Social media usage in Spain

Two major studies have recently come to light: the 15th edition of the 2024 Social Media Study by IAB and the Household Panel by Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC). Both reveal important updates about how social media is used in Spain. As your social media agency, we would like to keep you informed.

In 2024, social media usage in Spain remains widespread. According to IAB, 86% of Spaniards aged 12 to 74 use social media regularly. That’s a market of 30.5 million people. Although the figure is very high, the percentage of users has remained stable since 2017. What has changed is the type of platforms being used. It’s also worth noting that the study includes WhatsApp, Spotify, and Telegram as social networks, a controversial choice that may introduce bias.

When analyzing user segmentation in more detail, the dominant profile is a woman aged 35-44, with a university degree and in salaried employment. In fact, 57% of social media users in Spain in 2024 are women, and 49% have a university degree. By age group, 94% of people aged 18-24 use social media, compared to 91% of those aged 35-44. On average, users spend 1 hour and 8 minutes per day on social platforms.

In terms of motivations for using social media, 82% of users do it for entertainment, 67% for interaction, and 56% for information. In contrast, inspirational content and trend-following are lower at 33% and 24%, respectively. Regarding access methods, 98% use mobile phones, 91% use a computer, and 75% use smart TVs mainly for YouTube. Tablets are used by 53%, primarily for YouTube and Facebook. Finally, 39% of smartwatch owners access social media through their devices, mostly for WhatsApp.

Platform by platform: usage and trends

2024 has brought significant changes in how Spaniards use social media, leading to substantial shifts in market share. Some platforms are growing in influence, while others are losing traction or becoming niche.

TikTok’s dominance in views, Instagram’s reign in engagement, and the rise of short vertical video formats have redrawn the landscape for brands and users, while Facebook and X continue to decline.

Instagram: the queen of engagement and reels

Instagram is the fastest-growing platform in 2024, with a 54.3% increase in usage, making it the most used social network in Spain, according to the CNMC. It holds the top spot in interactions (46%) thanks to a strong ecosystem of influencers and brands. Instagram’s reels format has been the most effective tool for engagement, growing 96% compared to 2023.

Instagram remains perceived as the most entertaining, visual, and lifestyle-oriented network, positioning it as a hybrid between inspiration and entertainment. It is also gaining importance as a platform people consult before making purchases.

On the downside, Instagram lost its first spot in frequency of use to BeReal, although BeReal holds only a small overall market share. Still, Instagram leads significantly in influencer following, ahead of YouTube and TikTok.

It is the most used network among users aged 25-34 and the second most popular among those aged 18-24 and over 35. In terms of post type, an estimated 60% are static (photos or carousels) versus 40% reels.

Facebook in decline

While Facebook remains the most well-known platform, it has lost the most relevance. In fact, 19% of its users stopped using it in 2024. It is still popular among those over 35 but has become nearly irrelevant to younger audiences. Alongside X, it is one of the least frequently used networks.

56% of Facebook users are women, 83% are over 35, and 31% are over 55, confirming its status as a platform living in the past. Interestingly, desktop is still the main access channel for Facebook.

TikTok: growth and saturation

TikTok is undoubtedly the big winner of 2024. It has gained the most users for the fourth consecutive year and leads in views with a 66% increase, driven by short video formats. However, it has lost half its engagement since 2023 due to content saturation and the growing need to invest in paid media to maintain reach.

TikTok is the most used platform among users aged 18-24, followed closely by Instagram. Among users over 25, it is a secondary option. Still, TikTok users are highly satisfied, giving it an average score of 7.7, second only to YouTube (7.8).

YouTube Maintains Steady Growth

YouTube has reached the top 3 in both awareness and usage, thanks largely to its Shorts, vertical short-form videos. This format has doubled in effectiveness compared to traditional video and attracted a large share of younger users.

It has also become a go-to channel for users researching products before buying, making it key for evergreen and branded content strategies. YouTube remains the highest-rated platform and the one with the second-highest average daily use (1 hour and 23 minutes), just behind TikTok. In terms of content consumption, 57% are Shorts and 43% are traditional videos.

X pays the price of polarization

Formerly known as Twitter, X has seen its awareness drop by 7 points since 2023. It is among the most abandoned platforms and, while it retains a loyal base in news and media circles, its overall relevance is in decline.

The rebrand to X caused confusion and weakened its identity as a go-to platform for real-time news. It has lost awareness, users, and social weight in digital conversations. 15% of all platform abandonments in the past year involved X, making it the fourth most abandoned network, after Facebook (19%) and Snapchat (16%).

Nonetheless, it still holds some ground among journalists, media, and sectors like politics and tech, where it's valued for news dissemination. However, its anti-moderation policies have driven many users elsewhere.

LinkedIn: the most reliable professional network

LinkedIn remains, in 2024, the most stable and recognized professional social network. While not as intensively used as other platforms, its purpose is clear: networking, personal branding, and corporate content.

It maintains a steady penetration rate, with an adult, qualified, and professionally active user base. Though daily use is much lower than TikTok or Instagram, it retains strong positioning as a purpose-driven platform. However, it’s the platform where users spend the least time, just 32 minutes per day, and it has an average satisfaction score of 6.9, far behind Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.