Social Media Users Statistics in Kenya

Social media platforms are powerful communication tools for both individuals and brands. Social media networks have become essential channels for creating content and distributing entertaining, informative, and promotional material, attracting millions of active users every day. Social media has transformed life as we know it in so many ways, from social media marketing to building brands and personalities.

Currently,  social media engagements is one most popular online activities in Kenyan and worldwide.  Over 3.8 billion people worldwide are using social networks as of 2020, according to data from the Digital Report for 2020 released by WeAreSocial in partnership with Hootsuite. Furthermore, social media users statistics project that the number will rise to 4.1 billion in 2021, as technology and accessibility to smartphones and internet coverage increases.

Number of social media users in Kenya.

For a lot of people, social media is the first thing they look at in the morning and the last thing they check before going to bed: Mainly to catch up with news, friends and social trends. The use of social media in Kenya has been on a constant upward trajectory as more and more people gain access to smartphones and data/internet.

As of January 2020, the total number of active social media users in Kenya exceeded 8.80 million.  (Source Datareportal Kenya.)

More and more Kenyans are embracing social media. With loads of information, entertainment and news at the touch of a button, connecting via social media has become the way to go.

(Social Media Users in Kenya. Source Datareportal Kenya, 2020)

Users by Platform 

Today, around seven in ten Kenyans use social media to make connections.

According to SIME Lab Africa’s social media consumption report in 2020, WhatsApp, a messaging social network platform is the most popular social network in Kenya, followed closely by Facebook.

In Fact, WhatsApp attracts 89% of active users, while Facebook has 81.7%. WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube are the three most used platforms in Kenya.

Compared to last year, SIME also found out that Facebook users in Kenya have reduced by 6.8 %. This could be because a lot of young people aged between 14 to 26 are either not signing up on the platform or leaving the platform for newer social apps like TikTok and Telegram.

(Social media users by age: source SIMElab)

Social Media Users by Age 

Social media consumption and use broadly vary by age. For instance,  the young generation is more active, energetic, and open to social media presence, while the older generations prefer to keep a low profile.

Research from Datareportal Kenya shows that most social media users in Kenya are teenagers aged between 13 and 18, with a total active user presence of 54 million. Young people aged between 13 – 20 are more likely to dominate Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. Howver, age 21 – 25 are mostly prefer to use Instagram and Twitter.

Social media users aged between 26-35 years old are more active on social networks Such as,  LinkedIn, Skype, and Twitter as they are trying to grow their careers and create professional networks. In addition,  statistics shows that people aged 36- 45 mainly use Facebook and WhatsApp.

The graph below provides more details on social media consumption by age in Kenya.

(Source SIME lab ; The Kenyan Social Media Landscape 2020)

As seen on the graph below compiled by Statista, TikTok has had the most downloads globally throughout 2020. The short video sharing app is popular among teens and young adults aged 15-22. Interestingly,  in March 2020 TikTok downloads in Kenya were third globally with an average percentage growth of 68.2% according to data compiled by DataHom.com.

(Source; Statista)

Social Media use by Gender 

Statistics on social media users globally compiled by Statista show that men are more active social media users than women.

For instance, in Kenya, as shown in the infographic by DataReportal Kenya below, men are more active on social media than women.

Source, Datareportal Kenya.

Women in Kenya are most active on snapchat (61.9%) while men are most active on Telegram (66.1%) as seen on the infographic below. Source SIMElab Africa. Overall. 

Summary

In conclusion, social media consumption and internet use in Kenya will continue to increase as more and more services become accessible at the click of a button. Anyone who owns a smartphone can easily access internet services, pay bills, purchase products, watch movies and connect with friends and family. This goes on to show that social media has become an invaluable tool in almost every aspect of most Kenyans.