How many people use Pinterest? This is one of the first and most important Pinterest statistics brand owners need to know before creating a Pinterest marketing plan. Having a clear picture of the number of Pinterest users there are today and how that number has grown over the years can help you understand how you can craft an effective strategy.

Here’s a look at the evolution of the number of active users on Pinterest from 2016 to 2022.

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Pinterest MAU annual breakdown

According to the latest statistics, the number of active users on Pinterest in Q3 2022 is 445 million―a 2.77% increase from the previous quarter. This is also a marginal 0.23% increase year-over-year from Q3 2021’s 444 million. 

The number of Pinterest users in Q3 2022 marks the first time the figure has grown since the beginning of 2021. From Q1 2021 to Q2 2022, Pinterest’s MAU (monthly active users) has either fallen or held steady. 

Prior to 2021, the number of users on Pinterest had actually been rising over the past few years. In Q1 2016, there were 128 million active users on Pinterest, less than one-third of the current figure. This number grew by 36.7% in Q1 2017, when the number of Pinterest MAUs reached 175 million. A year later, it increased to 239 million, before hitting 391 million in 2019.

2020 saw a huge surge, which analysts attribute to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of the year, the number of active users on Pinterest had soared to 459 million. 

The decline in 2022 marks the first time Pinterest’s user base has decreased since at least 2016. According to experts, this is a sign that social media usage is returning to pre-pandemic norms and levels.

Between 2016 and 2022, the best performing quarter in terms of the number of Pinterest users came in Q1 2021. That quarter, there were 478 million people actively using Pinterest. This number fell nearly every quarter in 2021. It closed out the year with 431 million users and rose slightly to 433 million in Q1 and Q2 2022.

In terms of quarterly growth, between Q1 2016 and Q1 2021, the only time the number of Pinterest users declined was in Q2 2018, when it fell by a slight 3.3% to 231 million, from the previous quarter’s 239 million.

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