Twitter Statistics: An In-Depth Look At Usage And Trends

In 2023, Twitter garnered a lot of attention from the public when it rebranded itself as X. Let’s look at Twitter usage and see what exciting trends it has this year!

Twitter Key Statistics

• In October 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion and renamed it “X” in August 2023.
• X has 436 million monthly active users (MAU) in 2023, up from 366 million in December 2022.
• Global user gender distribution is 71.2% male and 28.8% female.
• Most users (38.5%) fall in the 25-34 age group.
• X’s 2022 revenue was $4.4 billion, with a forecasted 2023 revenue of $2.98 billion (32% drop).
• The United States generated 54.5% of X’s 2022 revenue.
• Average users spend 10 minutes daily on X.
• Users send 9,596 tweets per second.
• Elon Musk is the most followed account, with 155 million followers.

Twitter Rebranded As “X”

In October 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal and made a dramatic entrance with tweets like ‘The Bird is Freed’ and ‘Let the good times roll.’ Fast forward to July 2023, Twitter is undergoing a rebranding as “X,” while Instagram has introduced the “Threads app,” seen as a potential rival to Twitter.

These times have been eventful for Twitter, with leadership changes and competition from Meta. So, what’s the outlook for the platform? Over 1.3 billion Twitter accounts exist, but only 237.8 million are monetizable monthly active users. Can Elon revitalize the platform after rebranding and feature changes? This post will explore all aspects of Twitter using the latest facts and figures.

We’ll also delve into public opinion about Elon Musk’s platform takeover. Let’s dive in!

General Twitter Statistics

• Twitter had 436 million monthly active users (MAU) in 2023, up from 366 million in December 2022.
• Twitter was acquired by Elon Musk for $44 billion in 2022, after months of back and forth between the company and Musk haggling the price.
• Musk changed the company’s name to X and aims to make it a super-app, in the vein of WeChat in China2. In this new app, users will have video and voice call options, messaging, mini-programs, and payment services.
• He also unbanned many banned-for-life accounts, such as Kanye West and ex-President Donald Trump2. The changes have spooked advertisers, who have left the platform en masse, causing a drop of more than 50 percent in advertising revenues.
• The female-to-male Twitter users ratio is roughly two to five: 28.8% female and 71.2% male.
• Most of Twitter’s audience (38.5%) is between the 25 to 34 age group. People between 13 and 17 make up just 6.6% of the Twitter user base.
• US adults spend an average of 34.1 minutes a day on Twitter.
• India has the most Twitter users in 2023, with 67.7 million users, followed by Japan, with 51.9 million, and the United States with 48.8 million.

Source: sproutsocial.com, businessofapps.com, oberlo.com

Twitter Users and Demographic Statistics

Twitter’s mDAU Growth

In 2023, Twitter continues to experience robust growth in its monetizable daily active users (mDAU), with a staggering 237.8 million users engaging with the platform daily. This growth underscores Twitter’s sustained relevance and appeal, driven by various factors, including innovative features, partnerships, and global events. 

The expansion of mDAU showcases Twitter’s ability to adapt and remain a pivotal platform for real-time information and social interaction.

Twitter’s User Gender

Twitter’s user base exhibits a diverse gender distribution, with slight variations across regions and countries. Globally, statistics indicate that 56.4% of Twitter users identify as male, while 43.6% identify as female in 2023.

 However, it’s essential to note that this balance can differ significantly by location. For instance, in the United States, the gender gap is narrower, with 61.29% of users being male and 34.1% female. Conversely, in Japan, the gender imbalance is more pronounced, with 72.5% male users compared to 27.5% female users. 

Twitter’s User Age

• The largest age group of Twitter users worldwide in 2021 was 25-34, making up 38.5% of the user base. 
• The 35-49 age group closely followed, representing 20.7%. Twitter’s appeal spans generations, with the youngest age group (13-17 years old)
• The oldest age group (50+ years old) contributed 6.6% and 17.1%, respectively.

Age distribution on Twitter can vary by region. For instance, in the United States in 2020, the largest age group was 18-29, comprising 42% of the audience, while the 30-49 age group constituted 27%. 

Yearly Revenue

Twitter’s revenue in 2022 was $4.4 billion, a 11% decrease from 2021. This decline was mainly due to a loss of advertising revenue, which accounted for 90% of Twitter’s total revenue in 2022. 

Many advertisers left the platform after Musk’s takeover, citing concerns over content moderation, policy changes, and brand safety. Twitter also faced competition from other social media platforms, such as Instagram’s Threads, which offered similar features and functionality.

Twitter’s revenue forecast for 2023 is not optimistic, as the platform continues struggling to attract and retain advertisers. According to analysts, Twitter’s revenue in 2023 is expected to be $2.98 billion, a 32% drop from 2022. This would be the lowest revenue level for Twitter since 2016.

Net Income And Loss

Twitter’s net income in 2022 was -$221 million, a significant deterioration from its net income of $182 million in 2021. Twitter posted a net loss in eight of the 10 years from 2012 to 2021 and has not booked an annual profit since 2019.

The main factors contributing to Twitter’s net loss in 2022 were the high-interest payments on the debt that Musk used to fund his acquisition, the severance costs for the layoffs of half of Twitter’s staff, and the impairment charges for the cancellation of Vine and Periscope.

Twitter’s net income forecast for 2023 is also negative, as the platform faces challenges in reducing costs and increasing revenues. According to analysts, Twitter’s net income in 2023 is expected to be -$270 million, a 22% increase in net loss from 2022. This would be the worst net income performance for Twitter since 2016.

Revenue By Region

Twitter’s revenue by region in 2022 was as follows:

• United States: $2.4 billion (54.5% of total revenue)
• Japan: $569 million (12.9% of total revenue)
• United Kingdom: $253 million (5.7% of total revenue)
• Other: $1.18 billion (26.8% of total revenue)
• The United States was the largest market for Twitter in terms of revenue despite having only about 17% of Twitter’s users. Japan was the second-largest market, followed by the United Kingdom and other countries.

Twitter’s revenue by region forecast for 2023 is as follows:

• United States: $1.5 billion (50.3% of total revenue)
• Japan: $400 million (13.4% of total revenue)
• United Kingdom: $200 million (6.7% of total revenue)
• Other: $880 million (29.5% of total revenue)

The United States is expected to remain the largest market for Twitter in terms of revenue, but with a lower share of total revenue than in 2022. Japan is expected to maintain its position as the second-largest market, while the United Kingdom and other countries are expected to see declines in their revenue shares.

Source: Businessofapps, Reuters, Thestreet.com, Insiderintelligence.com, Statista.com, Arstechnica.com, Stockforecast.com, Demandsage.com.

Twitter Usage Statistics

• According to Statista, the average Twitter user spends about 5.1 hours monthly on the platform. Breaking it down means an average user spends approximately 10 minutes on Twitter daily.
• An impressive 67% of B2B marketers utilize Twitter as a valuable digital marketing tool, emphasizing its role in professional networking and outreach.
• Approximately 54% of Twitter users are more inclined to purchase new products, showcasing the platform’s influence on consumer behavior and brand engagement.
• One-fifth of Twitter users under 30 frequently visit the platform to stay updated on their favorite topics, underscoring its appeal to the younger demographic.
• An impressive 55% of Twitter users turn to the platform regularly for news, making it the top choice for accessing news among all social media platforms.
• About 30% of Twitter users credit the platform with increasing political awareness, emphasizing its role in current events and political discussions.
• Twitter serves as a platform for brand research, with 16% of internet users aged 16 to 64 using it.
• Nearly half (46%) of Twitter users state that the platform has helped them better understand world events, showcasing its role in providing real-time information.
• Most Twitter users (82%) access the platform for entertainment, including following celebrities, influencers, and trending topics.

Twitter Statistics In The US

Distribution By Age Group

According to Statista, as of February 2021, the percentage of U.S. adults who use Twitter by age group was as follows:

This shows that Twitter is most popular among adults aged 18 to 29, who comprise almost half of the U.S.

Users Education Background

As of February 2021, the percentage of U.S. adults with select education background who use Twitter was as follows:

Twitter is more likely to be used by people who have attained a college degree or higher, who make up one-third of the U.S. 

Source: Statista

Tweet Statistics

• Users send out an average of 9,596 tweets per second. That equals 575,760 tweets per minute, 34,545,600 tweets per hour, and 829,094,400 tweets per day.
• The most retweeted tweet of all time is a post by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who offered to give away 100 million yen (about $914,000) to 100 randomly selected followers who retweeted his message. The tweet has over 4.4 million retweets as of April 20232.
• The most liked tweet of all time is a post by former U.S. President Barack Obama, who shared a quote from Nelson Mandela after the Charlottesville violence in 2017. The tweet has over 4.6 million likes as of April 20233.
• The most followed account on Twitter is Elon Musk, who has over 155 million followers as of April 2023. He is followed by Barack Obama (131 million), Justin Bieber (111 million), Cristiano Ronaldo (109 million), and Rihanna (108 million).
• Twitter is the fourth most visited website globally, with over 7 billion monthly visits as of March 2023. It ranks behind Google, YouTube, and Facebook in terms of web traffic.

Source: demandsage.com, truelist.co, analytics.twitter.com, socialblade.com

How Are Instagram Threads Affecting Twitter?

Instagram Threads is a new app that aims to compete with Twitter by offering a similar microblogging platform for text-based posts. However, the impact of Threads on Twitter has yet to be made clear, as both apps have their own advantages and disadvantages. Here are some possible effects of Threads on Twitter:

Threads may attract some Instagram users who want to share their thoughts and opinions more concisely and focused without the pressure of posting photos or videos. Threads also allows users to import their Instagram profile and followings, making switching between the two apps easy.

This photo, taken in New York on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, shows the logo for Meta’s new app Threads, right, and that of Twitter. Meta is poised to unveil a new app that appears to mimic Twitter — a direct challenge to the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. A listing for the Threads app appeared on Apple’s App Store, indicating it would debut as early as Thursday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Threads may also appeal to some Twitter users dissatisfied with the platform’s policies, features, or user experience. For example, Threads offers a higher character limit (500 vs 280), a dark mode option, and compatibility with open social networks like Mastodon.

However, Threads may only partially replace Twitter, as Twitter has a larger and more diverse user base, a longer history and reputation, and more influence and relevance in news, politics, entertainment, sports, and culture. Twitter also has features and integrations, such as live streaming, voice tweets, spaces, newsletters, and tipping.

Additionally, Threads may face some challenges and criticisms, such as being accused of copying Twitter, being dependent on Instagram, having a cluttered and confusing interface, lacking originality and innovation, and having potential privacy and security issues.

Twitter Rebranding Timeline

October 2022: Elon Musk acquires Twitter for $44 billion and fires several key executives. He also started a massive layoff of the company’s staff.

December 2022: Twitter launches Twitter Blue, a paid subscription service that offers a blue checkmark and early access to new features, such as Edit Tweet. Users can also see the number of views for each tweet.

January 2023: The Home timeline is replaced by a For You timeline, which shows personalized content based on the user’s interests and behavior.

April 2023: Twitter merges with X Corp, a holding company established by Musk. Twitter Inc. is no longer a standalone entity. The blue bird logo is temporarily replaced with a Shiba Inu, the logo of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that Musk supports.

May 2023: Musk announces that he will step down as CEO and appoint Linda Yaccarino, a former NBC executive, as his successor. He says he will focus on product design and new technology. Twitter also allows users to offer content subscriptions to their followers, such as long-form text and videos. The company takes 10% of the revenue after 12 months.

July 2023: Twitter limits the number of tweets users can see daily and requires users to log in to view tweets. Musk says this is to prevent data scraping by AI companies. Twitter also changed its color palette from blue and white to black and gray. The default mode of the platform becomes dark, but users can still choose the light mode option.

August 2023: Musk announces that Twitter will rebrand to X, a name that he says embodies the imperfections in us all that make us unique. He also says he likes the letter X. The blue bird logo is replaced with a black and white X on the platform’s desktop version. The mobile version still shows the old branding.

September 2023: The rebranding process is completed. The mobile version of the app and the web domain are updated to reflect the new name and logo. All references to Twitter and tweets are replaced with X and xeets. The official handle of the platform becomes @X. Musk says X will go further than Twitter to transform the global town square.

U.S. Adults Opinion On The Rebranding Event And Elon Musk

The rebranding event of Twitter as X by Elon Musk has sparked mixed reactions from U.S. adults.

According to a survey by Statista, 13% of U.S. adults had a favorable opinion of Elon Musk as of November 2022, while 23% had a very unfavorable opinion. The opinions varied by gender, age group, and income level.

A CNN Business article analyzed the risks and challenges of Musk’s vision for X, which he hopes will become an “everything app” like China’s WeChat. The article questioned whether there is enough demand for such a super app outside of China and whether Musk can overcome the financial and competitive hurdles of expanding Twitter’s services.

A Demand Sage report provided some statistics on Twitter’s performance after the rebranding as X. The report claimed that X had lost 10% of its monthly active users in the first quarter of 2023, and its revenue had dropped by 15% year-over-year. The report also highlighted some of the new features that X had introduced, such as live video streaming, e-commerce integration, and cryptocurrency payments.

Bottom Line

I assemble these interesting statistics about Twitter usage and trends from reliable sources. Let’s wait and see how Twitter, aka X, will perform against potential opponent Threads. Don’t forget to let me know what statistic makes you most impressive!