Over nine million people used WhatsApp every day in the Netherlands in 2020, an increase of roughly 200,000 daily users from previous years. This DAU metric was much less for Instagram and YouTube, reaching 2.7 million and 2.4 million daily active users respectively. When it comes to overall user numbers for social media in the Netherlands, WhatsApp and Facebook both had over ten million users in 2019.
How much time does a Dutch person spend on social media?
Dutch Internet users spent on average 80 minutes a day browsing social media sites via any device in 2017, a number that was significantly lower when compared to other European countries. According to a 2018 survey, more than half of the interviewed social media users said they spent less than one hour online each day. This connection time varied greatly, however. Young adults spent more time on social media than older age groups, as 30 percent of 18-to 25-year-olds in the Netherlands used the platforms three to five hours per day.
Which social media platform do Dutch Millennials use the most?
Millennials, ages 23 to 37, prefer to use WhatsApp. Facebook was also popular, with 75 percent of the respondents to a 2019 survey saying they use the social network. The same survey mentions that 23-to-37-year-olds are also part of the user base of Instagram and Snapchat in the Netherlands. However, a 2018 survey shows that Instagram was much more popular among Generation Z (ages 15 to 19) than it was among Millennials.
Number of daily active users (DAU) of the leading social media platforms in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2020, by social network
(in million users)
N 2014 = 15,179; N 2015 = 10,395; N 2016=10,484; N 2017=8,194; N 2018=6,783; N 2019 = 7,012; N 2020 = 7,000
Age group
15 years and older
Method of interview
Online survey
Supplementary notes
The figures have been taken from several publications. TikTok was only included in 2020, whereas Foursquare and WeChat did not return that year. The source only looks at the ten most used social media platforms.
The sample is a representative reflection of the Dutch population of 15 years and older.
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Newcom. (January 25, 2020). Number of daily active users (DAU) of the leading social media platforms in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2020, by social network (in million users) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/639790/social-media-active-user-penetration-in-the-netherlands-by-social-network/
Newcom. "Number of daily active users (DAU) of the leading social media platforms in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2020, by social network (in million users)." Chart. January 25, 2020. Statista. Accessed July 10, 2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/639790/social-media-active-user-penetration-in-the-netherlands-by-social-network/
Newcom. (2020). Number of daily active users (DAU) of the leading social media platforms in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2020, by social network (in million users). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 10, 2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/639790/social-media-active-user-penetration-in-the-netherlands-by-social-network/
Newcom. "Number of Daily Active Users (Dau) of The Leading Social Media Platforms in The Netherlands from 2016 to 2020, by Social Network (in Million Users)." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 Jan 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/639790/social-media-active-user-penetration-in-the-netherlands-by-social-network/
Newcom, Number of daily active users (DAU) of the leading social media platforms in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2020, by social network (in million users) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/639790/social-media-active-user-penetration-in-the-netherlands-by-social-network/ (last visited July 10, 2020)
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