TikTok has seen a meteoric rise in popularity since launching globally in 2018. Originally released in China in 2016 as Douyin, TikTok quickly became one of the most downloaded apps worldwide. By 2021, TikTok reached over 1 billion monthly active users globally. With its signature short-form videos and viral challenges, TikTok took the social media world by storm and became ingrained in internet culture.
TikTok’s growth has been fueled by its intuitive interface, algorithmic recommendations, and community of creators producing an endless stream of entertaining content. However, different countries around the world have embraced TikTok at varying rates. Understanding TikTok’s usage across countries provides insight into its global spread and remaining potential for expansion.
TikTok Usage by Country
TikTok has exploded in popularity around the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021. Some of the top countries driving TikTok’s growth include:
#1 – China
China is home to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance and unsurprisingly leads with the most TikTok users. As of Q1 2022, China had over 223 million monthly active TikTok users, accounting for over 20% of TikTok’s total userbase (source). The app is known as Douyin in China.
#2 – India
India had been TikTok’s largest market until the app was banned there in 2020. Prior to the ban, India accounted for over 30% of TikTok’s 2 billion downloads. While TikTok is blocked in India, many users have moved to the viral short video app Moj, owned by ShareChat (source).
#3 – United States
The United States is TikTok’s third largest market with over 65 million monthly active users as of April 2022. TikTok has gained immense popularity among Gen Z and Millennials in the US.
1. China
China has the highest number of TikTok users in the world. This is not surprising given that TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. According to BusinessofApps, Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has over 750 million daily active users as of 2024. It is one of the most popular apps in China. Another report by Statista shows that Douyin had 752 million monthly active users in China as of November 2022.
TikTok’s tremendous popularity in China is attributed to ByteDance’s understanding of the Chinese internet landscape and localizing the app for Chinese users. Features like real-time subtitling and live streaming make the app highly engaging. TikTok has become ingrained into everyday life and culture in China.
#2 – India
TikTok experienced incredibly fast growth in India before being banned in 2020. By the first half of 2020, India had become TikTok’s largest market, with over 200 million monthly active users (BusinessToday). TikTok took India by storm and was estimated to have been installed by over 30% of India’s internet users before the ban (RestOfWorld). Its growth was fueled by the availability of cheap smartphones and mobile data plans, allowing millions of first-time internet users to discover TikTok. The app became a major part of youth culture and everyday life in urban and rural parts of India.
TikTok faced criticism in India over inappropriate content and security concerns due to its Chinese ownership. These concerns eventually led to its ban in June 2020 after a border clash between Indian and Chinese troops left 20 Indian soldiers dead (Forbes). The Indian government stated concerns over data security and its potential misuse as reasons for banning TikTok along with over 200 other Chinese apps.
#3 – United States
The United States is one of TikTok’s biggest markets, with over 80 million monthly active users. While the app has a broad reach across demographics, its popularity with American teenagers is particularly noteworthy. Around 60% of TikTok’s U.S. users are aged between 10 and 29. This reflects the app’s fun, quirky content which resonates with young audiences. The addictive scrolling design also appeals to Gen Z who are heavy mobile device users. An eMarketer study found that an impressive 75.4% of 12-17 year olds in the U.S. use TikTok, underlining its popularity with teenagers.
#4 – Indonesia
Indonesia has quickly become one of the top countries for TikTok usage. As of 2022, Indonesia has over 38 million monthly active TikTok users, accounting for 14.0% of its total population1. This number is expected to grow to over 54 million users by 2026. TikTok’s growth in Indonesia is part of an overall trend of increasing social media usage in the country.
Indonesia has a young population with a median age of 30 years old. Young Indonesians have eagerly adopted social media apps like TikTok to express themselves, follow trends, and connect with others. The growth of affordable smartphones and mobile data plans has also fueled the rise of app usage. Indonesia has been called “Asia’s social media capital,” with citizens spending over 3 hours per day on social platforms on average2. This nationwide passion for social media has allowed TikTok to take off quickly since its launch in 2018.
While YouTube remains the most popular platform, TikTok is gaining ground quickly, especially among younger users. By 2024, TikTok is forecast to have more monthly active users in Indonesia than either Instagram or Snapchat3. TikTok’s growth shows how eager Indonesians are to embrace new social platforms tailored to their interests.
#5 – Brazil
Brazil is the fifth largest market for TikTok, with over 75 million users as of 2021 [1]. Brazil’s vibrant culture and passion for music and dance have made it a perfect fit for the app.
TikTok has surged in popularity among Brazilian teenagers and young adults. According to a 2022 survey, 45% of TikTok users in Brazil were aged between 19-29 years old [2]. The youth are drawn to TikTok as a platform for self-expression and exploring their creative side.
Music is deeply ingrained in Brazilian culture, from samba to bossa nova, and TikTok allows users to create videos set to their favorite tunes. Brazilian funk, a type of dance music, has become one of the top genres featured in Brazilian TikTok videos. Dance challenges are extremely popular, showcasing Brazil’s penchant for festivals, carnivals, and street parties.
TikTok’s duet and react features have enabled Brazilian creators to put their own spin on existing trends and memes. Top Brazilian TikTokers like Virginia Fonseca, Gkay, and Bianca Andrade produce comedy skits, dances, and lifestyle content to engage their millions of followers.
As TikTok continues growing in Brazil, it is clear the platform’s focus on music, creativity, and entertainment aligns seamlessly with Brazilian culture.
[1] https://www.start.io/audience/tiktok-users-in-brazil
[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1321856/brazil-tiktok-users-age-group/
Demographics
TikTok has proven extremely popular with Gen Z, which refers to people born between 1997 and 2012. As of March 2021, research shows that 60% of TikTok’s global audience is between the ages of 10 and 29. In the United States, research conducted in early 2020 found that 43% of TikTok users were between the ages of 10 and 19 and 29% were between 20 and 29.
TikTok’s fun, entertaining videos resonate strongly with young viewers. The platform makes it easy for teens and young adults to express themselves creatively, share moments from their lives, and bond over common interests. marketers have taken notice, leveraging TikTok’s youthful demographics by running viral campaigns aimed at Gen Z.
Challenges
One of the major challenges facing TikTok is concerns around data privacy and censorship. TikTok has come under fire over allegations that it shares user data with the Chinese government, given that TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is based in China. According to one source, eleven national governments including the US and EU along with dozens of other organizations have raised issues with TikTok’s data collection practices and privacy protections.
Specifically, critics argue that TikTok may collect large amounts of personal data from users, including browsing history, location, and biometric data. There is concern that this data could be accessed by the Chinese government and used for surveillance or censorship purposes, given China’s record on human rights. However, TikTok claims that data from US users is stored in the US and Singapore, not China. Still, lawmakers and privacy advocates remain skeptical.
TikTok has also faced censorship allegations, as some videos on political or social issues seem to get restricted or removed from the platform without explanation. There are concerns that TikTok may censor content deemed politically sensitive by the Chinese government. Overall, addressing data privacy and censorship worries remains an ongoing public relations and policy challenge for TikTok moving forward.
Conclusion
TikTok has rapidly grown in popularity around the world, but some countries use it more than others. China has by far the most TikTok users, which isn’t surprising given that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is based there. India comes in second for total users, while the United States ranks third. Other countries with huge TikTok audiences include Indonesia and Brazil.
TikTok is especially popular among teenagers and young adults who enjoy creating and sharing short-form videos. As the app continues to grow, it will likely face challenges around content moderation and data privacy concerns. But TikTok has already demonstrated an impressive ability to draw in users and keep them engaged. With its addictive feed of entertaining videos, TikTok seems poised to further expand its reach across the globe.
