Digital 2023: The United Kingdom
This page contains all the latest data, insights, and trends you need to help you understand how people in the United Kingdom use digital devices and services in 2023.
If you want to check whether this is our most up-to-date report on the UK, or if you’re looking for data on digital trends and behaviours in the United Kingdom for previous years, you can find our full collection of reports on the United Kingdom by clicking here.
You’ll also find the complete Digital 2023 report on the United Kingdom in the “full report” section below, but let’s start by taking a look at the key numbers for the UK this year.
The state of digital in the United Kingdom in 2023
Here are the essential headlines for digital adoption and use in the United Kingdom in early 2023:
There were 66.11 million internet users in the United Kingdom at the start of 2023, when internet penetration stood at 97.8 percent.
The UK was home to 57.10 million social media users in January 2023, equating to 84.4 percent of the total population.
A total of 87.66 million cellular mobile connections were active in the United Kingdom in early 2023, with this figure equivalent to 129.6 percent of the total population.
These headline stats offer a great overview of the “state of digital” in the United Kingdom, but in order to make sense of how digital trends and behaviours are evolving, we need to dig deeper into the data.
Let’s take a closer look at what the latest numbers tell us, starting with some valuable context relating to the United Kingdom’s population.
The United Kingdom’s population in 2023
The United Kingdom’s total population was 67.62 million in January 2023.
Data shows that the UK’s population increased by 229 thousand (+0.3 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
50.6 percent of the United Kingdom’s population is female, while 49.4 percent of the population is male.
At the start of 2023, 84.5 percent of the United Kingdom’s population lived in urban centres, while 15.5 percent lived in rural areas.
Note: gender data are currently only available for “female” and “male”.
The United Kingdom’s population by age
The median age of the United Kingdom’s population is 40.0.
Here’s how the United Kingdom’s total population breaks down by age group:
5.2 percent is between the ages of 0 and 4.
9.7 percent is between the ages of 5 and 12.
6.0 percent is between the ages of 13 and 17.
8.0 percent is between the ages of 18 and 24.
13.3 percent is between the ages of 25 and 34.
13.0 percent is between the ages of 35 and 44.
12.6 percent is between the ages of 45 and 54.
12.9 percent is between the ages of 55 and 64.
19.3 percent is aged 65 and above.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
Internet use in the United Kingdom in 2023
There were 66.11 million internet users in the United Kingdom in January 2023.
The United Kingdom’s internet penetration rate stood at 97.8 percent of the total population at the start of 2023.
Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in the UK increased by 224 thousand (+0.3 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
For perspective, these user figures reveal that 1.51 million people in the UK did not use the internet at the start of 2023, suggesting that 2.2 percent of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.
However, complexities associated with the collection and analysis of internet user data mean that it can often take several months before research is ready for publication. As a result, the latest published figures for internet use invariably under-represent reality, and actual adoption and growth may be higher than the figures shown here suggest. Please see our comprehensive notes on data for further details.
Dig deeper: for the latest insights into internet adoption and use around the world, follow our regular Global Statshot reports.
Internet connection speeds in the United Kingdom in 2023
Data published by Ookla indicate that internet users in the UK could have expected the following internet connection speeds at the start of 2023:
Median mobile internet connection speed via cellular networks: 46.02 Mbps.
Median fixed internet connection speed: 73.21 Mbps.
Ookla’s data reveals that the median mobile internet connection speed in the United Kingdom decreased by 0.96 Mbps (-2.0 percent) in the twelve months to the start of 2023.
Meanwhile, Ookla’s data shows that fixed internet connection speeds in the UK increased by 14.41 Mbps (+24.5 percent) during the same period.
Social media statistics for the United Kingdom in 2023
There were 57.10 million social media users in the United Kingdom in January 2023.
This figure might seem quite different to the values that we published in previous years, but please note that the sources we use to inform and calculate our social media user numbers have made important and wide-ranging revisions to their data over recent months.
These adjustments to source data mean that our latest numbers are not comparable with equivalent figures that we published in previous years, and readers should not regard any differences in these numbers as an actual change in social media use.
Indeed, our analysis of various data points from trusted third parties such as GWI and data.ai shows that there has been no discernible drop in overall social media use, and in almost all countries, social media use continues to increase.
As a result, readers should view any such differences as “corrections” in the data, and not as an indication that social media adoption has declined.
The number of social media users in the UK at the start of 2023 was equivalent to 84.4 percent of the total population, but it’s also important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals (see our detailed notes on data to learn why).
Meanwhile, data published in the ad planning tools of top social media platforms indicates that there were 49.45 million users aged 18 and above using social media in the UK at the start of 2023, which was equivalent to 92.4 percent of the total population aged 18 and above at that time.
More broadly, 86.4 percent of the United Kingdom’s total internet user base (regardless of age) used at least one social media platform in January 2023.
At that time, 51.6 percent of the UK’s social media users were female, while 48.4 percent were male.
Note: due to significant revisions in source data, we regret that we’re currently unable to provide reliable figures for the year-on-year change in social media users in the UK. We recommend that readers do not compare our latest figures for social media use with figures published in our previous reports, because such comparisons will deliver inaccurate results.
Facebook users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 34.40 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
However, Meta has made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data over recent months – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook – so the figures shown here may not be directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
Facebook user growth in the United Kingdom
Figures published in Meta’s own tools indicate that Facebook’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom decreased by 650 thousand (-1.9 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
For more recent context, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Facebook in the United Kingdom decreased by 450 thousand (-1.3 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
However, it’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures are not the same as the monthly active users figures that Meta reports in its investor earnings announcements, and they should not be interpreted as such.
As the company states within its ad planning tools,
“Estimated audience size is not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, or for engagement. Estimates aren’t designed to match population, census estimates or other sources, and may differ depending on factors such as how many accounts across Meta technologies a person has, how many temporary visitors are in a particular geographic location at a given time, and Meta user-reported demographics.”
As a result, changes in ad reach may not necessarily indicate any change in the platform’s overall user base.
But despite these caveats, Meta’s ad reach data still offers valuable insights into how Facebook use is evolving.
Facebook adoption in the United Kingdom
Facebook’s ad reach in the UK was equivalent to 50.9 percent of the total population at the start of 2023.
However, Facebook restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s worth highlighting that 59.8 percent of the “eligible” audience in the UK uses Facebook in 2023.
For additional context, Facebook’s ad reach in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 52.0 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2023.
At the start of 2023, 54.1 percent of Facebook’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 45.9 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
▶ Looking for more Facebook stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook data for every country in the world.
YouTube users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Updates to Google’s advertising resources indicate that YouTube had 57.10 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
It’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures do not necessarily represent the same thing as monthly active user figures though, and there may be meaningful differences between the size of YouTube’s ad audience and its total active user base.
However, the company’s own data suggests that YouTube’s ad reach in early 2023 was equivalent to 84.4 percent of the United Kingdom’s total population at the start of the year.
To put those figures in perspective, YouTube ads reached 86.4 percent of the UK’s total internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2023.
At that time, 50.2 percent of YouTube’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 49.8 percent was male.
Note: Google’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
YouTube user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in Google’s own ad planning tools show that YouTube’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom decreased by 500 thousand (-0.9 percent) between the start of 2022 and early 2023.
Meanwhile, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on YouTube in the United Kingdom remained unchanged between October 2022 and January 2023.
▶ Looking for more YouTube stats? Click here to explore our in-depth YouTube data for every country in the world.
Instagram users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Numbers published in Meta’s advertising tools indicate that Instagram had 28.75 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
The company’s recently revised figures suggest that Instagram’s ad reach in the UK was equivalent to 42.5 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Instagram restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s helpful to know that 50.0 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Kingdom uses Instagram in 2023.
It’s also worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach in the UK at the start of 2023 was equivalent to 43.5 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
In early 2023, 56.4 percent of Instagram’s ad audience in the United Kingdom was female, while 43.6 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Instagram user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in Meta’s planning tools show that Instagram’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom decreased by 3.0 million (-9.4 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
On a quarterly basis, the company’s data also reveal that the size of Instagram’s ad audience in the United Kingdom decreased by 1.1 million (-3.5 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
As we noted in the Facebook section above though, changes in the audience reach figures published in Meta’s ad planning tools do not necessarily correlate with overall changes in its platforms’ active user bases.
▶ Looking for more Instagram stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Instagram data for every country in the world.
TikTok users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Figures published in ByteDance’s advertising resources indicate that TikTok had 19.66 million users aged 18 and above in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
Note that ByteDance allows marketers to target TikTok ads to users aged 13 and above via its advertising tools, but these tools only show audience data for users aged 18 and above.
For context, ByteDance’s figures indicate that TikTok ads reached 36.7 percent of all adults aged 18 and above in the UK at the start of 2023.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s ad reach in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 29.7 percent of the local internet user base at the beginning of the year, regardless of age.
In early 2023, 53.5 percent of TikTok’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 46.5 percent was male.
Note: ByteDance’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
TikTok user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in ByteDance’s own ad planning tools show that TikTok’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom decreased by 2.2 million (-9.9 percent) between the start of 2022 and early 2023.
However, figures indicate that the potential reach of ads on TikTok in the United Kingdom actually increased by 1.9 million (+10.9 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023, suggesting that reach may have fallen between January 2022 and October 2022.
Having said that, ad audiences often only account for a subset of a platform’s total users, and given that TikTok’s ad tools only publish data for users aged 18 and above, it’s important to remember that these changes in TikTok ad reach may not necessarily match changes in the platform’s overall user base.
▶ Looking for more TikTok stats? Click here to explore our in-depth TikTok data for every country in the world.
Facebook Messenger users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicate that ads on Facebook Messenger reached 26.65 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
The company’s recently revised audience numbers suggest that Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 39.4 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
Facebook Messenger restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above though, so it’s also worth highlighting that ads reach 46.3 percent of Facebook Messenger’s “eligible” audience in the UK in 2023.
For additional context, Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in the United Kingdom is equivalent to 40.3 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
At the start of 2023, 54.8 percent of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 45.2 percent was male.
Notes: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Facebook Messenger user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in Meta’s planning tools show that Facebook Messenger’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom decreased by 650 thousand (-2.4 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
On a quarterly basis, the company’s data reveal that the size of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in the United Kingdom decreased by 350 thousand (-1.3 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
However, as we noted in the Facebook section above, changes in the audience reach figures published in Meta’s ad planning tools do not necessarily correlate with overall changes in its platforms’ active user bases.
▶ Looking for more Facebook Messenger stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook Messenger data for every country in the world.
LinkedIn users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Figures published in LinkedIn’s advertising resources indicate that LinkedIn had 35.00 million “members” in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
However, note that LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, rather than the monthly active users that form the basis of the ad reach figures published by most other social media platforms.
As a result, these LinkedIn figures are not directly comparable with the figures for other social media platforms published on this page, or in our Digital 2023 reports.
The company’s advertising reach figures suggest that LinkedIn’s audience in the UK was equivalent to 51.8 percent of the total population at the start of 2023.
LinkedIn restricts the use of its platform to people aged 18 and above though, so it’s also helpful to know that 65.4 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Kingdom uses LinkedIn in 2023.
For additional context, LinkedIn’s ad reach in the UK was equivalent to 52.9 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2023, 43.8 percent of LinkedIn’s ad audience in the United Kingdom was female, while 56.3 percent was male.
Note: LinkedIn’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
LinkedIn user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in LinkedIn’s planning tools show that LinkedIn’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom increased by 1.0 million (+2.9 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
On a quarterly basis, the company’s data reveal that the size of LinkedIn’s ad audience in the United Kingdom increased by 1.0 million (+2.9 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
However, because LinkedIn’s ad audience figures are based on total registered members rather than monthly active users, it’s unclear whether these trends might reflect changes in active LinkedIn use too.
▶ Looking for more LinkedIn stats? Click here to explore our in-depth LinkedIn data for every country in the world.
Snapchat users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Data published in Snap’s advertising resources indicate that Snapchat had 22.15 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
This figure means that Snapchat’s ad reach in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 32.8 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Snapchat restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s also worth noting that 38.5 percent of the “eligible” audience in the UK uses Snapchat in 2023.
For additional context, Snapchat’s ad reach in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 33.5 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2023, 55.0 percent of Snapchat’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 44.6 percent was male.
Note: Snap’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users, but the figures published for these demographics don’t always add up to the total user figure, so percentages shown here may not sum to 100 percent.
Snapchat user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in Snap’s own ad planning tools show that Snapchat’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom increased by 1.5 million (+7.3 percent) between the start of 2022 and early 2023.
Meanwhile, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Snapchat in the United Kingdom increased by 500 thousand (+2.3 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
However, it’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures do not represent monthly active user figures, and there may be meaningful differences between the size of Snapchat’s ad audience and its total active user base.
▶ Looking for more Snapchat stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Snapchat data for every country in the world.
Twitter users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Numbers published in Twitter’s advertising resources indicate that Twitter had 23.15 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
This figure means that Twitter’s ad reach in the UK was equivalent to 34.2 percent of the total population at the time.
However, it’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures are not the same as monthly active user figures, and there may be meaningful differences between the size of Twitter’s ad audience and its total active user base.
It’s also worth noting that Twitter restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so these figures suggest that 40.2 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Kingdom uses Twitter in 2023.
For additional context, Twitter’s ad reach in the UK was equivalent to 35.0 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2023, the company’s own data indicated that 37.5 percent of Twitter’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 62.5 percent was male.
However, it’s worth noting that Twitter infers its users’ gender, by analysing signals such as the name that users enter in their profile, and their broader activity on the platform.
This contrasts with the gender data offered in the advertising tools of platforms like Facebook, which relies on the gender that users themselves enter in their own profile.
Moreover, our analysis suggests that Twitter’s inferences may not be particularly reliable in determining users’ gender, especially in countries where English is not the dominant language.
For example, consumer research findings published by GWI often offer quite a different picture of Twitter use by gender compared with Twitter’s own audience data.
But the apparent distortions that frequently appear in Twitter’s inferred gender data may be due in large part to the high number of “non-human” accounts that feature in Twitter’s active user data (e.g. accounts that represent businesses, animals, musicians, etc.), especially because Twitter doesn’t currently separate these accounts out from “real” human individuals in the ways that Facebook and Instagram do.
Regardless of the cause of these anomalies though, we advise caution when analysing or interpreting Twitter’s reported figures for use by gender.
Twitter user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in Twitter’s own ad planning tools show that Twitter’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom increased by 4.8 million (+25.8 percent) between the start of 2022 and early 2023.
Meanwhile, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Twitter in the United Kingdom increased by 1.1 million (+4.8 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
However, please note that the figures published in Twitter’s planning tools appear to be liable to significant fluctuation – even over short periods of time – and these anomalies may impact the reliability and representativeness of this change data.
▶ Looking for more Twitter stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Twitter data for every country in the world.
Pinterest users in the United Kingdom in 2023
Data published in Pinterest’s advertising resources indicate that Pinterest had 7.61 million users in the United Kingdom in early 2023.
This figure means that Pinterest’s ad reach in the UK was equivalent to 11.3 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Pinterest restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it may be helpful to know that 13.2 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Kingdom uses Pinterest in 2023.
Meanwhile, Pinterest’s ad reach in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 11.5 percent of the local internet user base at that time, regardless of age.
At the start of 2023, 72.6 percent of Pinterest’s ad audience in the UK was female, while 21.7 percent was male.
Pinterest’s tools also publish audience data for users of “unspecified” gender, and these users accounted for 5.7 percent of Pinterest’s total ad audience in the United Kingdom at the start of 2023.
Pinterest user growth in the United Kingdom
Data published in Pinterest’s own ad planning tools show that Pinterest’s potential ad reach in the United Kingdom decreased by 1.2 million (-13.1 percent) between the start of 2022 and early 2023.
On a quarter-by-quarter basis, the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Pinterest in the United Kingdom decreased by 1.4 million (-15.8 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.
However, remember that these advertising reach figures do not represent monthly active user figures, and the size of Pinterest’s ad audience may be significantly different to its total active user base.
▶ Looking for more Pinterest stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Pinterest data for every country in the world.
Mobile connections in the United Kingdom in 2023
Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 87.66 million cellular mobile connections in the United Kingdom at the start of 2023.
However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.
GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in the UK were equivalent to 129.6 percent of the total population in January 2023.
The number of mobile connections in the United Kingdom increased by 1.2 million (+1.3 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
Additional resources
Just before we get to the full report, here are some suggestions for further reading, which will provide additional context for our full set of Digital 2023 numbers for the United Kingdom:
Read our complete Digital 2023 Global Overview Report to get a comprehensive overview of the “state of digital” around the world in 2023.
Click here to see all of the Global Digital Reports we’ve published on the United Kingdom over the past decade.
Explore all of our reports on countries in Northern Europe by clicking here.
Visit our complete online reports library to find all of the (free!) reports in the Global Digital Reports series.
If you’d like to receive updates when we publish new reports, click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Full report
You’ll find our complete Digital 2023: The United Kingdom report in the embed below (click here if you can’t see that, or if you can’t change the slides).