STATISTICS

Social media statistics for India (2026)

India had 1.03 billion internet users and 500 million social media user identities in October 2025, according to DataReportal. YouTube's ads reached 500 million people, Instagram's 481 million and Facebook's 403 million. TRAI counted 1,101.21 million broadband subscriptions at the end of August 2026. Newer monthly figures from Meta's ad tools, compiled by NapoleonCat, put Facebook's audience at 685.0 million and Instagram's at 532.5 million in September 2026.

Compiled by the Zolyp team · Every figure checked against its source on

Internet and mobile

How many people in India are online, and how they connect. DataReportal's figures are from late 2025; TRAI's are the regulator's latest monthly counts.

Social media users

DataReportal's estimate of social media use in India, as of October 2025.

  • 500 million

    Active social media user identities in India in October 2025, equal to 34.1 percent of the population, up 9.0 million (+1.8 percent) on late 2024.

    "User identities" are accounts, not confirmed people. DataReportal tries to remove duplicates and non-human accounts, but says the figure may not represent unique individuals. DataReportal also says its method may only count the platform with the largest audience, which is why this figure matches YouTube's ad reach.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 455 million

    Social media user identities aged 18 and above in India at the end of 2025, equal to 43.9 percent of adults.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 48.7%

    Share of India's internet users (any age) who used at least one social media platform in October 2025.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

Platform by platform

Advertising reach in India in late 2025, from each platform's own ad tools as reported by DataReportal. Ad reach is the audience advertisers can target, not the number of active users.

  • 500 million

    YouTube's advertising reach in India in late 2025, equal to 34.1 percent of the population and 48.7 percent of internet users.

    This is advertising reach: the number of people the platform says advertisers can reach. It is not the same as monthly active users, and platforms revise these figures often.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 481 million

    Instagram's advertising reach in India in late 2025, equal to 43.9 percent of adults aged 18 and above.

    Advertising reach from Meta's ad tools, not monthly active users. Meta says its audience estimates are not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, and one person can have more than one account.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 403 million

    Facebook's advertising reach in India in late 2025, equal to 38.8 percent of adults aged 18 and above.

    Advertising reach from Meta's ad tools, not monthly active users. Meta says its audience estimates are not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, and one person can have more than one account.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 213 million

    Snapchat's advertising reach in India in late 2025, equal to 15.8 percent of adults aged 18 and above.

    This is advertising reach: the number of people the platform says advertisers can reach. It is not the same as monthly active users, and platforms revise these figures often.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 170 million

    LinkedIn members in India in late 2025, according to LinkedIn's advertising tools.

    LinkedIn counts total registered members, not monthly active users, so this is not directly comparable with the other platforms.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 108 million

    Messenger's advertising reach in India in late 2025.

    Advertising reach from Meta's ad tools, not monthly active users. Meta says its audience estimates are not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, and one person can have more than one account.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 26.6 million

    Threads' advertising reach in India in late 2025.

    Advertising reach from Meta's ad tools, not monthly active users. Meta says its audience estimates are not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, and one person can have more than one account.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 22.2 million

    X's advertising reach in India in late 2025, equal to 1.5 percent of the population.

    DataReportal says X's reach figures can swing sharply even over short periods. This is advertising reach: the number of people the platform says advertisers can reach. It is not the same as monthly active users, and platforms revise these figures often.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • 59 apps

    Mobile apps, including TikTok, that India's Ministry of Electronics and IT blocked on 29 June 2020.

    This is why DataReportal's Digital 2026 India report has no TikTok figures.

    Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Electronics & IT), Government Bans 59 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India (29 June 2020), checked 14 October 2026

Latest monthly figures (September 2026)

Newer than DataReportal's late-2025 report. NapoleonCat publishes monthly audience sizes from Meta's and LinkedIn's ad tools (it has no YouTube figures), and StatCounter shows which social sites sent visitors to websites in India. Neither is a count of active users.

  • 685.0 million

    Facebook users in India in September 2026 (684,950,600), equal to 46 percent of the population, according to NapoleonCat's figures from Meta's ad tools.

    Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from the platform's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta and LinkedIn ad tools), Facebook users in India, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 706.9 million

    Facebook's highest monthly audience in India between October 2025 and September 2026 (706,869,700 in June 2026); it was 653,634,000 in October 2025.

    Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from the platform's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta and LinkedIn ad tools), Facebook users in India, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 532.5 million

    Instagram users in India in September 2026 (532,539,800), equal to 35.7 percent of the population; 31 percent were women and people aged 25 to 34 were the largest group (208.3 million).

    The same page's monthly table gives 554.5 million for September 2026. Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from the platform's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta and LinkedIn ad tools), Instagram users in India, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 484.2 million to 554.5 million

    Growth in Instagram's monthly audience in India in NapoleonCat's table, from 484,233,300 in October 2025 to 554,500,000 in September 2026.

    Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from the platform's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta and LinkedIn ad tools), Instagram users in India, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 417.8 million

    Messenger users in India in September 2026 (417,840,700), equal to 28 percent of the population; 71.8 percent were men.

    The same page's monthly table gives 423.3 million for September 2026. Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from the platform's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta and LinkedIn ad tools), Messenger users in India, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 200.7 million

    LinkedIn users in India in September 2026 (200,700,000), equal to 13.5 percent of the population; people aged 25 to 34 were the largest group (98.0 million, 48.8 percent).

    LinkedIn's ad tools count registered members, not active users. DataReportal reported 170 million from the same tools in late 2025, so treat both as estimates.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta and LinkedIn ad tools), LinkedIn users in India, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 37.14%

    Facebook's share of website visits referred by social media in India in September 2026, just ahead of Instagram (34.46 percent), then YouTube (14.02 percent), X, listed as Twitter (9.89 percent), and LinkedIn (2.16 percent).

    StatCounter counts page views on websites that use its tracking code and records which social media site sent each visitor. It measures where website traffic comes from, not how many people use each platform, and apps that keep people inside them (such as TikTok) send few visitors to websites.

    Source: StatCounter Global Stats, Social Media Stats India (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 11 of 13 months

    Instagram sent the most social media referrals in India in every month from September 2025 to July 2026 on StatCounter's chart; Facebook overtook it in August and September 2026.

    StatCounter's monthly chart and its summary table differ slightly for September 2026 (for example Facebook 37 percent on the chart, 37.14 percent in the table). StatCounter counts page views on websites that use its tracking code and records which social media site sent each visitor. It measures where website traffic comes from, not how many people use each platform, and apps that keep people inside them (such as TikTok) send few visitors to websites.

    Source: StatCounter Global Stats, Social Media Stats India (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

  • 3.1% to 9.73%

    Rise in X's (listed as Twitter) monthly share of social media referrals in India on StatCounter's chart, from September 2025 to September 2026.

    StatCounter counts page views on websites that use its tracking code and records which social media site sent each visitor. It measures where website traffic comes from, not how many people use each platform, and apps that keep people inside them (such as TikTok) send few visitors to websites.

    Source: StatCounter Global Stats, Social Media Stats India (September 2026), checked 14 October 2026

What YouTube says about India

Figures YouTube itself has published about India. These measure different things from ad reach, so they don't match DataReportal's numbers.

Who's online (age and gender)

Every platform's ad audience in India is mostly male. Gender data are only published for "female" and "male".

Year-on-year change in ad reach

How each platform's advertising reach in India changed between late 2024 and late 2025.

  • +89.5 million

    Growth in Instagram's advertising reach in India between October 2024 and October 2025 (+22.9 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • +30.3 million

    Growth in Facebook's advertising reach in India between October 2024 and October 2025 (+8.1 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • +30.0 million

    Growth in LinkedIn's reported audience in India between the end of 2024 and the end of 2025 (+21.4 percent).

    Based on registered members, so it may not reflect active use. DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

  • -3.10 million

    Change in X's advertising reach in India between the end of 2024 and late 2025 (-12.3 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: India (5 November 2025), checked 14 October 2026

What this means for a small business

  • Make vertical video for YouTube and Instagram first. They reach the most people in India, so plan Shorts and Reels together and reuse each clip on both.
  • Don't plan around TikTok. India blocked it in 2020 and it has no audience figures in the 2026 data, so put short-form video effort into Reels and Shorts instead.
  • Instagram is growing fastest. It added more ad reach in the past year than any other platform in the report, so it is worth posting there regularly.
  • Design for phones and for audiences outside big cities. Rural connectivity is far lower than urban, so keep text large, add captions and keep video files light.
  • Plan around the local calendar. Diwali, Holi, Independence Day and Republic Day are the big moments for Indian brands, so schedule those posts weeks ahead.

Knowing where your customers are is half of it; the other half is posting there every week. Make a post with the free generator or let Zolyp plan and write the week for you.

Common questions

How many people use social media in India?

DataReportal counted 500 million social media user identities in India in October 2025, about 34.1 percent of the population. These are accounts, not confirmed individuals. Platform figures can be higher: YouTube says Shorts alone has over 650 million monthly logged-in viewers in India.

Which social media is most used in India?

By advertising reach, YouTube is the largest (500 million in late 2025), followed by Instagram (481 million), Facebook (403 million) and Snapchat (213 million). These are ad reach figures from each platform's tools, as reported by DataReportal, not monthly active users.

How many people in India use the internet?

DataReportal estimated 1.03 billion internet users in India in October 2025, or 70.0 percent of the population. TRAI counted 1,101.21 million broadband subscriptions at the end of August 2026, but that counts connections, and one person can have several.

Is TikTok available in India?

No. India's Ministry of Electronics and IT blocked TikTok and 58 other apps on 29 June 2020, and DataReportal's 2026 India report has no TikTok figures. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are the main short-video options.

Cite this page

You're welcome to use these figures. Please cite the original source shown under each one, and link to this page if it helped: Zolyp, “Social media statistics for India (2026)”, updated 14 October 2026, https://www.zolyp.com/statistics/social-media-statistics-india

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