Memes Statistics By Region and Demographic

Saisuman Revankar
Written by
Saisuman Revankar

Updated · Sep 26, 2024

Rohan Jambhale
Edited by
Rohan Jambhale

Editor

Memes Statistics By Region and Demographic

Introduction

Memes Statistics: A Meme is a unit of cultural details spread by emulation. This term meme, derived from the Greek word “meem,” which means imitate, was introduced by the British developing biologist Richard Dawkins in his work The Selfish Gene. Internet memes can be videos, GIFs, images, and other viral sensations. The attribute of memes involves their vulnerability to parody, their use of interrelatedness, their propagation in a viral way, and also their advancement over time.

Memes are stated as the main part of the Internet culture, and they have also developed in all areas. We can see them in a range of marketing, economics, finance, social movements, politics, and religion, as well as healthcare. Let’s shed more light on the meme statistics.

Editor’s Choice

  • Millennials share 20 to 30 memes daily. About 55% of people aged 13-35 share memes weekly, and 30% share them daily.
  • Instagram users share one million memes daily. Among young adults aged 18-24, 71% use Instagram, and 65% use Snapchat for memes.
  • 57% of males and 50% of females in the US use memes. Males prefer funny and reaction memes, while females often share cute and reaction memes.
  • Meme marketing campaigns have a 19% click-through rate (CTR), higher than the typical 6% for other marketing efforts, showing memes are highly effective in engaging audiences.
  • Memes can influence stock prices and product sales. For example, Tesla’s stock rose after a meme tweet by Elon Musk. Meme-based cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin have seen significant growth.
  • Memes are a favorite among Generation Z, with 77% using them to communicate. Memes related to hobbies amuse 61% of young people, and 64% find them amusing.
  • Some popular memes in early 2024 include “I wouldn’t tell anyone I won the lottery, but there will be signs,” “Just ate half an X, saving the rest for later,” and “Dry January” memes.
  • In South Africa and Nigeria, 81% and 79% of social media users, respectively, shared memes in the previous month, highlighting the global popularity of memes.
  • In 2021, “Shiba Inu (Shib)” was the most famous meme crypto, with almost 43 million views, surpassing Bitcoin.
  • The worldwide meme market had a revenue of USD 2.3 billion in 2020 and is estimated to increase to USD 6.1 billion by 2025, with a 21.6% CAGR as of 2023.
  • 64% of meme content is generated by the industry, while 36% is user-generated.
  • The ‘One does not simply’ meme, featuring Boromir from The Lord of the Rings, had almost 50,000 shares on Instagram.
  • 74% of people send memes to make others laugh or smile, whereas 53% share memes to make others react.
  • In China, 63% of participants aged 20-29 watched memes, while 40% of those aged 30-39 did the same.

You May Also Like To Read

General Memes Statistics

  • Pew Research Centre states that almost 81% of the United States population between 18 and 29 years old uses social media. Social media users generally make and share memes as an inherent part of online culture.
  • The image macros that connect a comedy or provoking images with text are the most acknowledged type of meme, even though other famous types like GIFs, videos, and text messages are memes.
  • As per the Morning Consult, in 2021, almost 63% of the American population of internet users between 18 and 29 share online memes. These memes are generally very popular among teenagers.
  • Pop culture is generally spotlighted extensively in memes, especially TV shows, music albums, movies, and celebrities, which are famous choices for memes. Memes also spread political or current affairs commentary.
  • Almost 60% of the population stated that they would be more likely to buy from an organization that uses memes in its marketing.
  • The Click-Through-Rate {CTR} of a meme camp is almost 14% more huge than that of email marketing.
  • The CTRs in a median marketing camp are almost 6%, while in meme marketing, they are nearly 19%.
  • The Memes have almost ten times more reach, with nearly 60% current organic committed than the regular marketing graph.
  • The median millennials look almost 20 to 40 memes in one day.
  • The worldwide meme market had revenue of $2.3 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $6.1 billion by 2026.
  • Roughly 75% of people between 13 years and 36 years old share memes.
  • According to Memes Statistics, 29% of people share memes on social media.
  • Almost 74% of people send memes to make others laugh or smile, whereas 53% share memes to make other people react.
  • Virtually 38% of people follow meme-sharing accounts to get daily meme updates on social media.
  • “F**ckjerry” is the most followed meme account on INSTAGRAM, with almost 16.8 million followers.
  • The Saint Hoax is among the most famous meme accounts on Instagram.
  • The image of “Disaster Girl” has generated more than $573,000 at an auction and is one of the most profitable meme NFT to date.
  • In 2021, “Shiba Inu (Shib)” was the most famous meme crypto, with almost 43 million views and more views than BTC.
  • Instagram showed that its users share almost one million memes every day in 2021.

Meme Marketing Statistics

  • Social media has become a hotspot for brands to connect with consumers, especially the younger crowd. Memes—those funny, often relatable images or videos—are taking over the internet, and brands are starting to take notice.
  • Research shows that people aged 16 to 34 are spending a big chunk of their media time on social platforms, way more than on TV. Plus, sharing memes has become a daily ritual for many, especially among the 13 to 35 age group. Instagram and TikTok are leading the pack when it comes to sharing memes, with millions being exchanged daily.
  • TikTok is a prime spot for meme marketing. Its algorithm makes it easy for memes to go viral, and with millions of users spending hours on the app every day, it’s a goldmine for brands looking to reach a massive audience.
  • Remember when viral videos were all the rage on YouTube? Well, times have changed. Creating a video that goes viral isn’t as easy as it used to be. Brands need help to make content that gets shared organically. But here’s where meme marketing comes in.
  • Memes are like little cultural nuggets that people love to share. They’re short, funny, and speak to what’s happening right now. Brands that tap into meme culture can grab attention and get people talking.
  • Tesco, a supermarket chain, recently ran a campaign on TikTok to find the voice of their self-checkout machines. They asked users to create their versions of the self-checkout script. The response was huge, with millions of views and tons of media coverage.
  • Brands are always looking for ways to stand out and get noticed. Meme marketing offers a unique opportunity to create buzz and generate excitement. By creating meme-worthy moments, brands can boost their fame and drive growth.
  • Meme marketing isn’t just a passing trend—it’s a powerful tool for brands to connect with consumers in the digital age. By embracing meme culture and creating shareable content, brands can increase their visibility and drive success.

Digital Engagement Activities

digital-engagement-activities-across-video-verticals-in-india-by-content-

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

  • In the above chart, we can see that digital engagement activities around video verticals in India.
  • We can observe that light blue colors show industry-rated content and dark blue colors show user-generated content.
  • As seen, the OTT GEC fiction was 73% of the industry-industry content, and only 27% was user-generated content.
  • Movies Studios shows that 64% of content was generated by Industry, and users generated 36% of the content.
  • The LTV GEC fiction was 54% of the industry-industry content, and 46% was user-generated content.

Social Media Network Usage in India

number-of-social-network-users-in-india-from-2015-to-2018-with-a-forecast-until-2023

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

  • In the above chart, we can see the number of social media network users in India between 2015 and 2023.
  • As we can observe, in 2015, when memes were very less popular, just 142.2 million people used the social media network.
  • As the years passed, the number gradually increased from 168.1 million in 2016 to 296.3 million in 2017.
  • Gradually, the number maintained an upward trend and reached 447.9 million in 2023.

The Popularity of Memes Statistics

  • As per the Visual Objects poll, nearly 44% of social media users between 18 and 34 generally share memes online.
  • Memes have also become very famous on social network websites like Instagram, Reddit, and Twitter. Reddit’s subreddits, which are marked to various meme subgenres and cultures, are often credited with publicizing some of the best-known memes.
  • The most frequently seen memes are image macros that connect comical or sarcastic images with text. These are followed by videos, memes, or GIFs that feature short clips from Television episodes or movies with a comical caption or other such content.
  • The memes are related to famous cultures, such as movies, music artists, celebrities, and TV serials. Many of them are not that famous in the industry but have included an iconic figure, like a famous film star.
  • Memes have long been trending as an effective form of entertainment and criticism within advertising and political camps.
  • The scholars are showing the effects of the memes on the society as an investigation. Others have also researched how memes are used to convey an emotion or a message in the community.
  • Many times, such memes are also created to provoke people and the community against some party.
  • Memes have become very famous over time, and new ones are continuously being created. Social media networks and online communities give users a limitless platform on which to create, develop, and share their views.

You May Also Like To Read

Most Iconic Memes

  • The ‘Bad Luck Brain’ meme had almost 50,000 creations on the Meme Generator site.
  • The ‘YUNO’ meme was the most widely shared meme on Tumblr.
  • The ‘Kermit sipping tea’ meme is almost one of the memes that have been used for almost 800,000 tweets.
  • The ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ meme has been shared almost 500,000 times on Instagram.
  • The ‘One does not simply’ meme, which features a still of Boromir from The Lord of the Rings, had almost 50,000 shares on Instagram.
  • The ‘Crying Jordon’ meme created almost 2 million tweets.
  • The’ Cat memes’ are one of the 20 top most searched meme types, with 1 million searches in a month.
  • The ‘Sad Keanu Reeves’ meme had made almost 1 million shares on Facebook.
  • The ‘Hide the Pin Harold’ meme had almost 400,000 mentions on Twitter.
  • The ‘Expanding Brain’ meme had featured almost 20,000 posts on Instagram.
  • The ‘This is Fine’ meme of Dog was created from a “Gunshow” comedy show and has been shared almost 200,000 times on Twitter.
  • The ‘Dank Memes’ has almost 5 million subscribers, which makes it one of the most famous memes.
  • The ‘Rickrolling,’ a prank that also included Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music, has gained almost 1 billion views on YouTube.
  • The ‘Arthur Fist’ meme was shared almost 1 million times on Instagram.
  • The ‘Distracted Boyfriend’ meme, generally made from a stock photo that Antonio Guillemin shouted, has been used for almost 1 million various incarnations.
  • The ‘Pepe, the Frog’ meme was shown in more than 12,000 various eBay listings.
  • The ‘Mocking SpongeBob SquarePants’ meme is used in almost 2.8 million tweets.
  • The GIF of Michael Jackson eating popcorn from the “Thriller” video has almost 6 million shares on Twitter.
  • In 2021, the “Doge” meme, which is a Shiba Inu dog, was used as a phrase in comedy sans MC.

Meme Dark Side

  • Memes, those funny pictures or videos we see online, are more than just entertainment. They spread like wildfire on the internet, evolving as people share them.
  • But memes aren’t always harmless. They can also be used to spread false information, causing problems in the market.
  • Just like viruses, memes can infect our minds and change our behavior. This is because of the power of the internet and advanced AI technology.
  • Memes can be engineered to trick people into believing and sharing false information, affecting society and even elections.
  • Biologist Richard Dawkins introduced the concept of memes in 1976. He compared memes to genes, saying they replicate and spread through human culture.
  • Back then, the internet was less advanced than it is today. But now, with social media and AI, memes can spread faster and have a bigger impact. The rapid spread of memes is similar to how viruses spread. The more people share them, the more successful they become.
  • Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have made it easy for memes to reach a large audience quickly. Deepfakes, which are realistic but fake videos, are also becoming more common. They can be used to spread false information and manipulate people.
  • Detecting deep fakes is difficult, and trying to regulate social media may not be enough to stop them.
  • One solution could be to educate people about internet literacy and how to spot false information. Just like with vaccines for viruses, we need to build immunity against harmful memes.
  • Folklorists who study stories and legends can help us understand how memes spread and why people believe them.
  • They use techniques like the SLAP test to determine if a story is true or not.
  • In market research, it’s important to be aware of the influence of memes and false information. People may believe rumors or conspiracy theories that could affect their buying decisions.
  • By understanding how memes spread and why people believe them, market researchers can better navigate the digital landscape.
  • Overall, memes can significantly impact society and the market. It’s essential to be aware of their influence and take steps to combat false information.
  • By building immunity against harmful memes and educating ourselves about internet literacy, we can protect ourselves and make more informed decisions in the market.

By Region and Demographic

coronavirus-impact-us-uk-internet-users-who-look-at-memes-by-demographic-march-2020

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

  • In the above chart, we can see the impact of coronavirus on internet users in the United States and the United Kingdom who looked at memes.
  • We can see that if we consider the gender of the population, almost 33% of females and 31% of males watched memes in March 2020.
  • Further, it is shown that almost 54% of the population between 16 and 23 years old were Gen Z generation watch memes in 2020.
  • Almost 41% of Millennials between 24- and 37 years old watch memes, and 21% of Gen Z between 35- and 56 years old watch memes.
  • On the other hand, just 9% of the baby boomers between 57 years and 64 years old watch memes.
  • According to a count conducted in 2022 by the YouGov market, the memes market is famous among a range of European countries. 51% of the participants are from the United Kingdom, 47% from France, and 42% from Germany.
  • According to a survey by Hootsuite, memes are popular in Latin America, specifically in Mexico and Brazil. Almost 86% of Brazilians and 85% of Mexican participants have used them within the last few months.
  • As per the 2022 survey done by the marketing research organization Mintel, teenage Asians were fans of avid memes.
  • The Chinese participants in the survey who were between 20 and 29 years old used to watch memes 63% of the time, whereas those who were 30 to 39 years old watched memes 40% of the time.

Conclusion

The article has outlined some important meme statistics for 2023- 2024, and we saw that memes are becoming a very big business to work with. These are the two major factors that are probable to shape the future. At first, the traditional social media platforms of Twitter and Instagram were newer, and they were focused networks like Snapchat.

This is run by the younger generation, which increases the gravity of the platforms. In the second place, we can state the increase in the number of ‘ad-memes’ that are branded content designed to go viral.

FAQ.

What are the statistics of meme culture?

As per the YPluse, almost 74% of the population share memes for humour, 53% share memes for a response, about 35% share memes as cryptic messages, and 28% share memes when words are not enough, majorly engaging in meme-based conversations.

How big is the meme industry?

In 2020, the worldwide meme market had a revenue of $2.3 billion and is estimated to increase to $6.1 billion by 2025, with a 21.6% CAGR as of 2023.

How many people use memes?

Nearly 75% of people between 13 years and 36 years old share maximum memes. As per the latest social media behaviours survey, almost 30 people send them each day.

What is the future of memes?

With the development of Artificial Intelligence, we may also witness an improvement in AI-generated memes.

Saisuman Revankar
Saisuman Revankar

Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.

More Posts By Saisuman Revankar