In social media, every click, view, and impression counts. Platforms that attract billions of users and shape online culture drive billions in ad revenue and influence global marketing trends. For more than a decade, Meta’s flagship platforms, Facebook and Instagram, have dominated this space. However, a major shift may be on the horizon, as one of the youngest players in the industry prepares to rewrite the leaderboard.
According to data presented by Jemlit.com, TikTok is projected to dethrone Instagram and become the world’s second-largest social media platform by 2030, a stunning achievement for an app that launched less than two decades ago.
TikTok’s Meteoric Rise: From Trendy App to Global Powerhouse
It’s been nearly ten years since TikTok first appeared on the scene, and its momentum shows no signs of slowing down. In 2024, TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide, amassing 773 million installs across iOS and Android. As of 2025, the platform boasts between 1.5 and 1.6 billion monthly active users, cementing its position as one of the most influential forces in digital entertainment.
What makes TikTok stand out isn’t just its user base; it’s the time people spend on it. According to the Data Reportal Digital 2025 Global Overview Report, Android users now spend an average of one hour and 37 minutes per day watching TikTok videos. That’s 12 minutes more than YouTube, 22 minutes more than Instagram, and nearly half an hour more than Facebook.
On a broader scale, this translates to more than 11 hours per week, over two full days per month, and nearly a full month per year spent scrolling, swiping, and engaging with TikTok content. This extraordinary level of engagement underscores TikTok’s unique ability to capture attention and to keep it, especially among younger generations.
A Shake-Up Among the Social Media Giants
The latest Statista social media projections reveal that Facebook continues to reign supreme with 2.8 billion users in 2025, up from 2.65 billion the previous year. Instagram currently holds second place with 1.4 billion users, followed by TikTok, LinkedIn (943 million), Reddit (796 million), and Snapchat (515 million).
But the coming years will bring a major reshuffling. Statista forecasts that by 2030, Facebook will expand its empire to 3.5 billion users, while TikTok will leapfrog Instagram by adding 660 million new users, reaching an astonishing 2 billion total. This milestone would make TikTok the only platform other than Facebook to surpass the two-billion-user mark.
Meanwhile, Instagram will grow more modestly, reaching 1.97 billion users by 2030, just below TikTok’s projected count. LinkedIn will steadily climb to 1.35 billion users, and Reddit and Snapchat will hit 943 million and 923 million, respectively. Interestingly, Snapchat will lead the major platforms in percentage growth, even though its total user numbers remain smaller.
The Future of TikTok – A 6.6-Billion-Person Social Media Universe
As these platforms continue to expand, the global social media landscape will reach new heights. Statista estimates that by 2030, more than 6.6 billion people, roughly three-quarters of the world’s population, will be active on at least one social media platform. That’s 1.2 billion more users than in 2025 and 2.8 billion more than a decade ago.
This explosive growth will have massive implications for businesses and advertisers. Social media advertising is on track to evolve into a half-a-trillion-dollar industry by 2031, reflecting not only the sheer number of users but also the unprecedented amount of time and attention they devote to digital platforms.
In short, the future of TikTok represents a larger cultural and economic shift in how people communicate, consume content, and spend their time online. By 2030, as TikTok takes its place just behind Facebook, the social media hierarchy may look dramatically different, and the competition for user engagement will be fiercer than ever.
