The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has released a new report highlighting the massive surge in social media users across the country. According to the findings, the total number of accounts operated by Pakistanis on various social media platforms has now crossed 516 million (51 crore 61 lakh) — a staggering figure that reflects both the growing penetration of digital platforms and the country’s youthful demographic.

Facebook Leads the Pack

The report reveals that Facebook remains the most popular platform in Pakistan, with 101.6 million users (10 crore 16 lakh). Despite the rise of new platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, Facebook continues to dominate as the go-to medium for social interaction, business promotion, and news consumption.

YouTube’s Massive Reach

Coming in close behind Facebook is YouTube, with 96.66 million Pakistani users (9 crore 66 lakh 60 thousand). YouTube’s popularity has been boosted by the boom in video content, vlogging, music streaming, and educational material. For many Pakistanis, YouTube serves as both an entertainment hub and an income-generating platform through monetization.

WhatsApp and TikTok Neck-to-Neck

The PTA report shows that WhatsApp has 91.7 million users (9 crore 17 lakh) in Pakistan, making it one of the most essential communication tools in daily life. WhatsApp’s dominance in instant messaging, business communication, and voice/video calling places it in the country’s top three platforms.

Interestingly, TikTok follows closely with 90.3 million users (9 crore 3 lakh), underscoring the short-video app’s rapid rise among Pakistani youth. TikTok’s popularity has grown so much that it now rivals WhatsApp in active usage.

Snapchat and Instagram Maintain Strong Bases

According to the report, Snapchat has 70.98 million Pakistani users (7 crore 9 lakh 80 thousand), showing its firm hold among younger audiences. Meanwhile, Instagram has 49.9 million users (4 crore 99 lakh), making it another widely used platform for photos, lifestyle content, and influencer-driven engagement.

X (Formerly Twitter) Trails Behind

In contrast, X (formerly Twitter) remains the least used major platform, with 15.3 million Pakistani users (1 crore 53 lakh). While it remains influential among politicians, journalists, and opinion makers, its limited mainstream adoption keeps it at the bottom of the rankings.

Implications of the Growth

The exponential growth in social media accounts — now surpassing Pakistan’s total population when counted across platforms — reflects how individuals often maintain multiple accounts. The PTA highlights that this figure does not mean 516 million unique users, but rather the total number of accounts across different apps.

This rapid expansion has far-reaching implications:

• Business & E-commerce: Social media has become a backbone of digital marketing and small-scale online businesses.
• Politics & Public Opinion: Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and X are heavily used for political campaigns and awareness movements.
• Cultural Shifts: Entertainment consumption has shifted online, with YouTube and TikTok reshaping how Pakistanis consume media.
• Challenges: The surge also brings concerns about misinformation, digital security, and the mental health impacts of excessive screen time.

With the country’s internet penetration continuing to rise and younger generations increasingly relying on digital platforms, the number of social media users in Pakistan is expected to grow even further in the coming years.