# Digital 2027 report estimates 3.24 billion monthly generative AI users > Meltwater and We Are Social estimate that 38.9% of the world’s population used generative AI tools in the past month. - Canonical URL: https://newsverum.com/en/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026 - Publisher: Newsverum - Section: Technology - Published: 2026-10-21T14:02:44+00:00 - Updated: 2026-10-21T14:02:44+00:00 - Event / data period: 2026-10-21 - Other editions: [Türkçe](https://newsverum.com/tr/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026.md), [العربية](https://newsverum.com/ar/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026.md), [Français](https://newsverum.com/fr/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026.md), [Español](https://newsverum.com/es/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026.md), [Deutsch](https://newsverum.com/de/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026.md), [Português](https://newsverum.com/pt/news/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026.md) Meltwater and We Are Social released their Digital 2027 report on 21 October, estimating 3.24 billion active monthly users of generative AI tools, or 38.9% of the global population. The report says the estimated number rose 57.2% over the previous 12 months, adding 1.2 billion users. The same report estimates 5.81 billion social-media user identities, equal to 69.9% of the world population, and says the total increased 2.7% year over year. These are estimates assembled for the report, not a direct census of unique people; its headline social-media figure counts user identities. ## Data ### Digital 2027 report estimates 3.24 billion monthly generative AI users Methodology: Based on the source announcement; no outcomes beyond those stated are asserted. | date | label | description | status | |---|---|---|---| | 2026-10-21 | Digital 2027 report estimates 3.24 billion monthly generative AI users | Meltwater and We Are Social released their Digital 2027 report on 21 October, estimating 3.24 billion active monthly users of generative AI tools, or 38.9% of the global population. The report says the estimated number rose 57.2% over the previous 12 months, adding 1.2 billion users. | occurred | Sources: · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026/data/announcement?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026/data/announcement?lang=en&format=csv) ### Report estimates of global digital use Monthly user counts and population shares estimated and compiled for the Digital 2027 report. The social-media measure counts user identities, not unique people. Methodology: Current global estimates in Digital 2027, released on 21 October 2026, rather than forecasts for 2027. The AI measure estimates monthly active users; the social-media measure counts user identities rather than unique people. | label | value | unit | period | basis | |---|---|---|---|---| | Monthly active generative-AI users | 3.24 | billion people | 2026-10 | estimate | | Estimated share of world population using generative AI | 38.9 | percent | 2026-10 | estimate | | Social-media user identities | 5.81 | billion | 2026-10 | estimate | | Share of world population represented by social-media user identities | 69.9 | percent | 2026-10 | estimate | Sources: · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026/data/digital-estimates?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/meltwater-we-are-social-digital-2027-genai-use-2026/data/digital-estimates?lang=en&format=csv) ## Sources - [Meltwater and We Are Social]() (Source checked: 2026-10-21; Published: 2026-10-21) --- Cite the canonical URL above. [Editorial standards and corrections](https://newsverum.com/en/editorial)