Executive Summary

Facebook will end 2020 with 1.90 billion users worldwide, up 8.7% over 2019. The pandemic helped boost user counts in every world region and temporarily staved off declines in several countries.

How did the pandemic help Facebook’s user growth?

In H1 2020, as the pandemic took hold, people flocked to Facebook so they could share information and keep in touch with friends and family while staying at home. That led to user increases in nearly every world region.

Which regions will see the most user growth in 2020?

The Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific remain the fastest-growing regions and will be up 13.6% and 10.7%, respectively. Facebook is also on the rise in Western Europe, the US, and Canada, where growth had been relatively flat.

In which countries is Facebook growing the fastest right now?

India has the largest base of Facebook users, but the three fastest-growing countries are all in Africa: Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa.

Are there any countries where the number of Facebook users is declining?

In 2019, Facebook lost users in nine countries. In 2020, that will happen in only four (and two of them only barely): Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and South Korea.

How has Facebook’s user base changed in the US and Canada?

The pandemic sparked a small surge in H1, but numbers started falling again in Q3, according to Facebook’s latest earnings report. It will see increases of 2.8% in the US and 4.8% in Canada in 2020, per our forecast.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report includes our updated forecasts for Facebook users through 2024 and discusses trends in key markets around the world.

KEY STAT: Facebook will end 2020 with a strong bump in worldwide users due to the pandemic. That will lead to a 2-point increase in penetration among internet users over 2019.