Looking for the latest social commerce statistics? You’re in the right place.

Social commerce has long been hailed as the future of ecommerce—but does that claim ring true?

In this post, we’ll be diving into all the most important data from the latest industry to try to shed light on that question. 

We’ll look at the size of the social commerce market as a whole, explore the different social media platforms that consumers shop on, discuss the trends that are shaping the market, and much more.

Top picks

  • Social commerce makes up 10% of global ecommerce sales (Accenture)…
  • …and 6.6% of US ecommerce sales (eMarketer)
  • 67% of global consumers have shopped on social (VML)
  • The global social commerce market is projected to reach $1.2 trillion next year (Accenture)
  • Facebook is the most popular platform for social shopping in the US (eMarketer)
  • US adults spend $779/year on social commerce, on average (eMarketer2)
  • China has the largest social commerce market of any country—95% of consumers in the country have bought something on social (Accenture, Statista2)
  • 66.5% of social shoppers are under 44 (eMarketer)
  • 52% of marketers say their brands sell products on social (HubSpot)

General social commerce statistics

Let’s kick things off with some general social commerce statistics that highlight how popular social commerce has become and how much revenue it generates.

1. Social commerce now accounts for 10% of ecommerce sales globally

If we look at global sales figures from Accenture, around 10% of all ecommerce sales now happen on social media. 

01 social commerce sales globally

Interestingly, that’s largely due to developing markets, which are way ahead of developed markets like the US and Europe when it comes to social commerce adoption.

Source: Accenture

2. Social commerce revenues will reach $1.2 trillion by 2025

Sales made through social commerce already hit $492 billion a few years ago in 2021, and forecasts predict it will reach an eye-watering $1.2 trillion by next year. By that point, it should account for 16.7% of the total $7 trillion ecommerce spend.

02 social commerce revenues

Source: Accenture

3. 67% of global shoppers say they’ve bought a product directly on social media 

That’s according to a report from last year. Notably, that figure is up +2% compared to the year before and up +23% compared to 2021. 

Keep in mind that there’s significant global variation here. For example, in Thailand, 91% of consumers have purchased something on social media. In Japan, that figure drops dramatically to just 28%.

03 social commerce purchases online

Source: VML

4. 1 in 4 social media users have bought a product directly on social in the past 3 months

According to HubSpot’s 2024 social trends report, around a quarter of social media users have bought something on social in the last quarter alone. And that rises to 1 in 2 if we look just at Gen Zers and Millennials.

04 generational social media

Source: HubSpot

5. 75% of social shoppers say they’re satisfied with their latest purchase

Many consumers are skeptical about the quality of products sold on social media. However, as this stat shows, it seems the vast majority of those who take the plunge end up satisfied with their purchase.

05 social shoppers satisfaction

Source: HubSpot

6. 57% of internet users have found new products on social media

Social commerce isn’t just about direct social selling—it’s also about product discovery. According to the data, over half of all internet users have discovered new products on social media, either through social ads or recommendations from their fellow social users.

Source: Statista4

7. 46% of global shoppers have used livestream commerce to purchase a product

Livestream commerce is a sub-branch of social commerce. Almost half of all shoppers worldwide now say they’ve bought something after seeing it in a live shopping event. That rises to 81% in China, where livestream commerce is particularly popular.

07 livestream commerce online purchases

Source: VML

8. 26% of people mainly use social media to find products to purchase

A recent survey asked social media users about the primary reasons they used social media platforms. 

Surprisingly, 26.1% of respondents said their primary reason for using social media is to find products to purchase, making this the seventh most common response. 

In comparison, 49.5% said they mainly use social media to keep in touch with friends and family.

Source: DataReportal

9. Social networks are the second top channel for online brand research

46% of people use social media for brand research. That makes it the second top online brand research channel, below only search engines (50.3%).

What’s more, if we look only at those under 34, social networks rank as the top online brand research channel. 51% of 16 to 24-year-olds use social media for brand research compared to 45% who use search engines.

Source: DataReportal

10. 10.8% of internet users say social buy buttons would encourage them to complete a purchase

In a recent survey, internet users were asked what factors would encourage them to complete an online purchase. 10.8% of people pointed to social buy buttons.

Source: DataReportal

11. Social buyers are 59% more likely to buy from small businesses

That’s compared to regular online buyers. What’s more, social buyers are also 44% more likely to buy from a brand they haven’t encountered before.

Source: Accenture

12. ‘Apparel and accessories’ is the top social commerce purchase category

44% of global consumers have purchased products in this category between 3 and 7 times on social media, according to data on Statista.

Source: Statista5

13. 94% of social media users have purchased a product on Amazon after seeing it used by an influencer

Influencer marketing is an important part of social commerce. As this stat shows, the vast majority of social media users in the US have bought something because they saw their favorite social media influencers using it. 

Source: eMarketer

Social commerce platform statistics

Next, let’s look at some statistics about the leading social media platforms used for social commerce.

14. Facebook is the most trusted social commerce platform

38% of those surveyed by HubSpot said they trust Facebook more than any other social network for social shopping. This was followed by YouTube (17%), Instagram (14%), Pinterest (7%) and TikTok (6%).

14 platforms that social media users trust

Source: HubSpot2

15. Instagram offers the best social commerce experience

30% of social shoppers surveyed by HubSpot said Instagram offered the best in-app shopping experience of any social app. This was followed by Facebook (29%), TikTok (15%), YouTube (10%), and Twitter (6%).

15 in app shopping experience

Source: HubSpot2

16. Instagram is the top social media platform for product research

62.7% of social media users use Instagram to research products and brands, which is more than any other platform. That’s followed by Facebook (54.3%), TikTok (44.9%), and Pinterest (36.6%).

Source: DataReportal

17. Chinese platform Douyin has generated the most social commerce revenue

Douyin reportedly generated almost USD 200 billion from social commerce this year, making it the top-performing social commerce platform by revenue. 

WeChat—another Chinese social platform—ranked second with estimated revenues of around $152 billion.

In the same year, TikTok projected social commerce revenues of just over 20 billion dollars. And Meta (encompassing Facebook and Instagram) projected social commerce revenues of around $94 million.

Source: Statista3

18. 55% of Pinterest users see the app as a place to shop

Pinterest may not be as popular as other social networks, but it’s one of the first platforms that comes to mind when you think of social commerce. It’s a popular place to go for product inspiration, and over half of all users see it as a place to shop.

Source: Adam Connell

19. Pinterest users are 7x more likely to buy products they’ve pinned

Pinterest is like a digital inspiration board. Users go there to find ideas for their next purchase. So unsurprisingly, users are 7x more likely to buy products that they’ve saved on Pinterest than products they haven’t. 

What’s more, 85% of weekly Pinterest users say they have bought something they saw on a Pin.

Source: Blogging Wizard

20. TikTok plans to grow the TikTok Shop to $17.5 billion in the US this year

TikTok might not be the most popular social commerce platform yet, but it plans to be. The platform is reportedly planning to increase revenues from the TikTok Shop to over USD 17.5 billion by the end of the year.

Source: HubSpot

US social commerce statistics

So far we’ve looked at global social commerce statistics. Next, let’s look at some statistics specific to the US.

21. There are 110.4 million social buyers in the US

That’s an estimate according to industry forecasts from eMarketer. If you were wondering, that works out to be 50.3% of all social media users in the country.

Source: eMarketer

22. US retail social commerce sales are expected to surpass $100 billion next year

This is according to data from eMarketer’s forecast from last year. If true, that would represent a 22.4% growth from this year. And it’s expected to continue to grow to over $144.5 billion by 2027.

Source: eMarketer

23. Social commerce accounts for 6.6% of total commerce sales in the US

Social commerce still only represents a small fraction of total ecommerce sales in the US, but it’s growing quickly. According to projections from eMarketer, social commerce will account for around 6.6% of all ecommerce sales in the country this year.

Source: eMarketer

24. Facebook is the most popular social network for making purchases in the US overall…

49% of adults in the US are likely to make direct purchases on Facebook, which is more than any other network. 

The table below shows the top 5 most popular social networks for making purchases.

PlatformUS adults that use it to make direct purchases (%)
Facebook49%
YouTube46%
Instagram40%
TikTok39%
Snapchat31%

Source: eMarketer

25. …but Instagram ranks top amongst Gen Z users in the US specifically

71% of Gen Z social media users in the US are likely to purchase directly on Instagram, which is more than any other network.

PlatformUS Gen Zers that use it to make direct purchases (%)
Instagram71%
YouTube68%
TikTok68%
Facebook62%
Snapchat55%

Source: eMarketer

26. Facebook has 64.6 million US social commerce buyers

The number of US social commerce buyers on Facebook is expected to reach over 64 million this year, according to a recent forecast, which is more than any other platform.

Part of the reason Facebook dominates the social commerce space is due to the strength of Facebook Marketplace, as well as Facebook Shops.

Source: eMarketer

27. Instagram has 46.8 million US social buyers

Again, this is an estimate for this year according to a recent industry forecast. If accurate, that would make Instagram the second top platform for social commerce in the US.

The core of Instagram’s commerce experience is in its Instagram Shopping feature, which allows brands to tag products directly in their posts.

Source: eMarketer

28. TikTok has 35.8 million US social buyers

Not only does this make TikTok the third top social commerce platform in the US, it’s also the fastest-growing social commerce platform in the US. 

TikTok gained 11.6 million shoppers this year alone, which is more than Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok combined.

Source: eMarketer

29. The average US social buyer spends $779 per year on social commerce sales

That’s as of this year and is up from $641 last year. It’s expected to increase further to $937 by 2025.

29 in app shopping experience

Source: eMarketer2

Social commerce shopper demographics

Which countries and consumer age brackets are most likely to shop on social? Let’s look at some more stats to find out.

30. China is the largest social commerce market

China has been leading the way when it comes to social commerce. It’s both the largest and the most mature market. According to Statista, over 95% of surveyed consumers in China have shopped on social media, which is significantly higher than the global average.

However, the highest growth in social commerce is expected to be seen in developing markets like Brazil and India this year. 

Source: Accenture, Statista

31. 66.5% of social buyers in the US are under 44 years old

It seems that the younger you are, the more likely you are to buy products on social media.  Over two-thirds of social buyers in the US are under 44 years old.

Source: eMarketer

32. People aged 25 to 34 are most likely to be social buyers

23.1% of social buyers are between the ages of 25 and 34, making this the top age group for social commerce. 

That’s followed by 35 to 44 (19.1%), 18 to 24 (16.8%), 45 to 54 (13.5%), 55 to 64 (10.4%), 65+ (9.6%), and 14 to 17 (7.5%).

Source: eMarketer

33. People aged 16 to 24 are most likely to use social media to research potential purchases

53% of females and 49.2% of males in this age range have used social networks to research products, according to a recent survey. 

That’s followed by 25 to 34-year-olds (52.6% of females, 48.3% males), 35 to 44-year-olds (48% of females, 45.4% males), 45 to 54-year-olds (41.1% of females, 40% of males), and 55 to 64-year-olds (33.5% females, 31.7% males).

Source: DataReportal

34. 36% of digital buyers aged 18 to 34 have made purchases on Facebook

While 35% of those in this age range have done so on Instagram, and 31% on Facebook, according to a survey of US digital buyers from this year. 

Source: eMarketer

35. 40% of Gen Z consumers (aged 18 to 26) have bought something from TikTok Shop

In comparison, only 37% of millennials and just 14% of Gen X consumers have done the same.

Source: eMarketer

Social commerce & marketing statistics

Here are some social commerce statistics that relate to marketers.

36. 52% of social media marketers now sell products directly on social

With over half of surveyed SMMs now selling directly on social commerce platforms, social commerce has become a priority in social media marketing strategies. 

Brands are increasingly realizing the power of providing in-app purchasing experiences to reach customers where they’re already spending time online.

Source: HubSpot

37. 50% of marketers plan to increase investment in social commerce this year

Not only are most marketers already selling on social, but around half of them also plan to spend more time and money on their social commerce efforts this year. 

Source: HubSpot

38. 84% of surveyed social media marketers think consumers will buy products in social media apps more often than on websites this year

Social media marketers are optimistic about the future of social commerce—perhaps too optimistic.

According to a survey from HubSpot, the vast majority (84%) think that in 2024, consumers will buy products directly in social apps more often than they will from third-party or brand websites.

Source: HubSpot

39. 7 in 10 brands have an employee who is responsible for social commerce

These employees handle tasks like maintaining the brand’s social shop, providing customer service through social media messages and comments, and engaging with shoppers.

Source: HubSpot

Barriers to social commerce adoption

Before we wrap up, let’s look at some statistics that highlight the reasons many consumers still refuse to buy on social media and what marketers can do to change that.

41. Only 41% of social media users feel comfortable buying products directly on social apps

And just 37% say they trust the apps with their credit card information. This lack of trust is one of the biggest barriers to wider social commerce adoption.

Source: HubSpot2

42. Only 21% of social media users think products sold on social are high-quality

69% of those surveyed rated them as ‘average quality’, and 10% rated them as ‘low quality’. 

42 social platforms product quality

Source: HubSpot2

43. 54% of social media users say their biggest concern with social commerce is getting scammed

When asked what their biggest concerns are when shopping directly on social media, 54% of respondents said they’re worried that social sellers aren’t legitimate (i.e. that they’re scammers). This was the top response.

43 social media users biggest concerns

Other common concerns include: ‘That I won’t be able to get a refund’ (48%), ‘The quality of the products being sold’ (44%), and ‘Social media sites having my credit/debit card information’ (36%).

Source: HubSpot2

44. Around 4 in 10 shoppers won’t shop on social media due to concerns about data privacy

This is according to a survey from eMarketer last year. Around 4 in 10 respondents said the main thing holding them back from shopping on social platforms was concerns about how the platform would manage their personal data.

Source: eMarketer

45. Three-quarters of social shoppers prefer to buy through established retailers over in-app checkouts

Even younger social shoppers (aged 16-24) are still wary about purchasing directly on social media. 

Three-quarters of those in this age range in the US say they don’t want to use the in-app checkout tools on their favorite social platforms—they’d rather buy through established retailers that they trust.

Source: eMarketer

46. 39% of global shoppers say social-specific deals & discounts would encourage them to shop on social media more

Brands take note. Consumers were asked what would encourage them to shop more on social media channels in the future, and the top response was ‘deals and discounts’. That was followed by ease of purchase (33%), exclusive offers (28%), and more customer reviews (24%).

46 global consumers

Source: VML

Final thoughts

As these stats show, social commerce is now a huge part of the wider ecommerce landscape.

It’s expected to continue to become more important over the next few years, so if you’re not already selling on social, now may be the time to start.

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