Do people over 65 use Facebook?
Social Media has rapidly taken hold of our lives. It is convenient, enjoyable and interactive. However like any product, social media attracts some age groups more than others.
What age group uses social media the most in Australia?
Unsurprisingly, social media usage is highest among adolescents and young adults aged 14-24. It is estimated that young men spend 528 minutes a week on social media [1] , while young women spend considerably more time at 822 minutes each week. We find a similar trend among individuals aged 25-34. In this demographic men spend 367 minutes a week, a modest figure compared to their female peers who spend an approximate 550 minutes on social media a week.
What’s evident from these statistics is that the older the individual the less time they will spend on social media. For example, men aged 65+ will only spend 83 minutes a week and women 125 minutes. This tells us that older people are less likely to respond to advertising campaigns on media portals like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and linked-in. Their communication is predominantly conducted via phone calls and face-to-face interaction.
Source: Roy Morgan
Boomers vs Millennial’s – How does their usage of social media differs
There is a definite generational divide in the way people use social media. While 94% of people aged 18-29 own a smartphone [6], people aged 65+ are more likely to own a desktop computer (62% ownership rate). Likewise, only 6% of individuals aged 65+ will use social media 5x a day compared to the 55% of people aged 18-29 who do.
Interestingly, self-report studies show that in the 18-29 year old age group social media is generally the first and last thing they will do each day. This might be a reason that 65+ year olds feel that social media is detrimental to patience, concentration, productivity and mental health.
Source: Marketingsolved.com
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Which social media channel is the most popular in Australia?
Social Media Users Per Month
1. Facebook – 18,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
2. YouTube – 17,500,000 Unique Australian Visitors per month
3. WhatsApp – 12,000,000 Active Australian Users
4. Instagram – 10,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
5. LinkedIn – 6,500,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
6. Snapchat – 6,400,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
7. WordPress.com – 6,100,000
8. Twitter – 5,800,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
9. Tinder – 4,000,000 Australian users
10. Tumblr – 3,700,000
11. WeChat – 2,900,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
12. TripAdvisor – 2,800,000
13. Yelp – 1,500,000
14. Blogspot- 1,200,000
15. TikTok – 1,100,000
16. Hinge – 1,000,000
17. Flickr – 450,000
18. Pinterest – 290,000
19. Reddit – 110,000
20. MySpace – 70,000
21. RenRen – 70,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
22. StumbleUpon – 39,000
23. Weibo – 35,000 Monthly Active Australian Users
24. Digg – 10,000
25. Foursquare/Swarm – 9,000
26. Periscope – 9,000
27. Delicious – 7,000
*Google Plus has been shut down worldwide*
Source: Social Media Statistics Australia – October 2022
Unsurprisingly, Facebook is the most used platform in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Population Clock there are now approximately 26 million Australians. Facebook’s recent data shows there are now 16 million active Australians on Facebook. Therefore approximately 64% of the total Australian population is an active Facebook user. This is a huge number.
Key Australian Facebook facts
- Facebook is Australia’s most popular social network (16-64 years olds) with 66%, or 16 million, Australians using Facebook on a monthly basis. This is steady on the previous period (Source, Analysis by Genroe)
- Facebook is Australia’s 3rd highest trafficked site after Google and YouTube. (Source)
- Australia Facebook users are the fourth most active “Likers” in the world an average of 15 likes per month vs the global average of 12. (Source, Analysis: Genroe)
- Australia Facebook users are equal 6th most active “commenters” in the world an average of 8 comments per month vs the global average of just 5. This has declined in the last 12 months by 1 comment per month (Source, Analysis: Genroe)
Visitors spend an average of 18 min 49 secs and view 8.29 pages per day on Facebook (Source)
Facebook age and gender demographics
| Age Bracket | Number of Users* |
| 13 – 17 | 1,100,000 |
| 18 – 25 | 3,500,000 |
| 25 – 39 | 6,300,000 |
| 40 – 55 | 4,300,000 |
| 55 – 64 | 1,700,000 |
| 65+ | 1,500,000 |
*approx. numbers of total users, not all necessarily active over the last month
Source: Social Media Stats Australia
Facebook data shows us that the largest population of Facebook users are aged 25-39. This 6.3 Million is an enormous audience, who still spend a considerable amount of time on social media. Digital marketing targeted to this demographic has incredible potential.
Australian Facebooks Demographics (Age) (Facebook data analysis by Genroe)
Australia’s Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger) Demographic Profile:
| Age | Female | Male |
| 13-17 | 2.6% | 2.0% |
| 18-24 | 9.4% | 8.9% |
| 25-34 | 12.8% | 12.3% |
| 35-44 | 10.4% | 8.9% |
| 45-54 | 7.7% | 6.3% |
| 55-64 | 5.5% | 4.2% |
| 65+ | 5.3% | 3.7% |
As at February 2022 (Source Analysis by Genroe, Proportion of Population 13+)
Australian Facebook advertising statistics
- Total audience (aged 13+): 18 million (Facebook data analysis by Genroe)
- Australia Facebook users are some of the most active advert clickers in the world an average of 22 adverts clicked per month vs the global average of 12. This is in the top 8% of countries globally. (Source Analysis: Genroe)
- Facebook has an estimated 80% market share of the Australian Social Media Advertising market. (Source)
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Now, it’s time to answer the question “Do people over 65 use Facebook?”. According to the data above, Facebook has about 1,500,000 users at their age over 65 in Australia. Therefore, people over 65 do use Facebook. But they’re the second last proportion of all the age groups. Just slightly higher than the adolescents aged 13-17.
When are social media users most active?
What’s the use knowing all of these stats if you can’t action them. National data shows that the majority of individuals, regardless of age are most active on social media between 8:00 am – 10:00am and are least active after 7:00pm [7]. So when trying to reach your audience, the early bird gets the worm.
What are the advantages of digital marketing?
In an age dominated by technology and the internet, digital marketing is king. Why? Because digital marketing is tailored and specific. A personal trainer wants to market their services, they can target their ads at a chosen age group, gender, geographic location and interests. The personal trainer is able to save money and time by only marketing to the people who they want to reach. Say goodbye to the catch-all approach, with digital marketing, language can be specific, targeted and relevant. Just as powerful as this, digital marketing allows us to re-target customers who showed and interest in the service or similar services in the past. Digital marketing is the way forward, it is a dynamic and powerful way to market your product or service.
Click HERE to find out more about Australian Internet and Social Media Statistics
If you want to reach new audiences through digital marketing our team at ROI can help you.
Ewan Watt
Founder & CEO – ROI Growth Agency
1300 650 274