Top 25 Surprising Twitter Statistics UK Edition [2024]

In the United Kingdom, in 2021, 19.05 million people had a Twitter account, and more than half were men. Who would have thought, since common belief is that women are more opinionated than men and always have something to say. Joking aside, over the years Twitter has become an important means for communication and getting news and information.

If you want to find out more interesting Twitter statistics UK, stick with us.

Before we dive in, take a look at some of the most important stats for 2020 we outlined for you.

The total number of Twitter users in the UK is 19.05 million as of October 2021.
The Twitter penetration rate among internet users in the UK in 2020 was 45%.
The average time UK adult users spent on Twitter was around 4 minutes.
In January 2020, men accounted for 58,5% and women for 41,5 per cent of UK Twitter users.
The number of Twitter app downloads to Android devices in the UK was roughly 150.2 thousand.
There were over 162 thousand Twitter downloads to iPhones in the United Kingdom.
The most popular Twitter account in the UK was BBC Breaking News with 48.5 million followers.
The most popular UK celebrity on Twitter with roughly 37.3 million followers was Harry Styles.
43% of participants who used Twitter COVID-19 news, considered it useful as a news source.
The most liked and retweeted post was the announcement made by Chadwick Boseman’s official Twitter account stating that the actor passed away.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Twitter Stats UK: Usage

Quick, pop quiz - what were the first two stats? Don’t worry, we know you were paying attention. But just in case, let’s recap with overall Twitter usage statistics in the UK.

The total number of Twitter users in the UK as of October 2021, is 19.05 million

In the UK in 2020, the Twitter penetration rate was 45%, according to Social media statistics

There are 62 million internet users in the UK, out of which almost 17 million were using Twitter, in 2020. Seems like Twitter isn't going obsolete any time soon, wouldn't you agree?

Now that covered how many people used Twitter in the UK in 2020, check out how frequently they used it, as well as the time they spent on Twitter daily.

In 2020, 43% of Statista’s survey participants stated that they used Twitter several times each day, while 19% of respondents reported they accessed the platform once per day

In the same survey, 15% of participants said they accessed the platform a few times a week. At the same time, 10 per cent of respondents reported using Twitter once a week

According to Ofcom, in April 2020, the average time adult users spent on Twitter was a little over 4 minutes

Based on Statista’s survey, Twitter’s monthly social network share in the UK, as of May 2021, was 23.79%, which is a rise from 22,74% in October 2020. This rise made Twitter the second leading social media network by share of website visits in the UK in 2021. However, in October 2020, Facebook's market share in the UK was two times bigger than Twitter's with 54%.

What about Twitter statistics regarding app downloads on smartphones in the UK in 2020?

In March 2020, the number of Twitter app downloads to Android devices in the UK was roughly 150.2 thousand, Statista revealed

From February 2020, Twitter stats showed there were over 162 thousand Twitter downloads to iPhones in the United Kingdom

The amount of Twitter downloads for both smartphone operating systems is roughly the same, and we can conclude that Twitter's popularity does not shift among iOS and Android users in the United Kingdom.

Up next we have prepared Twitter statistics UK by user demographics.

Twitter Statistics UK: Demographics

We start with the age profile of Twitter users and visitors in Great Britain.

Unsurprisingly, Twitter is more popular amongst younger age groups.

As of 2018, 33% of respondents in Statista’s survey who used Twitter were between 15 and 24 years old. More than half of UK Twitter users, on the other hand, were aged 35 or older

Only 15% of respondents in the same survey, who were between 45 and 54 years old reported that they used or visited Twitter in 2018

What's interesting is that Twitter is one of the few social media networks that has been consistently used by younger and older generations, but there is a noticeable decline in younger users in 2020 and 2021, possibly because of the rise of TikTok.

It's worth mentioning is that while women are usually using social media more than men, in the case of Twitter, it's not really that much of a difference.

The gender distribution of Twitter users in the United Kingdom in 2019 was almost even based on the next statistic.

In the UK in 2019, men accounted for 48% while women made up 47% of Twitter users

In January 2020, Wearesocial revealed that men and women accounted for 58,5% and 41,5% of Twitter users, respectively

In 2020, men fortified their lead over women on Twitter usage. In our opinion, the reason behind this trend is that Twitter is not a traditional social media platform, as it is one of the rare platforms that celebrities actually use by themselves, rather than letting their social media agents run it. This fact is probably more appealing to the male population in the UK, as they can actually read posts written by their favourite football players, or actors.

When it comes to the share of Twitter active users by household income, Statista reveals the following.

60% of UK adults living in a household with an annual income of at least £48.000 were Twitter users in 2018. Out of those with an annual income under £14.000, 43% were Twitter users

50% of Twitter users in the UK in 2018, were from urban regions, while the percentage for users from rural regions was at 37%. This is pretty normal, as people from rural regions are usually not that interested in celebrities lives, as people living in urban regions are.

Now, I bet you are wondering about profits made by Twitter in the UK, right?

Twitter Statistics UK: Financials

The amount of profit made by Twitter in the UK dropped from 2018 to 2019. The cause for this loss is in an increase in taxation and it resulted in Twitter's profit going down almost 50% in just one year. See for yourself:

The company’s profit in 2018 was £3.68 million while for 2019 estimated profit was £1.55 million

Taxes on Twitter UK’s profit in 2019, were measured at £1.15 million while in 2018 they were only £41.000

Twitter’s profit at this period reached £2.7 million, before taxation

Now, we will look into UK Twitter trends and most followed Twitter accounts.

What Is Popular on Twitter in the UK?

We begin this segment with the most popular accounts in the United Kingdom in 2020.

Based on the number of followers, the most popular Twitter account in the UK as of November 2020 was BBC Breaking News with 46.21 million followers

The most popular celebrity on Twitter from the UK as of November 2020 with roughly 35.73 million followers was Harry Styles. His Twitter profile was also the second most followed account overall

Alongside Harry Styles, his former One Direction bandmates also made it to the top ten. Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik were among the most popular celebrity accounts on Twitter in the United Kingdom in 2020.

The most followed political account in the UK in 2020 was the @MayorofLondon with nearly 3.3 million followers. Still, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s personal profile had 1.1 million followers

The two accounts mostly post similar content; nevertheless, the personal account (@sadiqkhan) will remain Sadiq Khan’s when he steps down from his role as a Mayor of London.

When it comes to influencers on Twitter, surveys suggest the following:

In 2018, most Twitter influencers in the UK (69.94%) had between 10 and 50 thousand followers; additionally, less than 5% of Twitter influencers had 500 thousand and more followers

What were Twitter UK’s most liked and retweeted topics in 2020?

The most liked and retweeted post of the year (2020) in the UK was the announcement made by Chadwick Boseman’s official Twitter account. The post stated that the actor, best known for playing Black Panther, passed away

Normally, hashtags regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown and protecting the National Health Service (NHS) were in the top 10 Twitter topics of the year, occupying seven places.

George Floyd’s death and The Black Lives Matter movement occupied two places in the top ten most popular topics in the United Kingdom. The remaining place in the top 10 was taken by #loveisland hashtag.

Most brands use Twitter for advertising their products and services. With that in mind, here are some of the most-followed brands on Twitter in the UK in 2020.

Nando was the most followed retail food brand on Twitter UK as of March 2020, with a total of 1,359,732 followers

The most followed service brand on Twitter in the UK 2020, was Transport for London with 2,422,578 followers

Adidas UK was the sporting goods brand with the most followers as of March 2020, with their Twitter profile attracting 836,126 followers

These statistics are very important for advertisers on Twitter, as they show you what are some of the most popular topics among UK users, and which way you can go in order to improve your traffic when it comes to the United Kingdom's population.

Let’s see the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Twitter statistics UK.

Impact of COVID on Twitter Usage in the UK

During the pandemic, fast and reliable information is crucial. How many Brits used Twitter to get COVID-19 information and news?

Based on a Reuters Institute's research conducted from 18 to 24 June 2020, Twitter and Facebook were the most used social media platforms in the UK for COVID-19 related news, with 12% reach, each

Most people weren't using social media to specifically get COVID-19 news. Rather they saw the news as part of the daily visits on social platforms. However, Twitter was the most used platform as an intentional source of coronavirus news.

43% of participants who used Twitter in the UK in 2020 for COVID-19 news, considered it a useful way to get the latest news and information. In comparison, only 17% of participants who used Facebook for the same purpose found it useful

Twitter Statistics UK: End

As the second leading social media network by share of website visits in the UK, Twitter has proven its importance and impact on more than one occasion. It is used not just as a medium for spreading news and commentary, but also as an invaluable tool for politicians, celebrities, marketers, and brands.

All this emphasizes the significance of keeping up with the latest Twitter statistics UK, as well as future Twitter trends. After all, it’s one of the best ways to get information and keep up to date with the latest developments across the globe.