Number of LinkedIn Users in 2024: User Demographics, Growth, and Revenue

Linkedin is unique among social networking sites as specifically targeted to professional networking. Available in 200 countries, there are over 738 million people on LinkedIn (LinkedIn, 2021). As the platform’s aim is professional networking, it is included as a social network and contributes to over 4.2 billion social media users around the world (DataReportal, 2021).

Although Linkedin has over 738 million members, it does not release insights into monthly active user (MAU) data. Insights from SimilarWeb showed there have been 1.2 billion unique site visits in February 2021 (SimilarWeb, 2021). It also registered membership growth of around 810,000 from the previous quarter. Due to COVID-19, there was an influx of new members, which resulted in 31% membership growth during the lockdown period as well as a 16% increase in revenues (SocialMediaToday, 2020).

This article looks at the number of LinkedIn users, the demographics of its subscribers, the growth rate of the leading social network for showcasing and sourcing talent, and its revenue earnings for the last decade by delving into the categories below:

Percentage of professionals on LinkedIn

98% of those who earn an annual income of $75K and over are LinkedIn subscribers (Pew Research Center, 2019). A higher income bracket increases LinkedIn usage. Data from LinkedIn states 4 of out 5 LinkedIn members drive business decisions.

These decision-makers are in senior- and C-level executive positions, and number over 250 million subscribers. Education is a driver of LinkedIn use; Omnicore reports 51% of US college graduates have a LinkedIn account (Pew Research Center, 2019).

Linkedin users with a Premium account

LinkedIn Premium is a powered-up version of the freemium basic account. The service follows a subscription model with additional features such as InMail, insights and analytics, and unlimited search. it’s one of LinkedIn’s revenue streams; it made up 17% of its 2015 revenues. Premium users are 39% of LinkedIn’s subscriber base. That’s 236 million users that could net $7.1 billion in potential subscription revenue based on the lowest Premium Career subscription tier.

First-level connections of Linkedin users

LinkedIn allows users a maximum of 30,000 first-level connections on their network. The average number of connections is anywhere between 500 to 999. There is no ideal number as connections do not magically convert to opportunity. LinkedIn experts suggest 30 as the number of connections to increase the value of your network; the point where you’d see more engagement on your feed and posts.

There are LinkedIn subscribers who have exceeded the 30K connection limit. They refer to themselves as LION, LinkedIn Open Networker, and accept connection requests from anyone. Steven Burda is one such networker having over 50,000 connections. He’s recognized as the most connected person on LinkedIn that he’s basically a 2nd level connection for many. Out of curiosity, I looked him up on LinkedIn, and what do you know, he is a 2nd-level connection of mine with multiple mutual connections.

Number of Linkedin users in the world

The Asia Pacific region has exhibited growth in membership with more than 201 million members in 2021 (LinkedIn, 2021) to take the largest share among all world regions. North America comes in second with over 194 million members and Europe is in the third spot with over 166 million members.

Aside from finding personal employment and sourcing corporate talent recruitment, LinkedIn is also utilized as a digital advertising channel for B2B marketing and sales. With over 738 million accounts, LinkedIn boasts three million members with MBAs, 10 million C-level executives, 17 million thought leaders, 63 million decision-makers, and over 90 million senior-level executives.

The US leads with the number of accounts forming 24% of worldwide Linkedin users. Companies, organizations, and learning institutions have a presence on LinkedIn, numbering over 55 million company profiles and 90 thousand schools (LinkedIn, 2021).

Countries that use LinkedIn the most

Data from LinkedIn reveal the top 10 countries with the highest number of subscribers include the US at the top spot, along with Canada, representing North America (LinkedIn, 2021). Countries from other regions also make appearances on the list save for the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania.

User account numbers and penetration rates can be mutually exclusive. There are countries with low user account numbers but high penetration rates and vice versa. Case in point, Iceland has a population of 341,243 (Worldometer, 2020) and 242,200 LinkedIn users (NapoleonCat, 2020) in 2020. This is a 71% penetration rate. LinkedIn user numbers possibly exceed the labor force, which is at just over 200,000.

Which country uses LinkedIn the most?

Analytics from SimilarWeb and Alexa both point to the US as the country that generates the most site traffic. SimilarWeb reports the US generates 31.89% of LinkedIn web traffic with the United Kingdom in second place with 6% as of February 2021 (SimilarWeb, 2021). Meanwhile, Alexa reports that the US has 39.5% of LinkedIn traffic, followed by India with 18.5% in the same period (Alexa, 2021).

Although it has a mobile app, LinkedIn is often accessed with a desktop; 3 out of 4 users log into the site using a computer. Access via desktop allows you to use all the features and search functions, both of which are limited in the mobile version no matter how well-designed and intuitive the app may be.

Linkedin users in the US

The US has the highest number of users totaling over 176 million as of February 2021 (LinkedIn, 2021). Since its founding, LinkedIn has enjoyed a healthy local user base. A slowdown has been noted in LinkedIn’s US user numbers with increasing user account numbers coming from other countries,

LinkedIn users in India

The country currently has 71 million LinkedIn accounts and places a distant second to the US (LinkedIn, 2020). The number represents just 4.6% of the country’s population. An India Workforce Report for the 2nd half of 2018 revealed software and IT services are the top sectors that hire on LinkedIn India. Top skills listed on users’ profiles include Java, SQL, and C (Programming Language).

LinkedIn users in UK

The number of LinkedIn users in the UK is 29 million. Though the figure remains unchanged from October 2019 to January 2020, the UK leads the European region in the number of LinkedIn users.

The city of London was chosen most connected city with its residents having an average of 307 LinkedIn connections.

LinkedIn users in China

LinkedIn was launched in China in 2014 as Lingyin. The professional network had major differences compared to the version the rest of the world uses – a concession to government regulations and censorship laws.

User accounts grew 1200% from an initial 4 million in its first year to the first quarter of 2021’s more than 52 million (LinkedIn, 2021).

LinkedIn User Demographics

LinkedIn’s value proposition is as a platform to showcase skills and build a professional network thus making users more attractive to talent recruitment. The demographics for LinkedIn users include a college degree or advanced higher education, live in urban areas, and earn more than $75K annually.

LinkedIn users age groups

LinkedIn users cover the working-age segments of 18 to 55 years old—the period when many people are gainfully employed and productive. Across the ten countries with the most users, the 25-34 age group is consistently ranked as frequent users of LinkedIn. There is also a trend of lower user account numbers in the older age groups.

This could be a reflection of reticence to technology among members of older age groups. The trend will likely change as the current user population ages.

What age group uses LinkedIn the most?

As previously mentioned, the 25-34 age group are the most frequent users of LinkedIn. This is consistent whether you look at user stats from Asia, Africa, or Europe. On average, 25-34 year-olds use LinkedIn 60% of the time as of January 2021 (DataReportal, 2021).

In the US, the figures aren’t too different, with 25-34-year-olds making up 59% as of February 2021, followed by the 35-54 bracket with 21.8% and the 18-24 group with 13.6% (NapoleonCat, 2021). Also, over 50% of college students in the US have a LinkedIn account even before they graduate.

Putting work experience and credentials, where it’s discoverable, makes you visible to recruiters; increasing the likelihood of employment

LinkedIn users by gender

Worldwide LinkedIn usage has a 13.8% gender skew favoring men (DataReportal, 2021). The disparity isn’t that big when the figures are compared side by side, but the trend is persistent throughout various age groups using the social media platform.

The biggest disparity is with the 25-34 age group with the males outnumbering females by 8.5%.

LinkedIn users by income bracket and geographic location

As of 2019, 41% of millionaires are on LinkedIn (Sourcecon, 2019). Another study, this time from Pew Research Center, shows a correlation between higher household income to LinkedIn use (Pew Research Center, 2019).

The same study also notes regional breakdown is predisposed to urban dwellers – 44% versus 27%. The Pew Research Center’s result for a similar study yielded near comparable results.

Average LinkedIn use time

The average visit to LinkedIn’s website lasts 7 minutes, 17 seconds according to SimilarWeb. Alexa returns a longer 10-minute session average.

Pages per visit reflect conservative values from SimilarWeb, 6.55 compared to Alexa’s 8.37. In those 7 minutes, LinkedIn users would have scrolled and engaged with posts on their feed, checked on available jobs, and sent or accepted connection invitations.

Fake LinkedIn profiles

The site reported that it took down over 21 million fake accounts between January and June 2019. Ninety-five percent of these accounts were prevented from getting past registration. Another 2 million accounts were restricted after it was reported by other users as suspicious.

LinkedIn users by industry and profession

LinkedIn has close to 150 industries listed by its 738 million users.

The industries are diverse and wide-ranging but the top 3 industries listed by its users include Information Technology and Services, Hospital and Healthcare, and Construction (The Linked In Man, 2020).

As far as jobs with the fastest-growing demand on LinkedIn are concerned, the social media platform listed “receptionist” as the occupation with the highest demand growth rate as of December 2020 – January 2021, with an increase of over 2107% (LinkedIn, 2021).

Linkedin users by profession

LinkedIn’s 738 million users list 36,000 skills.

The website shares the top 5 job functions with the most number of connections as human resources, project management, business development, marketing, and consulting. Human resources have an average of 415 connections.

LinkedIn shares insights into promising professions for 2020 in the US. The jobs are tech-focused and data-reliant with the exception of #9, a job focused on helping manage mental health and behavioral disorders. The growth of jobs in the tech sector isn’t new, there is a strong demand for a human component—specifically in sales and customer relations—that arguably cannot be automated, yet.

LinkedIn user growth

Data from Linkedin’s statistics page report 2 LinkedIn accounts are created every second. The current user numbers are a far cry from its first-year user stats of just over 100,000 in 2003 – a noteworthy 166900% increase.

How fast is LinkedIn growing?

The number of Linkedin users has grown tremendously since it launched in 2003. However, the last decade has seen a downturn; each progressive year reflecting diminishing returns which can be an indication of saturation of the professional social network. And this continues through 2020.

Others argue LinkedIn is not a social network anymore, instead, it works as a social marketplace. Going by this reasoning, is it even worth it to be on LinkedIn now? Yes, LinkedIn is a goldmine for marketing opportunities for B2B selling. It’s also the go-to tool for talent recruitment.

Looking at social media trends in general may also provide a hint regarding the future of the professional networking site.

LinkedIn revenue

Signing up for LinkedIn is free but additional services can be accessed for a monthly fee. These subscriptions form a sizeable chunk of LinkedIn’s annual revenue.

LinkedIn does not release the breakdown for their revenue streams but conservative estimates place the figure at anywhere between 15% – 20% of total annual revenues.

Linkedin revenue for 2020

Figures from LinkedIn’s 2020 fiscal period revealed LinkedIn revenue was $8.5 billion, more than a 25% increase from the previous year’s earnings (BusinessofApps, 2020).

Double-digit growth has been steady since its 2016 acquisition by Microsoft; market analysis project continued revenue growth based on additional user accounts, 5.5% average growth from 2019 – 2023.

LinkedIn revenue model

Similar to other social media networks, LinkedIn earns a substantial portion of its revenue from advertising.

But unlike other social media networks, LinkedIn stands out with its premium subscription offer. Paid subscriptions lets you do advanced searches, send messages to other members out of your network, and access to skills development.

Linkedin revenue breakdown

LinkedIn does not release revenue segments specifics since its acquisition. The last available data of their revenue breakdown was from 2016, the year prior to Microsoft’s purchase. Revenue sources for the professional network company fall into three segments—Marketing Solutions, Talent Solutions, and Premium Subscriptions (LinkedIn, 2016).

Of the three, Talent Solutions make up the majority share of company profits at 65%. Although the figures are not current, the growth earnings continue on an upward trajectory. LinkedIn lists more than 20 million jobs and claims 95% of Fortune 500 companies that use Talent Solutions for their recruitment and talent acquisition needs. Among LinkedIn’s revenue stream-generating fronts is LinkedIn Sales Navigator, which you can read more about through our review.

Key Insights

• LinkedIn has over 738 million members worldwide, representing 13% of the global population aged 18 and above.
• The US accounts for nearly a quarter of all LinkedIn users, totaling over 176 million.
• LinkedIn Premium users make up 39% of the subscriber base, offering features like InMail and advanced analytics.
• The Asia Pacific region leads with the highest number of LinkedIn members, followed by North America and Europe.
• LinkedIn is primarily accessed via desktop, with the US generating the most site traffic.
• 98% of users earning over $75,000 annually are LinkedIn members, indicating a high-income user base.
• LinkedIn users are predominantly within the 25-34 age group, with a noticeable gender skew favoring men.
• The platform boasts over 20 million job listings and is extensively used for B2B marketing and recruitment.
• LinkedIn’s revenue reached $8.5 billion in 2020, with significant contributions from advertising, premium subscriptions, and talent solutions.

FAQ

1. How many members does LinkedIn have? As of January 2021, LinkedIn has over 738 million members across 200 countries, representing 13% of the global population aged 18 and above.
2. What percentage of LinkedIn users are in the United States? The US accounts for nearly 24% of all LinkedIn users, totaling over 176 million members.
3. How does LinkedIn generate revenue? LinkedIn generates revenue through advertising, premium subscriptions, and talent solutions, with Talent Solutions making up the largest share.
4. What is the average number of first-level connections on LinkedIn? The average number of first-level connections on LinkedIn ranges between 500 and 999, with some users, known as LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs), exceeding the 30,000 connection limit.
5. Which age group uses LinkedIn the most? The 25-34 age group is the most active on LinkedIn, making up 60% of users globally as of January 2021.
6. What are the top industries represented on LinkedIn? The top industries on LinkedIn include Information Technology and Services, Hospital and Healthcare, and Construction.
7. What are the benefits of a LinkedIn Premium account? LinkedIn Premium offers additional features such as InMail, advanced search capabilities, insights, and analytics, contributing to 17% of LinkedIn’s revenues in 2015.
8. Which country has the highest LinkedIn traffic? The United States generates the highest LinkedIn traffic, accounting for 31.89% of site visits as of February 2021.
9. How does LinkedIn’s user base break down by gender? LinkedIn’s user base has a gender skew of 13.8% favoring men, with the most significant disparity in the 25-34 age group.
10. What is the average session length on LinkedIn? The average session length on LinkedIn is approximately 7 minutes and 17 seconds according to SimilarWeb, with users typically accessing the platform via desktop.

References:

1. Alexa (2021). linkedin.com Overview. Retrieved from Alexa
2. DataReportal (2021, January). Distribution of LinkedIn users worldwide as of January 2021, by age group. Retrieved from Statista
3. DataReportal (2021). Global Social Media Stats. Retrieved from DataReportal
4. Irvine, M. (2021, March). The Most In-Demand Jobs Right Now. Retrieved from LinkedIn
5. Iqbal, M. (2021, March). LinkedIn Usage and Revenue Statistics (2020). Retrieved from BusinessofApps
6. Kemp, S. (2021). Digital 2021: Global Overview Report. Retrieved from DataReportal
7. LinkedIn (2021). About Us: Statistics. Retrieved from LinkedIn
8. NapoleonCat (2021, February). Distribution of LinkedIn users in the United States as of January 2021, by age group. Retrieved from Statista
9. NapoleonCat (2020, November). Linkedin Users in Iceland. Retrieved from NapoleonCat
10. Perrin, A. & Anderson, M. (2019, April). Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018. Retrieved from Pew Research Center
11. Pew Research Center (2019, June). Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2019, by annual household income. Retrieved from Statista
12. SimilarWeb (2021). linkedin.com February 2021 Overview. Retrieved from SimilarWeb
13. The LinkedIn Man (2020). Top 10 Industries on LinkedIn 2020. Retrieved from The LinkedIn Man
14. Worldometer (2020). Iceland Demographics. Retrieved from Worldometer

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.