Key stat: Half (50%) of Gen Z consumers have been driven to purchase by a social media ad, per an August YouGov report.

Beyond the chart:

• 58.8% of Gen Z used TikTok for search, much higher than Millennials (38.8%), Gen X (21.2%), and Boomers (7.6%), according to an April EMARKETER report.
• Consumer packaged goods (CPGs) lead all categories with the highest percentage (34.7%) of US digital ad spend committed to social media, according to an August EMARKETER forecast.

Use this chart: Marketers can compare the data across demographics to their social media campaign targets and see if performance meets expectations. Generally, younger groups are more primed to buy through social ads.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• What the Rise of GenAI Assistants Means for Social Media (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Social Video 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from an August 2025 YouGov analysis as cited in company blog. Approximately 1,000 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed on July 17, 2025.