X (Twitter) Statistics 2024: Key Data for Marketers

Understanding the current landscape of major social media platforms is crucial for marketers, businesses, and researchers. As Twitter rebranded to “X” under Elon Musk’s ownership, keeping track of its vital statistics is more important than ever. Despite significant changes, X remains a powerhouse in digital communication, boasting over 528 million monetizable monthly active users (mDAU) globally as of 2024. This platform continues to grow, with reports suggesting its usage is expanding at a rate 30% faster than Instagram. Key shifts, including the widespread availability of the premium “X Premium” (formerly Twitter Blue) subscription offering features like tweet editing and verification checkmarks, have reshaped the user experience. This compilation provides essential, up-to-date X (Twitter) statistics for 2024, covering user demographics, engagement metrics, revenue insights, and platform milestones to help you navigate its evolving ecosystem effectively.

X (Twitter) User Base and Demographics in 2024

Understanding who uses X and where they are located is fundamental for any strategy involving the platform.

• Total Monetizable Users: As of early 2024, X (Twitter) has over 528 million monetizable daily active users (mDAU). According to the platform, mDAU includes logged-in users who can be shown ads or use paid products on any given day.
• Gender Distribution: The platform leans towards a male audience, with approximately 57% male users and 43% female users. This contrasts with platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn, which tend to have a more balanced gender distribution.

Chart showing Twitter gender demographics: 57% male, 43% female

• Age Demographics: The largest age group on X is 25-34 years old, making up 38.5% of the user base. The next significant group is 35-49 years old (20.7%). Teenagers aged 13-17 represent a smaller portion at 6.6%. (Source: Social Pilot).
• Top Countries by User Base: The United States leads as X’s largest market with approximately 108.5 million users. Other key markets include:
  • Japan: 74.1 million
  • India: 30.3 million
  • Indonesia: 27.05 million
  • United Kingdom: 24.3 million (Source: Backlinko)
• US User Penetration: Statista data indicates that about one-quarter of American men use Twitter. Overall, the US contributes significantly to the platform’s traffic, accounting for roughly 25.47%.

Platform Engagement and Usage Patterns

How users interact with X provides valuable insights into its dynamics and content performance.

• Tweet Volume: The platform handles an immense volume of content. Over 350,000 tweets are sent per minute, translating to about 6,000 tweets per second, over 518 million per day, and around 200 billion per year. During peak events like the FIFA World Cup, traffic surged to nearly 20,000 tweets per second, as noted by Elon Musk.

Illustration depicting the high volume of tweets sent per minute and day

• Most Liked Tweet: The most-liked tweet in X/Twitter history is the post from Chadwick Boseman’s family announcing his passing, garnering over 6.7 million likes. Boseman was a celebrated American actor known for roles in films like Black Panther.
• Most Retweeted Tweet: The title for the most retweeted tweet (as of early 2024) belongs to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, whose tweet achieved over 3.8 million retweets.
• Average Accounts Followed: An average active Twitter user (posting more than five times a month) follows approximately 405 accounts (Source: Hootsuite).
• Average Time Spent: Users spend an average of about 4.4 hours per month on the platform, which breaks down to roughly 1.1 hours per week.
• Video Engagement: Content format significantly impacts engagement. Tweets containing video are reportedly 6 times more likely to be retweeted than those with photos and 3 times more likely than those with GIFs. Furthermore, 93% of video views on X occur on mobile devices.
• Primary Use Case – News: X is a leading social media platform for news consumption. Statista reports that 53% of its users regularly turn to the platform for news updates. This is higher than Facebook (47%), Reddit (39%), YouTube (30%), TikTok (29%), and Instagram (27%).

Graphic indicating Twitter is the most popular social media source for news at 53%

• Tweet View Counts: X now allows users to see view counts on tweets, providing transparency on reach. A view is counted for anyone logged into X who sees the tweet.

X (Twitter) for Business and Marketing

The platform offers significant opportunities for brands and businesses looking to connect with audiences and drive results.

• Influence on Purchases: Conversations on X can directly impact sales. A Twitter survey revealed that 76% of respondents agreed that discussions on the platform prompted them to make a purchase.
• SMB Connection: Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) find a receptive audience on X. 93% of users who follow SMBs intend to purchase from them, and 68.7% are existing customers who have bought from the brand before.
• Product Discovery: Users actively seek out new products on the platform. According to an official Twitter survey, 89% of people use X for product discovery.
• Marketing Campaign Performance: Launching new products on X can be highly effective. Twitter states that brands are 2.3 times more likely to meet their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) when utilizing the platform for product launches. Using interactive features like polls is recommended to boost audience interaction and reach.
• Platform Revenue: In 2023, X (Twitter) generated approximately $3.4 billion in revenue, according to Business of Apps data.

Graph illustrating Twitter's revenue trend reaching .4 billion in 2023

Platform History, Ownership, and Technical Details

Key milestones and technical facts provide context to X’s journey.

• Founding and Launch: Twitter was conceptualized by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and Noah Glass. It was launched to the public on July 15, 2006.
• First Tweet: Co-founder Jack Dorsey sent the first-ever tweet in March 2006. This tweet was later sold as an NFT for $2.9 million.

Jack Dorsey's first ever tweet on Twitter

• Original Name & Rebrand: The project’s initial code name was “twttr,” inspired by Flickr. The corporate entity Twitter, Inc. was formed in 2007. In July 2023, Elon Musk initiated the rebranding of Twitter to “X”.

Image showing the Twitter logo rebranding to the X logo

• Ownership and Leadership: Elon Musk acquired Twitter on October 27, 2022, for $44 billion. Linda Yaccarino currently serves as the CEO of X.
• Technology Stack: X is built using multiple programming languages, including C++, Java, Scala, and Ruby on Rails, although it originated as a Ruby on Rails application.
• Funding and IPO: Twitter raised $5 million in its first funding round with a $20 million valuation. Overall, it has raised $12.9 billion over 15 rounds (Crunchbase). It became a public company in November 2013 via an IPO that raised $1.8 billion, valuing it at $31 billion. It became a private company again following Musk’s acquisition.
• The Hashtag: The iconic “#” hashtag debuted on Twitter in 2007, introduced by user Chris Messina. It has since become a universal feature across many social media platforms.
• User Growth Milestones: Twitter reached 100 million monthly active users in September 2011 and surpassed 200 million in December 2012.
• Acquisitions: Twitter has acquired 67 organizations throughout its history, with the most recent being OpenBack in April 2022.
• Platform Limits: Users face certain daily limits:
  • Tweets: 2,400 per day (retweets count towards this limit).
  • Direct Messages (DMs): 500 per day.
  • Following: Accounts can follow up to 400 accounts per day. There’s also a limit based on follower count: once an account follows 5,000 others, it can typically only follow 10% more accounts than the number of users following it (the “5000 follower rule”).

Notable Accounts and Facts

Rounding out the statistics are some interesting facts and figures about prominent accounts and platform trivia.

• Most Followed Person: As of early 2024, Elon Musk (@elonmusk) holds the title of the most-followed individual on X, with over 170 million followers. Other highly followed accounts include Barack Obama (@BarackObama), Justin Bieber (@justinbieber), and Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano).
• Most Followed in India: India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi (@narendramodi), is the most followed person on X in India, boasting over 94.8 million followers. He is known for his active presence on the platform.
• Official X Account: The platform’s official account (@X) has amassed over 67.4 million followers globally.
• The Blue Bird: Twitter’s famous blue bird mascot is named Larry. The name was reportedly inspired by Larry Bird, the legendary American basketball player and coach.

Conclusion

The statistics for X (Twitter) in 2024 underscore its continued relevance as a major global communication platform, despite undergoing significant transformation. With over half a billion monetizable active users, a distinct demographic profile leaning towards males aged 25-34, and substantial user bases in key markets like the US and Japan, X remains a critical channel for news dissemination, public discourse, and brand engagement. High daily tweet volumes and strong video engagement metrics highlight its dynamic nature. For marketers, the data confirms X’s potential to influence purchasing decisions, facilitate product discovery, and help brands achieve key performance indicators. Understanding these current statistics, user behaviors, and platform dynamics is essential for effectively leveraging X in 2024.

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