on iOS in China and exclude third-party Android stores.
Aside from the hype and the pandemic, there were a few key countries and territories behind the sudden surge in installs:
Top TikTok Downloads by Country (US/China/Global)
- TikTok & Douyin is now available in 141 out of 155 countries and in 39 languages.
- India is the largest contributor to TikTok installs, with 611 million downloads to date, a third of all smartphone users in India have downloaded TikTok.
- In 2019, 323 million TikTok downloads came from India, 43.76% of the 738 million global installs that year.
- China is the second largest country in Douyin downloads with 196.6 million so far; Numbers exclude third-party installations.
- The United States is the third largest country in downloads with 165 million installs since launch, followed by Canada and the United Kingdom in fourth and fifth.
Top 10 Most Downloaded Apps of All Time (2010-2019)
According to AppAnnie, the ByteDance app ranked 7th in all-time downloads. Not bad considering they published two thirds of the decade the measurement is from!
Vary | to form | parent company | local |
---|---|---|---|
1 | United States of America | ||
2 | Facebook Messenger | United States of America | |
3 | WhatsApp message | United States of America | |
4 | United States of America | ||
5 | Snapchat | Siesta | United States of America |
6 | Skype | Microsoft | United States of America |
7 | Tick Thank you | ByteDança | porcelain |
8 | UC-Browser | Alibaba Group | porcelain |
9 | Youtube | United States of America | |
10 | blood | blood | United States of America |
Sources: Sensorturm 1,Sensorturm 2,Influencer-Marketing-Center,mediakix,Tick Thank you,statesman 1,statesman 2,AppAnnie
Statistics on TikTok user growth rate
Monthly growth rates of active users in the US and worldwide
According to parent company Bytedance, TikTok's global monthly users have grown by 1,157.76% since January 2018, when it had 54.7 million users. In the US, the app saw a 787.86% increase in users over the same period, from 11.2 to over 100 million active users.
Official monthly active user growth (worldwide)
According to the documents filed by the company, these are the latest figures showing the growth of the international app TikTok (excluding Douyin, see below) by 1,157.76% since 2017.
- September 2017:International launch of TikTok.
- Also in 2018:54,793,729 monthly users.
- December 18:271,188,301 (up 394.9%).
- 19. December:507,552,660 (up 87.2%).
- 20th of July:689,174,209 (35.8% increase).
- 21. September:more than 1 billion users (45.1% increase).
Official monthly active user growth (US only)
According to company documents for the North American market, these are the latest numbers, highlighting the 787.86% growth since 2017 for the international app TikTok.
- September 2017:International launch of TikTok.
- Also in 2018:11,262,970 monthly users.
- February 2019:26,739,143 (an increase of 137.4%).
- October 2019:39,897,768 (up 19.2%).
- June 2020:91,937,040 (130.4% increase).
- August 2020:More than 100 million.
There's no doubt that the Bytedance app crushed it, but it's impressive how much. Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has surpassed these social media startups in monthly active users, and these guys had a BIG advantage:
- blood- Launched in 2006 - 397 million active users
- Reddit- Introduced in 2005 - 430 million active users
- Pinterest- Launched in 2010 - 478 million active users
- Snapchat- Launched in 2011 - 514 million active users
According to data site Alexa, TikTok ranks 66th in global internet engagement.
TikTok Revenue Growth And How Much It's Worth
- TikTok generated $17 billion in 2019, a sizable increase in revenue of more than double the previous year's $7.4 billion in 2018.
- Just under four years since its launch in September 2016, ByteDance investors valued TikTok/Douyin at $50 billion in July 2020.
- With a reported valuation of $110 billion to $180 billion, Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok & Douyin, is the most valuable startup in the world today.
- In 2019, TikTok more than doubled its revenue to $17 billion from $7.4 billion the year before.
Sources: CNBC1,CNBC 2,Influencer-Marketing-Center,Alexa,Reuters,Bloomberg,Techcrunch
Meistgenutzte Social-Networking-Sites
How popular is TikTok on social media?
As of September 2021, TikTok is the 7th social network worldwide with 1 billion active users.

Here are the exact numbers:
Red social networks | active users |
---|---|
2.853 billion | |
Youtube | 2.291 billion |
2 trillion | |
1.386 billion | |
Facebook Messenger | 1.3 billion |
Weixin/WeChat | 1.242 billion |
Tick Thank you | 1 billion |
606 million | |
Douyin | 600 million |
telegram | 550 million |
her wife | 530 million |
Snapchat | 514 million |
Kuaishou | 481 million |
478 million | |
430 million | |
blood | 397 million |
Quote | 300 million |
Sources: Tick Thank you,Politically,CNBC1,CNBC 2.
Key demographics of TikTok users
How much time do people spend on TikTok?
Globally, the average time spent on TikTok per day is 52 minutes and 90% of users access it daily. Its average session time of 10.85 minutes makes it the most compelling social media app available today. In the US, TikTok users spend an average of 33 minutes a day on the app.

Engagement: Average time spent on TikTok
- The average time spent on TikTok per day is 52 minutes worldwide.
- Time spent on TikTok is also skyrocketing. In 2019, app engagement time increased by 210% year over year.
- In 2019, the time spent on TikTok was estimated at 68 billion hours.
Engagement: TikTok user interaction statistics
- TikTok is the most engaging social media app with an average session length of 10.85 minutes (double the 5.06 minutes of Pinterest, which ranks second for engagement).
- The average person in the United States opens the TikTok app 8 times a day.
- TikTok's US share increased by 1,533% between 2017 and September 2019. In comparison, Facebook fell 26% over the same period and Instagram rose just 6%.
- Advertisers need to beware: TikTok has a 5.30% retention rate for accounts with more than 100,000 followers, compared to 1.10% for Instagram and 0.30% for Twitter.
- In a recent study by Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok user profiles with more than 100,000 followers have the most engagement.
2019 average engagement rate per follower
<1000 | <5000 | <10000 | <100000 | <100000 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7,20% | 5,30% | 3,70% | 2,10% | 1,10% | |
Tick Thank you | 9,38% | 8,57% | 8,13% | 7,23% | 5,30% |
blood | 1,40% | 1,20% | 0,80% | 0,40% | 0,30% |
Demographics: TikTok users in the US. UU. by age
While more adults are embracing the app, only 31.3% of the user base is aged 40 and over. In fact, 47.4% of TikTok users in the US are between the ages of 10 and 29.

Here's a full breakdown:
- 25%of active TikTok user accounts in the US are between 10 and 19 years old.
- 22,4%of active TikTok user accounts in the US are 20 to 29.
- 21,7%of active TikTok user accounts in the US are 30 to 39.
- 20,3%of active TikTok user accounts in the US are 40-49.
- 11%of active US TikTok user accounts are over 50 years old.
Between 2018 and 2020, the number of US adults using TikTok increased 5.5 times.
Demographics: TikTok users by gender
Current gender demographics in 2020 show that TikTok is used by 60% of women and 40% of men worldwide. However, in the United States, female users outnumber males by a ratio of 2:1.
Sources: statesman 1,statesman 2,statesman 3,statesman 4,link back,app store,AppAnnie,Hootsuite,mediakix,Reuters,built visible,Influencer-Marketing-Center
Top users, categories and earnings of TikTok creators
The TikTok user with the most followers is Charli D'Amelio with over 125 million followers, up 37.72% since October 2020.
TOP 10: Popular users/creators of TikTok channel

Here are the exact follower numbers:
from the user | million followers |
---|---|
Charlie d’amelio | 125,6 |
Much luck | 115 |
Addison Rae | 84,8 |
Bella boar | 83,4 |
zach rey | 65,5 |
Will Smith | 62 |
Tick Thank you | 57,5 |
Dixie D'Amelio | 55.2 |
Spencer x | 54,9 |
loren grau | 54.1 |
Let's take a look at how much YouTubers make with that many followers:
TikTok User Earnings
from the user | million dollars |
---|---|
Addison Rae | 5 |
Charlie d’amelio | 4 |
Dixie D'Amelio | 2.9 |
loren grau | 2.6 |
Josef Richard | 1,5 |
Miguel o | 1.2 |
Spencer x | 1.2 |
And the brands?
It's worth noting that in June 2020 they launched the ability for brands to display their own ads on the video-sharing giant's app.
They now have an established advertising platform like their peers; We can expect colossal growth in corporate revenue and value of parent company Bytedance.
So where is all the action happening?
Let's take a look at the top video platforms by category views.
TOP 10: TikTok content categories

Here is a table with all the numbers:
Category | billion views |
---|---|
Entertainment | 535 |
Deposit | 181 |
jokes | 79 |
Fitness/Sport | 57 |
Do-it-yourself / do-it-yourself | 39 |
Beauty/Skin Care | 33 |
Moda | 27 |
Recipes/Cooking | 18 |
Lifehacks/Dicas etc. | 13 |
pets | 10 |
Outside | 2 |
If you want to be seen, you need the right hashtags to increase engagement.
Top 10 TikTok hashtags in terms of popularity
- # Tick Thank you.
- # Love.
- # funny.
- # Meme.
- # Follow me.
- #Lindo.
- # Fun.
- # Lied.
- #feliz.
- # Modus.
These are the top hashtags used today in terms of popularity, but you will get lost in the sheer number of posts.
If you want to stand out, use category-focused hashtags and keep an eye on trends.Influencer-Marketing-Centerhas great instructions.
Sources:social blade,statesman 1,statesman 2,Influencer-Marketing-Center
Conclusion
This is a summary of my TikTok stats.
The statistic that surprised me was the fact that Bytedance apps grew their monthly user count twice as fast as current market leaders like Facebook and Instagram. I can't wait to see how this growth rate plays out.
Now I would like to hear from you:
Do you think your growth is sustainable? What else would you like to add to this summary? Or do you have a question?
Anyway, jump ahead and leave a comment below.