How Many People Use TikTok? 15+ Essential TikTok Revenue Statistics

Launched in 2016 by the Chinese startup ByteDance, TikTok, or the international version of Douyin, has been growing at lightning speed and shows no signs of slowing down.

In 2017, TikTok had 65 million users. By September 2021, that number rose to one billion MAU worldwide despite restrictions by countries such as India and Indonesia.

Unsurprisingly, TikTok’s unprecedented growth came with substantial financial gains. Keep reading to find out more about the most important TikTok revenue statistics and market penetration facts. 

Key TikTok Statistics for 2023 - Editor’s Choice

• TikTok reported a record-breaking one billion monthly active users in September 2021.
• TikTok was the first non-Meta social media platform to reach the three-billion downloads mark globally.
• In 2021, nearly 80% of TikTok’s revenue came from China, while 8% was generated in the US.
• TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, saw its revenue grow by 70% year-on-year to more than $58 billion in 2021.
• ByteDance’s valuation reached a record $400 billion in October 2021.
• TikTok is expected to have 755 million monthly users in 2022 and surpass the 20% market share threshold.
• TikTok ranked as the sixth fastest-growing global brand in 2021. 

How Many People Use TikTok? Must-Know TikTok Usage Stats

TikTok is an international phenomenon that attracts millions of monthly users who engage with the platform’s short-form videos on a daily basis. Here are the TikTok user statistics you need to know. 

TikTok reported a record-breaking one billion monthly active users in September 2021.

(Statista)

In January 2017 and just a few months after the launch of TikTok, the platform had 65 million users. Since then, the number of users has been growing steadily. In September 2021, the platform reported one billion monthly active users globally. That represents a growth of 45% from the 689 million MAU in July 2020.  

TikTok was the first non-Meta social media platform to reach the three-billion downloads mark globally.

(SensorTower)

TikTok isn’t Facebook and is still far from reaching the record-breaking numbers reported by Meta apps. Nevertheless, TikTok download statistics underscore the growing popularity of the platform. Recent statistics show that TikTok broke through the three-billion-download ceiling in 2021, making it the first non-Facebook app to achieve this milestone. 

TikTok users spend an average of 858 minutes per month on the platform.

(Statista)

TikTok offers a diverse range of content with its snappy and highly engaging short-form videos. As such, it isn’t surprising that the platform enjoys some of the highest engagement levels across all social media networks. 

In October 2019, TikTok users were spending an average of 442 minutes on TikTok per month. Less than six months later, the average monthly minutes per visitor increased to 858. It’s also worth noting that active monthly users engage with the platform multiple times a day.

TikTok ranks in first place on the App Store’s top free charts.

(Apple Store)

The App Store’s top free charts further highlight the impressive Tiktok usage statistics. TikTok ranks first among the most frequently downloaded apps on the Apple Store, edging out social media giants such as YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.

TikTok Statistics From Around the World: Market Penetration and Engagement Stats

Since 2016, Douyin has been gaining popularity to become one of the most in-demand social media networks in China. Following the success of its sister company, TikTok delivered the short-video social network format to many other countries across the world. 

While the two companies have certain things in common, each of them caters to a specific market. Check out the section below to learn about global TikTok user penetration statistics and engagement facts. 

In the US, over half the TikTok users belong to Generation Z (ages 10 – 25).

(Statista)

If Millennials are the main target audience for Facebook, TikTok has been attracting younger social media users. In 2021, 37.3 million users out of the total 78.7 TikTok MAU in the US were aged between 10 and 25. By 2025, the size of TikTok’s Gen Z audience is forecast to surpass that of Instagram and almost match Snapchat’s users from this generation. 

The US has the highest number of TikTok users aged 18 and above (131 million), followed by Indonesia (92.1 million) and Brazil (74.1 million).

(DataReportal) 

The US is home to the largest population of TikTok users. The platform is also popular in Southeast Asia, with countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam reporting millions of active users each month. 

Before the 2020 India ban that took down TikTok alongside dozens of other Chinese apps, the country was the biggest overseas market for TikTok, where the platform had more than 200 million users. 

Entertainment is the most popular content category with 535 billion hashtag views.

(Statista)

As TikTok continues to evolve, the short-form videos the platform is famous for cover everything from dancing and tutorials to education, sports, and DIY. Among the many content categories, entertainment accumulated more than 535 billion hashtag views in July 2020, followed by the dance category, which received 181 billion views. 

TikTok is active in more than 150 countries and is available in 75 languages.

(Wallaroo Media)

Despite the various bans and restrictions imposed by countries such as India, TikTok continues to grow and accumulate users. Today, the platform is active in 154 countries and is available in 75 different languages.

How Much Does TikTok Make? TikTok Revenue Stats

Now that you know more about the global reach and user penetration of TikTok, let’s take a  look at the most important TikTok revenue statistics.

In 2021, nearly 80% of TikTok’s revenue came from China, while 8% was generated in the US.

(SensorTower)

To better understand the data and statistics about TikTok financials, it’s important to acknowledge the impact the Chinese market has on TikTok’s revenue. In February 2021, TikTok was the top-grossing non-gaming app globally and was recording over $110 million in user spending. An estimated 79% of this profit was from Douyin and Chinese users. 

ByteDance’s valuation hit a record $400 billion in October 2021.

(South China Morning Post)

Both TikTok and Douyin belong to ByteDance. In the last few months of 2021, the company reported a record-high market valuation of $400 billion. This means that if the company were to go public in 2022, it would become the biggest IPO of any Chinese company this year. 

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, reportedly saw its revenue grow by 70% year-on-year to more than $58 billion in 2021.

(Reuters)

TikTok profits enabled ByteDance to grow its total revenue by 70% year-on-year and earn nearly $60 billion in 2021. These record earnings come after the company’s total revenue grew by 111% to reach $34.4 billion in 2020.  

TikTok Advertising Statistics & Influencer Marketing Facts

Marketing on TikTok is still in its infancy, especially when compared to tools made available to social media giants from the Meta family. Still, the number of influencers receiving a TikTok income is growing, and the platform is becoming increasingly useful for businesses and marketers. Here’s an overview of the TikTok advertising and influencer market. 

TikTok’s micro-influencers have an engagement rate of 17.96% compared to 3.86% on Instagram and 1.63% on YouTube.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

Every creator or influencer on social media platforms strives for engagement. And while some social networks are already saturated, TikTok continues to report the highest engagement levels for micro-influencers and mega influencers across a range of industries and sectors. 

For example, micro-influencers report an average engagement rate of nearly 18% on TikTok, while engagement stands below 4% on Instagram and just over 1.6% on YouTube. For influencers with a larger following, engagement rates can be as low as 1.2% on Instagram and 0.37% on YouTube, while reaching highs of nearly 5% on TikTok. 

TikTok influencers with more than one million followers can earn an estimated $2,500 per post.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

The amount of money that influencers earn per post depends on a number of factors including their social media platform. Influencer marketing is well established on platforms such as Instagram, and while TikTok is relatively new to the influencer game, there are still ways that people can earn money on the platform. 

TikTok influencers with more than a million followers can earn more than $2,500 for a post. However, the rates for nano- and micro-influencers are much lower, ranging between $5 and $125 per post. On Instagram, mega-influencers can make over $10,000 per post while their nano and micro counterparts earn anywhere between $10 and $500.     

92% of users worldwide react after watching a TikTok video. 

(TikTok For Business)

A large number of followers is undoubtedly important for influencers and businesses alike, but these high numbers don’t always translate into engagement or conversions. 

While the click-through rate or CTR varies from one social media platform to another, the average CTR across all platforms was 1.3% in 2020. However, thanks to the snappy and highly engaging videos on TikTok, the platform reports a 92% engagement rate with posts that include a call to action (CTA)

In 2020, TikTok users spent over $300 million on Google Play and the App Store.

(Statista)

While TikTok makes money by leveraging ads and collaborations, it’s important not to overlook the profits generated from in-app spending. TikTok ad revenue is as high as ever, but the company also reported a total of $300 million in lifetime user spending in February 2020. A year earlier, the app recorded more than 1.5 billion downloads. 

Statistics on TikTok for 2023 and Beyond: What Does the Future Look Like?

The aforementioned TikTok facts show us that this social network has become a global phenomenon. But what does the future look like? While the app’s full potential is still being explored, there are a few useful expert forecasts on what to expect in 2022 and beyond. 

TikTok is expected to have 755 million monthly users in 2022 and surpass the 20% market share threshold.

(eMarketer)

As the previous TikTok user stats show, the number of users downloading the app and engaging with its content is constantly on the rise. 

While the number of new TikTokers joining the network is bound to slow over the next few years, the platform will continue to gain market share, thus surpassing the 20% threshold and becoming a strong competitor to platforms belonging to the Meta family. 

TikTok ranked as the sixth fastest-growing global brand in 2021. 

(Morning Consult)

In addition to the existing TikTok revenue statistics, it’s equally important to consider the future developments of the app. Currently, TikTok is ranked as the sixth fastest-growing global brand after dropping three places compared to the 2020 charts. At the same time, the company is just behind giants such as Moderna and Coinbase and is expected to grow faster than Telegram, Mastercard, and YouTube Shorts.