There are 52.2 million adults currently living in the UK, and two-thirds now use social media every day.
However, those living in urban areas tend to frequent social platforms more than their rural counterparts. According to our newly released report on the demographic make up of social network users, 75% of people residing in urban locales utilize social media daily, in comparison to 66% in rural areas.
That being said, lack of broadband may be limiting the use of social networks in remote areas. The BBC reported earlier this year that homes and businesses in these regions will now have to individually request a connection as it will not be rolled out automatically, despite government plans to deliver broadband to 95% of the UK by December 2017.
However, those interested in the service now potentially face a four-year wait until they are legally entitled to submit their requests. This could very well be the result of residents and companies failing to take up broadband at the expected rate in rural areas where it is readily available.
Conversely, in some of the some of the UK’s largest cities usage rates remain high. Glasgow takes the lead in both total usage and daily usage (99% versus 78%). This is closely followed by London and Birmingham (both 97% versus 77%), Manchester (96% versus 76%) and Leeds (95% versus 72%).
Our report also found that the social networks that adults opt to use varies dependent on location. For example, people in urban areas are significantly more likely to have a presence on WhatsApp, a 13-point difference when compared to rural residents, and Instagram, a10-point difference. Other notable mentions include Pinterest and Snapchat, which both have a 7-point difference.
Ultimately, it is obvious that location can and does have an undeniable impact on social presence. And with rural areas facing further delays in implementation of broadband services, it is unlikely that we will see a significant shift in usage statistics in the immediate future.
You can take a look at the full demographic breakdown here.
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