Use of Facebook among older generations is rising rapidly

Rob Clapp

An overview of Facebook penetration by age in the United States between 2012 and 2019.

Facebook has become increasingly popular for older generations in the US, according to the latest data from the Pew Research Center. The share of those born before 1946, the 'Silent' generation, using Facebook has topped one-third (37%) this year. This is nearly double the level in 2015 (22%).

This comes as Facebook stagnates with younger generations. While 82% of millennials said they use Facebook in 2012, this has remained flat at just 84% in 2019. Gen X penetration has seen growth since 2012 but has dropped year-on-year, down to below three-quarters (74%).

The 'Boomer' generation saw rapid growth...

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