Given TikTok’s global takeover over the past few years, it should come as no surprise that many of its key metrics have also been rising. This includes annual ad revenues and the amount of time users spend on TikTok.

One important measure of TikTok’s success is its number of users. In 2023, this figure is expected to hit 834.3 million worldwide. But what does this look like in terms of annual growth? Here’s a look at TikTok’s user growth rate in recent years. 

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TikTok’s growth rate: 2021–2023

According to the latest analysis of TikTok’s growth rate, the popular social media network is set to increase its number of users worldwide by 12.7% in 2023. Although the growth rate is in the double digits this year, it represents a slowdown compared to previous years.

In 2021, TikTok’s user growth rate surged by 43.5%—more than triple the growth rate expected this year. This also came despite the app’s permanent ban by authorities in India (currently the world’s most populous country) in January of that year. TikTok’s growth rate in 2022 slowed by more than half, to 19.7%.

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TikTok’s growth rate: 2024–2025

Looking ahead, industry analysts expect TikTok’s user growth rate to continue decelerating. In 2024, experts have forecast an annual increase of 9.3%—nearly one-fifth of 2021’s growth rate. By 2025, TikTok’s growth rate is set to slow to 7%.

The slowdown in its user growth rate follows a trend similar to that of its annual ad revenues. From 2021 to 2025, TikTok’s advertising revenues are set to increase year after year, but at slowing growth rates.

User growth rate: TikTok vs. competitors

TikTok’s user growth rate in 2023 is expected to be one of the biggest among other rival social media platforms. It ranks second only to Snapchat, whose user base is set to rise by 13.4% this year. In comparison, Instagram’s user growth is forecast at 7.9%, while Facebook’s is at 1%.

2023 is also the only year between 2021 and 2025 that TikTok is not expected to record the largest user growth rate out of its competitors. In 2021, when TikTok’s user growth rate hit 43.5%, Snapchat only managed 25.2%, while Instagram and Facebook grew their number of users by 18.1% and 4.3%, respectively.

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